Chicago Botanic Garden (CBG) has published the results of a 10-year study of speedwells (Veronica and Veronicastrum) in its 33rd issue of Plant Evaluation Notes, “A Comparative Study of Veronica and Veronicastrum“. Seven speedwells received good-excellent ratings for their overall performance, including Veronica ‘Fairytale’, V. ‘Giles Van Hees’, V. austriaca ‘Ionian Skies’, V. longifolia ‘Blue […]
Archive for the ‘acidic soil’ Category
Best of Perennial Veronicas for Gardens
Posted by Hugh on March 17th, 2010
Posted in acidic soil, Fertilizing plants, Perennials, Propagation (Cuttings), Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Veronica (speedwells), watering tips, winter hardiness 
Comments Off on Best of Perennial Veronicas for GardensAucuba — Major Shade Garden Shrub
Posted by Hugh on March 6th, 2010
On a recent trip to the Knoxville Botanical Garden, I was re-introduced to a plant not used as much as it should be – gold dust shrub (Aucuba japonica). Hardy to USDA hardiness zones 6b-10, aucuba prefers a partial sun to heavy shaded area of the garden. Direct sunlight, even in the mostly cloudy winter may scorch some leaves. Over the past 20 years […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aucuba, Drought tolerant, Pruning, Shade Gardening, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs Comments Off on Aucuba — Major Shade Garden ShrubU.S. Native Viburnums And Viburnum Beetle Susceptibility
Posted by Hugh on February 16th, 2010
photo -Arrowwood viburnum in late summer A trip to Carolina Native Plants Nursery in Burnsville, NC gave me this idea to list those viburnums which are U.S. natives (USDA Hardiness zones 6 and 7). All are worthy for planting in your landscape in full sun except where noted. All attract birds and other wildlife to […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Insect (Pest) Problems, Native Plant, Ornamental fruit, Pesticide recommendations, Privacy Screen, Rabbit/deer Protection, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Trees & Shrubs, Viburnum beetles, Viburnums Comments Off on U.S. Native Viburnums And Viburnum Beetle SusceptibilityPrivacy Screening – Avoid Using Leyland Cypress
Posted by Hugh on February 11th, 2010
‘Green Giant’ arborvitae and Cryptomeria (Japanese cedar) have proven more dependable over the years than Leyland cypress across Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Leyland cypress is susceptible to three serious foliar diseases. Some people love the faster growth of Leyland cypress. Leyland cypress may be weak-wooded, as reported by some gardeners this current […]
Posted in acidic soil, Arborvitae (Thuja spp.), Bagworms, Disease prone, Evergreen, Evergreens, Ilex (hollies), Landscape ideas, Leyland cypress, Privacy Screen, Southern Appalachian Region, Viburnums, watering tips Comments Off on Privacy Screening – Avoid Using Leyland CypressPrincess Lilies — Hardy in Zone 6
Posted by Hugh on December 29th, 2009
Not all alstroemerias are alike. I have been enjoying my Princess lilies (alstroemeria hybrids from Holland) over the past 6 years. They have been surprisingly winter hardy in zone 6-b where I garden. Further south in zones 7 and 8, Princess lilies prefer part sun to partial shade. I grow’em on the east side of […]
Posted in acidic soil, Alstroemeria (Peruvian lily), Flowers, Heat Tolerance, mulching, Perennials, Planting tips, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips Comments Off on Princess Lilies — Hardy in Zone 6‘Sky Pencil Holly vs ‘Dee Runk’ Boxwood
Posted by Hugh on December 28th, 2009
Boxwoods and hollies are mainline evergreen shrubs, utilized for low hedging, privacy barriers. Single shrubs are planted solely for their architectural accent. Both hollies and boxwoods grow best in moist, well-drained soils and in full sun to partial shade. Both prefer soils with a pH of slightly acidic to slightly alkaline. Boxwoods tend to be more shade tolerant than […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bees and other pollinators, Boxwood (Buxus), Container garden, container shrub, Drought tolerant, Evergreen, Evergreens, Fertilizing plants, Ilex (hollies), Landscape ideas, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Weak branching, Wind protection, winter hardiness Comments Off on ‘Sky Pencil Holly vs ‘Dee Runk’ BoxwoodPlanting Leyland Cypress May Be Big Mistake
Posted by Hugh on December 23rd, 2009
If you live in USDA Plant Zone 6-b – 7, planting leyland cypress (x Cupressocyparis leylandii) could eventually turn into a maintenance diseaster in your landscape. Leyland cypress is a green behemoth, too fast and aggressive for most folks to handle. Ask yourself, “do you really need a 60-70 foot evergreen privacy screen around your […]
Hardy Forms of Deodara Cedar
Posted by Hugh on October 3rd, 2009
I am surprised by the increasing numbers of deodara cedars (Cedrus deodara) that are prospering in Zones 6-b and 7 gardens. Apparently, deodara cedars are much hardier than once thought. The buzz at a recent American Conifer Regional meeting is these varieties list here are worthy of planting: Tree forms: ‘Karl Fuchs’ ‘Shalimar’ ‘Eisregen’ ‘Eiswinter’ ‘Polar […]
Posted in acidic soil, Deodara cedars (Cedrus), Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Evergreens, Landscape ideas, mulching, Propagation(grafting), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, watering tips, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on Hardy Forms of Deodara CedarGrowing Hardy Camellias
Posted by Hugh on September 22nd, 2009
Growing camellias in Tennessee is no longer a dream. Through the efforts of several plant breeders, particularly Dr. William L. Ackerman of the U.S. National Arboretum (retired) and Dr. Clifford Parks of Camellia Forest Nursery, as many as 40 cultivars of winter hardy camellias to -15 °F are now available in nursery commerce. Flower colors […]
Posted in acidic soil, Autumn flowering, Camellia, compost, Fertilizing plants, Flowering, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on Growing Hardy Camellias
