Goldenrods (Solidago spp.) represent about 100 species of perennials that grow ubiquitously alongside U.S. roadsides, prairies, open woods, and riverbanks. (USDA hardiness zones 4-9). A few species are also native in South America and Eurasia. Goldenrods are grown for their bright yellow or golden flowers that form late in the summer. They are easy to grow, […]
Archive for the ‘alkaline soil’ Category
Goldenrods
Posted by Hugh on September 6th, 2021
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Butterflies, Container garden, deadheading, Deciduous, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Environmental Conservation, Fall Garden Interest, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Fragrant, Goldenrod (Solidago), Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Native wildflowers, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness 
Comments Off on GoldenrodsMexican Bush Sage
Posted by Hugh on August 6th, 2021
Mexican bush sage (Salvia leucantha), aka velvet sage, is a perennial that lights up the late summer / fall garden (USDA hardiness zone 7b-10). Indigenous to Central America and Mexico, it can be grown as an annual that grows to about 3-4 feet tall. In the U.S., bush sage is only hardy from the lower […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Annuals, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Deciduous, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Heat Tolerance, Hummingbird, Landscape ideas, mulching, Non-native, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Salvia, Salvia leucantha, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on Mexican Bush SageThree Really Cool Shade Plants
Posted by Hugh on March 16th, 2021
What three wildflowers can handle intense woodland shade. To most gardeners, hostas, Solomon seal, coral bells (Heuchera spp.), brunneras, and ferns are popular favorites. Expand your plant choices with these three shady favorites which are long-lived, low-care gems – Fairy wings (Epimedium spp), bellworts (Uvularia spp.), and shredded umbrella plant (Syneilesis). Fairy wings (Epimedium spp.), aka barrenworts, […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Attracting Butterflies, Barrenwort (Epimedium), Bees and other pollinators, compost, Deciduous, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Evergreen, Fertilizing plants, Heuchera (coralbells), Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Purchasing Plants, Shade Gardening, Slugs, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Syneilesis aconitifolia, Uvularia (bellwort), watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Three Really Cool Shade PlantsSix Early Spring Wildflowers To Grow In Your Woodland Garden
Posted by Hugh on March 6th, 2021
Celandine poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum) is a popular Eastern U.S. native loved for its 12-18 inch tall 4-petaled, yellow flowers. Its blue-green, pinnately lobed leaves are silvery on the underside. It seeds-in readily, which is a good thing, as plants disappear by late May and comeback early next spring in abundance (USDA hardiness zones 4-9). Virginia bluebells (Mertensia […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, bloodroot (Sanguinaria), Butterflies, Celandine poppy (Stylophorum), Disease resistant, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, organic gardening, Perennials, plant nutrition, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Shooting star (Dodecatheon), Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Trout lily (Erythronium), Twinleaf (Jeffersonia), Virginia bluebell (Mertensia), Virginia bluebells (Mertensia), winter hardiness Comments Off on Six Early Spring Wildflowers To Grow In Your Woodland GardenStandout Ornamental Grasses Inflorescences
Posted by Hugh on November 6th, 2020
Ornamental grasses standout in the landscape most of the year. These six ornamental grasses showoff spectacular seed heads (inflorescences) in late summer or fall. These grasses are also beautiful and effective landscape screens. PAMPAS GRASS (Cortaderia selloana) – are seen planted at the beach, city parks or in your neighbor’s yard. The big feathery plumes […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Attracting birds, Autumn flowering, Bees and other pollinators, Calamagrostis, Deciduous, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, Miscanthus grass, mulching, Native Plant, Pampas Grasss (Cortaderia), Pennisetum spp., Perennials, Propagation (dividing), Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Switchgrass (Panicum), winter hardiness Comments Off on Standout Ornamental Grasses InflorescencesTips On Growing Fern Leaf Peony
Posted by Hugh on September 26th, 2020
Fernleaf peony (Paeonia tenuifolia), sometimes called “fennel peony”, is recognized principally for its finely dissected foliage. When properly sited and cared for, it is a low maintenance perennial. This uniquely different peony is native in parts of Eastern Europe (USDA hardiness zones 4 – 8). Peonies perform best in well-drained, evenly moist, compost rich soil with […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Bees and other pollinators, compost, Container garden, Deciduous, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Landscape ideas, mulching, Peonies, Peony, Perennials, plant nutrition, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, Wind protection, winter hardiness 1 Comment »Fall Color Of Ornamental Grasses
Posted by Hugh on September 21st, 2020
Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergeri capillaris) grows 3-4 feet with blemish-free green foliage all summer long. By early fall, its bright colored floral seed heads (inflorescenses) are showing up, which gives Muhly its decorative look. ‘Pink Muhly’ tends to grow floppy and struts pink-hued inflorescenses that shimmer in a breeze. ‘White Cloud’ is a white flowering form […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Bin bluestem (Andropogon), Calamagrostis, Container garden, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Flower arrangments, Fountain Grass (Pennisetum), Landscape ideas, Muhly grass, Native Plant, Ornamental Grasses, Pennisetum spp., Perennials, Planting tips, Prairie dropseed (Sporobolus), Propagation (dividing), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Switchgrass (Panicum) Comments Off on Fall Color Of Ornamental GrassesMarginal Plants For Wet Areas
Posted by Hugh on August 16th, 2020
Most perennials demand well-drained soil. They perform poorly or die out when in ground that is constantly wet and soggy. However, a small number of perennials tolerate and even thrive in moist soils. Most plants listed here are all hardy within zones 5-8, and grow best in moist, humus-rich, well-drained soil. Most are okay getting their feet (roots and crown) wet for […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Baneberry (Actaea), Bayberry (Myrica), Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Bin bluestem (Andropogon), Birch (Betula spp.), Brunnera 'Jack Frost', Butterflies, Calamagrostis, Canna lily, Carex (Sedges), Container garden, Cornus sanguinea, Cornus sericea, Dawn redwood (Metasequoia), Deciduous, Eupatorium 'Gateway', Eupatorium rugosum 'Chocolate', Farfugium, Ferns, Filipendula, Ground cover, Hakone grass, Hardy begonia (B. grandis), Hellebores, Hibiscus coccineus, Hibiscus moscheutos, Hosta, Hummingbird, Hydrangea arborescens, Ilex (hollies), Iris, Kerria, Landscape ideas, Lobelia (cardnial flower), Magnolia virginiana, Maidenhair fern (Adiantum), Milkweeds (Asclepias), Muhly grass, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Nepeta (catmint), Northern sea oats (Chasmanthium), Obedient plant (Physotegia), Ornamental Grasses, Papyrus, Perennials, Planting tips, Purchasing Plants, river birch, Rodgersia, Sedges (Carex), Shade Gardening, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Summersweet (Clethra), Switchgrass (Panicum), Toadlily (Tricyrtis), Tradescantia (Spiderwort), Trees & Shrubs, Virginia sweetspire, watering tips, Weigela, Winterberry holly Comments Off on Marginal Plants For Wet AreasAttracting Hummingbirds
Posted by Hugh on July 6th, 2020
This time of year many gardeners are setting out bird feeders, including those filled with a sugar solution to encourage hummingbirds to visit your garden. Unfortunately, the sugary drink will also attracts numerous ants, bees, and wasps. When warm spring and summer weather arrives, the solution clouds up with bacteria which ferments or perhaps fatal […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Annuals, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Butterflies, Container garden, Daylilies, Disease resistant, Environmental issues, Fall Garden Interest, Foxglove (Digitalis), Honey bees, Honeysuckle (Lonicera), Landscape ideas, Lantana, Liatris, Lobelia (cardnial flower), Monarda (Beebalm), Native Plant, Native Plant, Native wildflowers, Nepeta (catmint), Penstemon, Perennials, Phlox, Purchasing Plants, Rhododendrons, Sage (Salvia), Salvia, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Summer phlox (P. paniculata), Trees & Shrubs, Vine, Weigela, Wildlife attractant Comments Off on Attracting HummingbirdsCompass Plant – Prairie Giant
Posted by Hugh on June 26th, 2020
Compass Plant (Silphium laciniatum) are impressive prairie plants that look like – but are not – sunflowers. Native to the central U.S. (USDA hardiness zones 3 to 8), these sturdy prairie giants grow upwards of 5-8 feet in height (1.5 – 3 feet wide) on stiff, hairy, resinous stems. The group (Silphiums) are also called […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Compass Plant (Silphium), Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Uncategorized, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Compass Plant – Prairie Giant
