October and November are ideal for fall herbaceous peony bed cleanup and to get ready for winter. Fall is the ideal time to dig up and divide old clumps of peony roots and to plant new plants. Old yellow and brown foliage comes off easy with hand clippers. Don’t pull or yank off the foliage! […]
Archive for the ‘Spring flowering’ Category
Peony Care in the Fall
Posted by Hugh on September 6th, 2019
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, applying sulfur, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Container garden, Deciduous, Downy mildew, Fall Garden Interest, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Landscape ideas, mulching, Peonies, Peony, Perennials, Planting tips, Powdery mildew, Propagation (dividing), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Sanitation, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Soil Testing, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Uncategorized, winter hardiness, Winter Protection 
Comments Off on Peony Care in the FallZone 6 Hardy Camellias – Plant Now!
Posted by Hugh on September 1st, 2019
More and more people gardening in zones 6 and 7 have discovered that they can successfully grow camellias. Once considered an exclusively Southern plant, many camellia varieties are very cold hardy where winter temps drop to 0 to 5°F. Their floral buds burst open with bright whites, pink and red shades, and spotted color blends. […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aphids, Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Camellia, compost, Container garden, Disease resistant, Environmental issues, Evergreen, Fall Garden Interest, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Flower arrangments, Flowering, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Scale, Shade Gardening, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Winter blooming, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness Comments Off on Zone 6 Hardy Camellias – Plant Now!Six Perennials To Include In Your Garden
Posted by Hugh on August 16th, 2019
I continue to report to you on plants that perform. I am quick to eliminate plants that don’t live up to expectations.Here are six topnotch perennials you will enjoy in your garden for many years. Arkansas bluestar (Amsonia hubrichtii) grows into a 2-3 feet tall arching clump of soft, feathery green leaves. Blue starry flowers […]
Posted in acidic soil, Alliums (onion), Amsonia (blue star), Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Black eyed Susan (Rudbeckia), Butterflies, Coreopsis, Coreopsis 'Gold Standard, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Flowers, Heat Tolerance, Hummingbird, Landscape ideas, Muhly grass, mulching, Native Plant, Perennials, Phlox, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (dividing), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Summer phlox (P. paniculata), watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Six Perennials To Include In Your GardenKatsura Trees For Urban Plantings
Posted by Hugh on August 11th, 2019
Hooray! American gardeners are finally becoming savvy about Katsura tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum) as one of the finest landscape trees. This medium to tall growing tree (height depending on cultivar) possesses four-season appeal. Numerous varieties are now available. Small growing cultivars will be featured here. Katsura tree is indigenous to Japan and China where some may […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Balled and Burlapped (b&b), Bees and other pollinators, Deciduous, Dioecious, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Fragrant, Katsura tree (Cercidophyllum), Landscape ideas, Large Shade trees, Medium sized Tree, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation(grafting), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Sun scald, Trees & Shrubs, Uncategorized, watering tips, Weeping habit, winter hardiness Comments Off on Katsura Trees For Urban PlantingsNew Inkberry Varieties Substitute For Boxwoods
Posted by Hugh on August 6th, 2019
Inkberry holly (Ilex glabra) is a slow-growing evergreen shrub (USDA hardiness zones 5-9). This U.S. native hale from coastal Canada south to Florida, and west to Louisiana. Commonly, inkberry (the species) grows to 5-8 feet tall. It is at home in sandy woodlands and the edges of swamps and bogs where they form colonies via root […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, compact shrub, Container garden, Container growing, container shrub, Dioecious, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Evergreen, Evergreens, Fertilizing plants, Heat Tolerance, Inkberry Holly (Ilex), Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Ornamental fruit, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Uncategorized, watering tips, Wildlife attractant, winter hardiness Comments Off on New Inkberry Varieties Substitute For BoxwoodsWhy My Hydrangeas Are Not Blooming
Posted by Hugh on July 23rd, 2019
Thankfully, this is not a very common problem that few gardeners run into. U.S. gardeners grow four (4) species of hydrangeas: smooth hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens), oakleaf hydrangea (H. quercifolia), bigleaf hydrangea (H. macrophylla), and panicle hydrangea (H. paniculata). There are five reasons why some hydrangeas don’t bloom: 1. Type of hydrangea… Bigleaf hydrangeas, those that […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Bees and other pollinators, Bigleaf hydrangea (H. macrophylla), compact shrub, Container garden, container shrub, Deciduous, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Flower arrangments, Flowering, Hydrangea, Hydrangea arborescens, Hydrangeas, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Oakleaf hydrangea (H. quercifolia), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Rabbit/deer Protection, Shade Gardening, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Uncategorized, watering hydrangeas, watering tips, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on Why My Hydrangeas Are Not BloomingFive Shrubs Make Wonderful Small Trees
Posted by Hugh on July 18th, 2019
With some aggressively growing shrubs, it frequently comes down to you (and your pruners) versus the plant. Technique: a sharp pair of hand pruners along with 3-4 times annually to train a large unruly shrub into a behaved small tree. Here is a list of 5 great shrub candidate that may become a great small tree: […]
Posted in acidic soil, Althea (Hibiscus), Attracting birds, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Butterflies, compact tree, Container garden, Container growing, Deciduous, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Flowering, Harlequin glorybower, Landscape Construction, Landscape ideas, mulching, Ninebark, Panicle hydrangea, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Staking, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Uncategorized, Vitex (Chaste tree), watering tips, Wind protection, winter hardiness Comments Off on Five Shrubs Make Wonderful Small TreesCrusader™ Cockspur Hawthorn
Posted by Hugh on July 13th, 2019
n Cockspur thorn (Crataegus crus-galli) is sometimes seen as a dense, low-branched, broad-rounded tree to 25-35 feet with horizontal branching armed with numerous large 1.5 to 3 inch long thorns. Lower branches often sweep near to the ground. It is also often seen as a tall, flat-topped shrub. This native hawthorn grows naturally from Quebec […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Edible fruits, Fertilizing plants, Flowering, Hawthorn (Crataegus), Honey bees, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Ornamental fruit, Planting tips, Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Small landscape tree, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Uncategorized Comments Off on Crusader™ Cockspur HawthornAttractive Butterfly Weed
Posted by Hugh on June 18th, 2019
Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa), aka milkweed, is a long-lived summer blooming perennial. In the wild milkweed may be found growing in dry/rocky open woodlands, prairies, farm fields, and along roadsides in the southeastern U.S and mid-western U.S. and Canada (USDA hardiness zones 3 -9). Established plants typically grow as a clump to 2- 3 feet high and 1 […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Butterflies, Butterfly weed (Asclepias), Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Flower Arranging, Garden ecology, Landscape ideas, Milkweeds (Asclepias), mulching, Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Uncategorized, winter hardiness Comments Off on Attractive Butterfly WeedSacred Lily (Rohdea)
Posted by Hugh on May 21st, 2019
Sacred lily (Rohdea japonica), aka nippon lilies, are native to Japan and China. Rohdeas are truly collector’s plants (USDA hardiness zones 6-10). In the Orient these lovely shade perennials are highly revered. In traditional Japanese horticulture, sacred lilies (known as o moto) came to be associated with long life and good fortune. Containers are planted […]
Posted in acidic soil, compost, Container garden, Disease resistant, Evergreen, Ground cover, Landscape ideas, mulching, Ornamental fruit, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Sacred Lily (Rohdea), Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Uncategorized, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Sacred Lily (Rohdea)
