Archive for the ‘Flowers’ Category

Growing Amaryllis

    Amaryllis is a tropical bulb that blooms indoors usually in winter (USDA hardiness zones 9-11). It is one of the easiest flowering plants to grow. Everything you need to enjoy a bouquet of big, beautiful flowers is inside the bulb. Simply plant the pre-chilled bulb in a container and add water. There are many […]

Polar Express Sunbelt Rose Big Winner At 2016 Biltmore Gardens Rose Trial

If you grow roses in the U.S. Mid-South region, the historic Biltmore Gardens in Asheville, NC is key source for discovering what varieties you should be growing. Recently, a jury of world rose experts selected the winning roses in the 2016 Biltmore International Rose Trials. Since 2011, Biltmore’s historic Rose Garden has been home to the trials in which more […]

‘Midwinter Fire’ Dogwood Brightens Up The Winter Landscape

Bloodtwig dogwood (Cornus sanguinea), indigenous to Europe and Asia, is an upright branched, round-topped, spreading deciduous shrub (USDA hardiness zones 5 to 7). In the wild the species matures to 8-15 feet in height and spread. Its common name “bloodtwig” is misleading. Winter wood on 1-2 year old branches is not red. Instead, winter stems turn […]

Fascinated By Praying Mantis

Carolina Praying Mantis (often written “mantid”, referring to family Mantidae) (Stagmomantis carolina) is the only species of praying mantis native to the U.S. However, about 20 species are found in the U.S.  Most ubiquitous here is the European mantis (M. religiosa). Chinese Praying Mantid (Tenodera aridifolia) is the largest species by size in the U.S., measuring […]

Try Popcorn Cassia For Its Lush Tropical Look

Big and bold is this tropical annual (USDA hardiness zones 9-11), known by several names including popcorn or peanut butter cassia (Senna didymotrya), formerly Cassia didymotrya. Popcorn plant is a legume family (Fabaceae), indigenous to tropical Africa. It is also been utilized as a cover crop or green manure crop in some areas of the world. It thrives […]

Monarch Tagging Program*

*Blog is guest authored by Joy Stewart, University of Tennessee Master Gardener. She lives in Bristol, TN. For such a small creature, weighing in at only half a gram, the Monarch butterfly has almost more remarkable facts and puzzling mysteries attached to it than one can count.  No other butterfly in the world migrates like […]

Blue Lyme Grass Adapts To Almost Any Surroundings

Blue Lyme Grass (Leymus arenarus ‘Blue Dune’) is a vigorous spreading cool season grass (USDA Hardiness zones 3-9). It is native to the coasts of northern and western Europe. A closely related species, L. mollis, is native to the northern coasts of North America. Blue lyme grass is a stand out because of its beautiful steel-blue foliage. Atlanta Botanical Gardens has sited it […]

Mapleleaf Viburnum For Woodland Areas

The genus Viburnum is a rich source of over 150 species of great flowering shrubs worldwide. Many viburnums are native to North America including mapleleaf viburnum (Viburnum acerifolium). This totally underutilized deciduous viburnum is a great choice to plant in shrub borders, foundation, or hedging, as well as to naturalize in an open woodland area (zone 3-8). Shrub grows 4 – […]

Five Landscape Plants On The Gardeners’ Taboo List

To many people, maintaining a garden or landscape means a lot of hard work. Sometimes the weeds outgrow what you have planted. Some landscape plants promise a lot of beauty but deliver nothing but problems. Some trees are weak wooded, prone to pests or diseases, and outgrow their space. Some produce smelly odorous flowers. I urge […]

Uniquely Different Chinese Flame Tree

Chinese flame tree, aka bougainvillea goldenrain tree (K. bipinnata), is another tree option in U.S. southern landscapes (USDA hardiness zones 7-10). It is closely related to the more widely planted goldenrain tree (Koelruteria paniculata). This fast growing tree develops into a nice 20-40 feet tall medium-size tree with an irregular canopy. Chinese flame tree is highly drought tolerant (after one year established). […]