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: […]
Archive for the ‘Spring flowering’ Category
Five Shrubs Make Wonderful Small Trees
Posted by Hugh on July 18th, 2019
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)Try Maple-leaf Viburnum In Woodsy Areas
Posted by Hugh on May 16th, 2019
Maple-leaf Viburnum (Viburnum acerifolium) is a small to medium deciduous shrub that is indigenous to many areas of the Eastern U.S. (USDA hardiness zones 3-8). This underutilized native viburnum is at its finest in a dappled shady woodland landscape. Slow-growing at first, a single plant may reach heights of 4-6 feet and 2-4 feet in […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, compost, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Ornamental fruit, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Viburnum Maple-leaf (V. acerifolium), Viburnums, Wildlife attractant, winter hardiness Comments Off on Try Maple-leaf Viburnum In Woodsy AreasAnnual Geraniums Make Garden Comeback
Posted by Hugh on May 6th, 2019
Once popular annual geraniums (Pelargonium x) are making a comeback with U.S. gardeners. Geraniums are also planted in window boxes or hanging baskets. Three types of geraniums are sold at garden centers: zonal or bedding geraniums (P. x hortorum), ivy-leaf geraniums (P. peltatum), and Martha Washington geraniums (P. x domesticum). Color choices include red, pink, rose, salmon, […]
Posted in acidic soil, Annuals, Autumn flowering, Botrytis disease, Cercopora leaf spot, Container garden, deadheading, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Flowers, Geranium, Interior (house) Plants, Landscape ideas, Leaf diseases, mulching, Planting tips, Potting Mix, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Re-Bloomers, Sanitation, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips Comments Off on Annual Geraniums Make Garden ComebackPlanting Small Trees Under Power Lines
Posted by Hugh on April 20th, 2019
Look Up before you plant. From city streets to country roadside are a myriad of power (utility) lines, e.g. electric, telephone, and cable TV wires. Utility companies have a “right of away” clearance to operate their lines. In most municipalities, mature trees growing into their lines can be cut down or all offending branches removed. Large trees often end […]
Posted in acidic soil, American hornbeam, Amur maple (A. ginnala), Appalachian dogwood series, Attracting birds, Bald cypress (Taxodium), Bees and other pollinators, Chinese (kousa) dogwood, compact tree, Container growing, Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas), Crabapple, Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia), Disease resistant, Dogwood (Cornus), Drought tolerant, Flowering, Fringetree (Chionanthus), Heat Tolerance, Hornbeam (Carpinus), Landscape ideas, Large shrub, Lilac (Syringa), Maackia, Magnolia, Magnolia liliiflora, Maples (Acer), mulching, Native Plant, Ornamental cherry (Prunus), Ornamental plum (Prunus), Parrotia (P. persica0, Planting tips, Propagation(grafting), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Red buckeye (Aesculus), Redbud, Seven son flower (Heptacodium), Silverbell (Halesia), Small landscape tree, Smoketree (Cotinus), Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Street tree, Summer heat tolerant, Sweetheart tree (Euscaphis), Three Flower Maple (A. triflorum), Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness, Witchhazel (Hamamelis), Zelkova Comments Off on Planting Small Trees Under Power LinesThree New Summer Annuals You’ll Get Excited Over
Posted by Hugh on April 15th, 2019
Here are three new annuals which should delight: Striking Senecio ‘Angel Wings’ has silky, silvery white foliage. Angel Wings senecio is beautiful to add to mixed containers or use it solitary on patio or deck planters. Warning: you can’t resist touching the long, broad velvety leaves. Angel Wings grows 10-12 inches high and about as wide. Plant Angel Wings […]
Posted in acidic soil, Angelonias, Annuals, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, compost, Container garden, deadheading, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Euphorbias, Fall Garden Interest, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Flower arrangments, Flowers, Fragrant, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Purchasing Plants, Senecio, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips Comments Off on Three New Summer Annuals You’ll Get Excited OverSelect List Of The Better Kousa Dogwood Varieties
Posted by Hugh on April 10th, 2019
There are over 100 named varieties (cultivars) of kousa (Chinese) dogwoods (Cornus kousa) in nursery trade (USDA hardiness zone 5-8). Most cultivars grow 20-30 feet high with some exceptions. Kousa dogwood blooms 2-3 weeks after U.S. native flowering dogwood (C. florida). Most grow shrub-like and tree forms require extensive training at the nursery. Flowers are 2-4 […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Bees and other pollinators, Chinese (kousa) dogwood, Disease resistant, Dogwood (Cornus), Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, mulching, Ornamental fruit, Planting tips, Propagation(grafting), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Winter bark Comments Off on Select List Of The Better Kousa Dogwood VarietiesSpring Ephemerals
Posted by Hugh on April 6th, 2019
The cold dreary days of March have waned and many of our great Appalachian wildflowers have awakened. These plants are often referred to as “ephemerals” because they come up, bloom, and fade away in 6-9 weeks. They bloom in a shady woodland or garden environment before the deciduous tree canopy has completely leafed out. Their […]
Posted in acidic soil, bloodroot (Sanguinaria), celandine poppies (Stylophorum), Disease resistant, Ferns, Garden ecology, Jack in the Pulpit (Arisaema), mulching, Native Plant, Perennials, plant nutrition, Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Tiarella (foam flower), Twinleaf (Jeffersonia), Virginia bluebells (Mertensia), watering tips, Wildflower, Wildflowers, Wind protection, Woodland phlox Comments Off on Spring Ephemerals
