An enormous 60 foot white pine toppled over several smaller trees. The aftermath was a severely damaged 3- year old sweetbay magnolia (Magnolia virginiana). Replacing the 3 1/2 inch diameter tree would have cost the homeowner over $300. My recommendation to the homeowner was to cut back the magnolia trunk to approximately 12 inches from the ground in […]
Archive for the ‘Flowers’ Category
Rebuilding A Storm Damaged Young Tree
Posted by Hugh on October 25th, 2014
Posted in Evergreen, Fertilizing plants, Landscape ideas, Large Shade trees, Magnolia virginiana, Medium sized Tree, Native Plant, Planting tips, Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Staking, Summer flowering, Trees & Shrubs 
Comments Off on Rebuilding A Storm Damaged Young TreeShrubs You Should Not Prune In Fall Season
Posted by Hugh on October 10th, 2014
Why would anyone prune spring flowering shrubs in the autumn season? After a long cold winter, why miss out on the delightful fragrance of lilac and viburnum flowers the following spring? Predicting how cold, warm, or dry the coming winter season is rarely possible. Pruning cuts are wounds and weather extremes may cause injury to […]
Posted in Azalea (deciduous), Azaleas (evergreen), Deciduous Azaleas, Deutzia, Failure to Bloom, Flowering quince (Chaenomeles), Forsythia, Honeysuckle (Lonicera), Insect (Pest) Problems, Lilac (Syringa), Mahonia, Ninebark, Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Spirea (Spiraea), Spring flowering, Trees & Shrubs, Viburnums, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on Shrubs You Should Not Prune In Fall SeasonPlanting Of Norway Maple Declining In U.S.
Posted by Hugh on October 4th, 2014
Norway maple (Acer platanoides) is a hardwood tree native throughout the of Europe and widely planted in the U.S. (USDA hardiness zones 4-7a). At maturity a tree reaches 40 to 50 feet in height (to 75 to 80 feet is not unusual) and 35 to 50 feet in width. Its dense leafy canopy values it […]
Posted in acidic soil, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Invasive species, Large Shade trees, Maples (Acer), Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Trees & Shrubs, winter hardiness Comments Off on Planting Of Norway Maple Declining In U.S.Tropical Looking Big Leaf Magnolia
Posted by Hugh on October 2nd, 2014
Bigleaf magnolia (Magnolia macrophylla) is native to the southeastern United States as far north to Ohio (USDA hardiness zones 5-8). A mature tree attains heights of 30 to 40 feet and develops an irregular pyramidal form. In the northern areas the tree is deciduous and semi-evergreen in the southeastern U.S. Its enormous size foliage makes […]
Posted in acidic soil, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Landscape ideas, Magnolia macrophylla, Native Plant, Ornamental fruit, Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, winter hardiness Comments Off on Tropical Looking Big Leaf MagnoliaThe Mighty Bur Oak
Posted by Hugh on September 25th, 2014
Bur oak or mossycup oak (Quercus macrocarpa), aka blue oak and mossy overcup oak, is a majestic native oak native to the midwest and eastern U.S. (USDA hardiness zones 3-8). It a member of the white oak group (rounded leaf lobes, no bristly tips). This large sized deciduous oak grows 60-80 feet tall with a […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Attracting birds, Bur oak (Q. macrocarpa), Deer resistant, Edible fruits, Native Plant, Oaks (Quercus spp.), Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Trees & Shrubs, winter hardiness Comments Off on The Mighty Bur Oak‘Summer Snowflake’ Viburnum
Posted by Hugh on September 18th, 2014
Autumn may be coming or has arrived, but spring-flowering ‘Summer Snowflake’, a selection of doublefile viburnum (Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum) continues to bloom. Native to Japan, doublefile viburnums are in a league of their own. Summer Snowflake grows 15 to 18 feet tall and a narrow 6 to 9 feet width or roughly 2:1 height […]
Posted in compact shrub, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Trees & Shrubs, Viburnums Comments Off on ‘Summer Snowflake’ ViburnumAutumn/Winter Garden Dressup
Posted by Hugh on September 15th, 2014
It’s fall and many gardeners take leave of their garden until spring. Autumn is a great time to create new color schemes that will carry over into the winter garden. It’s just like spring all over again! Frost hardy flowering plants get their turn, such as pansies, violas, snapdragons, and diascias (USDA Hardiness zone 7), […]
Posted in acidic soil, Arborvitae (Thuja spp.), Autumn flowering, Chamaecyparis, compact shrub, compost, Container growing, container shrub, Diascias, Fertilizing plants, Flowers, Ilex (hollies), Juniper, Microbiota, mulching, Pansies, Snapdragons, Southern Appalachian Region, Violas, watering tips, Winter flowering, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness, Winter Protection, Yews (Taxus spp.) Comments Off on Autumn/Winter Garden DressupFall Blooming ‘October Skies’ Aster
Posted by Hugh on September 12th, 2014
From Maine to Texas, the aromatic asters (Symphyotrichum (Aster) oblongifolius) are great garden performers in the fall garden (USDA hardiness zones 5–8). The cultivar ‘October Skies’ is one of the best. Plants are covered with lavender blue flowers (up to 1 ¼ inches in diameter) from late September thru late October. Each flower displays a gold button center. […]
Posted in acidic soil, Autumn flowering, mulching, Pruning, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Fall Blooming ‘October Skies’ AsterKingwood Center In Mansfield, Ohio
Posted by Hugh on September 10th, 2014
Over the years Kingwood Center in Mansfield, Ohio (60 miles north of Columbus) has been a popular public gardens to visit. Formerly the home of Charles King, the 47 acre former estate garden has been open to the public since 1953. The former King home now houses Kingwood’s administrative offices and horticultural library. Kingwood is […]
Posted in Daylilies, Flowers, Gardens to Visit, Hosta, Interior (house) Plants, Perennials, Roses, shrub roses Comments Off on Kingwood Center In Mansfield, OhioWingstem Common Along Roadsides In Late Summer
Posted by Hugh on September 6th, 2014
In late summer several wildflowers, golden rods (Solidago spp.)and ironweeds (Vernonia spp.) to name two, start blooming along many Midwestern and Eastern U.S. roadsides. Wingstems (Verbesina alternifolia) are another 4-8 feet tall native perennial wildflower that grows nearby (USDA hardiness zones 4-7). Many people ask what they are. Sturdy stems, mostly unbranched, stand tall and […]
Posted in Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Butterflies, Perennials, Summer flowering, Wildflower, Wildflowers, Wingstem (Verbesina) Comments Off on Wingstem Common Along Roadsides In Late Summer
