In the U.S., two species of rhododendrons, Catawa (Rhododendron catawbiensis) and Rosebay (R. maximum), are plentiful in the Appalachian Mountain region. Their roots feed in part on the rich humus material in the rocky mountain soils. Over time fallen leaves, twigs, and flower parts decay into additional humus. Humus improves soil aeration and drainage, yet […]
Archive for the ‘Spring flowering’ Category
Care Of Rhododendrons
Posted by Hugh on January 31st, 2020
Posted in acidic soil, Azalea (deciduous), Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Butterflies, Cold tolerance, compost, Container garden, container shrub, Deer resistant, Drought tolerant, Environmental Conservation, Evergreen, Evergreens, Fertilizing plants, Landscape ideas, Mountain laurel (Kalmia), mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Planting tips, Privacy Screen, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (layering), Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Rhododendrons, Shade Gardening, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, winter injury 
Comments Off on Care Of RhododendronsTen Stars Of The Winter Landscape
Posted by Hugh on January 21st, 2020
Here are 10 reliable plants that shine in my Tennessee garden (Zone 6-b) during the winter season: Witchhazels (Hamamelis spp.) –two species bloom in winter: (a). Vernal witchhazel (H. vernalis) blooms in mid- to late- January (zones 4-8). (b). Chinese witchhazel hybrids (H. x intermedia) dominate the month of February into March. – deciduous, large […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bees and other pollinators, compact shrub, Container garden, Container growing, container shrub, Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas), Cornus officinalis, Daphne odora, Disease resistant, Edgeworthia, Fertilizing plants, Flowering, Fragrant, Hellebores, Honeysuckle (Lonicera), Jessamine (Gelsemium), mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (Seed), Shade Gardening, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Viburnum x bodnantense, Viburnums, Winter blooming, Winter flowering, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness, Wintersweet (Chimonanthus), Witchhazel (Hamamelis) Comments Off on Ten Stars Of The Winter LandscapeZone 6 Hardy Camellias
Posted by Hugh on January 11th, 2020
In the Southern U.S., camellias are treasured for their showy flowers in the fall-winter landscape. Their glossy evergreen foliage looks great all year long. Hardy varieties are now available for zone 6 northern gardens (-10 to 0 °F). This means that gardeners in Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia and most coastal cities in Eastern U.S. can grow […]
Posted in acidic soil, Autumn flowering, Bees and other pollinators, Camellia, compost, Container garden, container shrub, Evergreen, Fertilizing plants, Flowering, Flowering shrub, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness Comments Off on Zone 6 Hardy CamelliasDowntown Street Trees With A Narrow Vertical Form
Posted by Hugh on December 6th, 2019
On the subject of land, Mark Twain wrote: “they’re not making any more of it”. This is particularly true in downtown urban areas where land to grow trees is usually very limited. Here are five tall trees that possess a striking vertical accent. Their upright branch habit does not take up much horizontal space. Trees […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bees and other pollinators, Breeding Plants, compact tree, Deciduous, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Environmental issues, Fertilizing plants, Ginkgo biloba, Hornbeam (Carpinus), Landscape Construction, Landscape ideas, Large Shade trees, Medium sized Tree, mulching, mulching trees, Native Plant, Oaks (Quercus spp.), Planting tips, Privacy Screen, Propagation(grafting), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Shade tree, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Sweetgum (Liquidambar), Tulip tree (Liriodendron), watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Downtown Street Trees With A Narrow Vertical FormSpace-Saving Vertical Shrubs
Posted by Hugh on December 1st, 2019
Try these slim and sleek varieties in a small space such as on patios or the front porch, in courtyards, or as a single specimens in narrow gardens or containers. Set them at the back of beds for space-saving walls and backdrops. Pot them up for container magic on the porch. All six plants grow […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Autumn flowering, Balled and Burlapped (b&b), Barberry (Berberis), Bees and other pollinators, Boxwood (Buxus), Camellia, compact shrub, Container garden, container shrub, Deciduous, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Evergreen, Evergreens, Fall Garden Interest, Flowering, Ilex (hollies), Juniper, Landscape ideas, mulching, Planting tips, Podocarous, Privacy Screen, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Space-Saving Vertical ShrubsUniquely Different Red Dragon™ Contorted Filbert
Posted by Hugh on November 26th, 2019
Uniquely Different ‘Red Dragon’ Contorted Filbert European filbert or hazelnut (Corylus avellana) is native to Europe, western Asia and northern Africa where it is often found growing in thickets and hedgerows. Red Dragon™ filbert is an outstanding red leaf selection of contorted filbert (C. avellana Red Dragon™). This unique landscape shrub grows 6 – 8 […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bees and other pollinators, compact shrub, Container garden, Container growing, container shrub, Contorted filbert (Corylus), Deciduous, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fall Garden Interest, Fertilizing plants, Flowers, Japanese beetle, Japanese beetles, Landscape ideas, Monoecious, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Propagation(grafting), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Root suckering, Scale, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness Comments Off on Uniquely Different Red Dragon™ Contorted FilbertAnise (Illicium) Shrubs Coming To Mid-South Gardens
Posted by Hugh on November 16th, 2019
There is lots of interest in this shrub group. Anise shrubs (Illicium spp.) are fast growing, evergreen shrubs (USDA zones 7 to 10). They exhibit a multi-stemmed, upright, compact growth habit. The green foliage of Florida anise (I. floridanum) is quite attractive and aromatic, smelling similar to anise spice when crushed. Their shiny, leathery leaves are […]
Posted in acidic soil, Anise tree (Illicium), Attracting birds, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, compact shrub, compact tree, Container garden, Container growing, Disease resistant, Evergreen, Evergreens, Fertilizing plants, Flowering, Fragrant, Green Privacy Screen, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, Large shrub, mulching, Planting tips, Poisonous or toxic, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Shade Gardening, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Uncategorized, watering evergreens, watering tips Comments Off on Anise (Illicium) Shrubs Coming To Mid-South GardensNew ‘Chastity’ Ornamental Pear
Posted by Hugh on November 11th, 2019
Before you totally give up on ornamental pear trees (Pyrus calleryana) as invasive, a decision that I would never argue against, take a look at the new Chastity pear. NEW! NEW! NEW! on the market is Chastity pear, a triploid hybrid that is both very ornamental and highly infertile (USDA hardiness zones 5-9). Chastity™ Pear was specifically […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Bees and other pollinators, Deciduous, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Environmental Conservation, Landscape ideas, Medium sized Tree, mulching, Ornamental fruit, Pear (Ornamental), Planting tips, Propagation(grafting), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Street tree, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on New ‘Chastity’ Ornamental PearThere Is Nothing “Minor” About These Bulbs
Posted by Hugh on November 1st, 2019
Companion bulbs, often called “minor bulbs”, are early signs that spring is coming. Three of the most reliable are snowdrops, winter aconites and Glory of the snow. They bloom before crocus in winter. Winter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) returns with floral beauty less than three months after planting. Plants poke through the ground, grow and flower 3 to 6 […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Bulb Crops, Chionodoxa (Glory of the Snow), compost, Container garden, Disease resistant, Flowering Bulb, Garden ecology, Ground cover, Landscape ideas, mulching, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Rabbit/deer Protection, Snowdrops (Galanthus), Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Winter aconite (Eranthis), Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness Comments Off on There Is Nothing “Minor” About These BulbsLots Of Choices In European Hornbeams
Posted by Hugh on October 26th, 2019
European hornbeam (Carpinus betulus),, aka ironwood and musclewood, is an underused tree in the U.S. It makes an excellent urban street and park tree. It develops a full, dense canopy and has very few maintenance requirements (USDA hardiness 4-7). European hornbeams are planted across Europe for their formal upright form as street trees, privacy screens, […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Deciduous, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Green Privacy Screen, Hornbeam (Carpinus), Japanese beetle, Landscape ideas, Medium sized Tree, mulching, Planting tips, Privacy Screen, Propagation (Seed), Propagation(grafting), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Street tree, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Winter bark, winter hardiness Comments Off on Lots Of Choices In European Hornbeams
