Archive for the ‘Summer flowering’ Category

‘Sun King’ Aralia Named 2020 Perennial Plant Of The Year

Plants with golden foliage can brighten up almost any drab garden patch. Sun King golden aralia (Aralia cordata ‘Sun King’) is no exception, hardy in USDA hardiness zones 3-9. It is also known as Japanese spikenard and mountain asparagus. Under ideal conditions this thornless, rhizomatous, herbaceous perennial grows rapidly to 3-5 feet tall and as […]

Wood’s White Aster Are Woodland Favorites

It’s late August and across the Southern Appalachian region White Wood Aster (Eurybia divaricata) are blooming. Their small daisy flowers are often seen blooming in shady woodlands in late summer. They start blooming a week or two later in the New England states and Canada (USDA hardiness zones 3-8). In a natural woodland Wood’s Aster […]

Rose Of Sharon ‘Pillar’ Series –Floral And Architectural Splendor

RRose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus), aka althea, is a popular summer flowering shrub and small tree (USDA hardiness zones ((4)5-8). In northerly areas of the U.S., rose of Sharon may also be cultivated as a sun-loving perennial. The species grows 8-12 feet high and 6 -10 feet wide in full sun and in average garden […]

Six Perennials To Include In Your Garden

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 […]

Tall Stonecrops (Sedums)

Stonecrops (Hylotelephium spectabile) are tall clumping sedums. They are frequent seen in their habitat growing on rocks or stony ledges. Also written as Sedum spectabile, many varieties grow 1.5 to 2 feet high. Approximately 33 species of these drought-tolerant herbaceous perennials are found to Asia, Europe and North America (USDA hardiness zones 3-9). Stonecrop make excellent […]

July Blooming Plumleaf Azalea

Plumleaf azalea (Rhododendron prunifolium), a deciduous azalea native to Georgia and Alabama, is a particular summer favorite (USDA hardiness zones 6-9). It’s hardy even in Boston, NY City, and Philadelphia. Its bright orange-red blooms surprise in late July to early August. Compared to many fragrant spring blooming native species, flowers emit no scent. Its autumnal […]

Why My Hydrangeas Are Not Blooming

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 […]

Five Shrubs Make Wonderful Small Trees

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: […]

Perennial Favorites For The Summer Garden

If someone was to create the Garden Performance Hall of Fame for summer flowering perennials, I would nominate this list of ten (10). I have had experience growing many of them in my Northeast Tennessee garden (USDA hardiness zone 6-b). In a few instances, I have selected a variety that grows in friends’ or a […]

Six Flowering Perennials For Downtown Areas

Here is what some downtown areas in the Southeast and Midwest U.S. were planting this spring: Rudbeckia lacinata ‘Herbstonne’ aka ‘Autumn Sun’ is a long-blooming butterfly favorite with clusters of bright yellow ray flowers with large green cones from mid to late summer. Leaves are large, glossy, deep green, deeply cut along the stems. Black Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida […]