Archive for the ‘Disease resistant’ Category

‘Red Volunteer’ – Outstanding Veteran Red-flowering Daylily

In the gardening world new does not always mean better. Red Volunteer daylily (Hemerocallis x ‘Red Volunteer’) is not new, introduced by Oakes Daylily Nursery, near Knoxville, TN in 1984. Daylily catalogs describe it as a “candle red self with a golden yellow throat”. It is a mid-season bloomer and the foliage is semi-evergreen. The […]

No Scorch ‘Verdoni’ Dwarf Hinoki Cypress

 For a small urban garden many dwarf evergreen conifers are a good fit. There are so many to choose from and Verdon hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Verdoni’) is one of the finest. Its fan shaped gold-edged green foliage will light up almost any garden locale. It makes a great garden companion with short growing perennials, […]

Torenia (Wishbone Flower) Blooms In Part Shade

The list of summer flowering annuals for shady spots in the garden is not long. Garden impatiens (Impatiens x wallerana) is the first choice, seconded by begonias (Begonia x semperflorens-cultorum). Today, wishbone flower (T. fournieri) is now available.  Torenia blooms from spring to frost.  It is best grown in a moist, organically rich, well-drained soil and […]

Powdery Mildew: The Bane of Beebalm

  Beebalm (Monarda spp.) is one of our great native perennials and herbs. Native Americans used beebalm as a tea, brewing it for colds, minor bronchial and digestive complaints, and also as a poultice to soothe insect stings. During the Boston Tea Party, rebellious colonists utilized beebalm as a tea substitute, calling it “Oswego tea”. […]

‘Lady Francis’ Ivy Wakes Up A Shady Patch

On a recently trip to the Ohio State University Horticultural Gardens in Columbus, I discovered ‘Lady Frances’, a relatively tame miniature ivy. The American Ivy Society classifies Hedera helix ‘Lady Frances’ as non-invasive, and it received the first “Ivy of the Year” award in 2001. It grows slowly and works as a ground cover or  topiary […]

Dwarf Southern Magnolia Cultivars

Small 5-6 Year Old ‘Little Gem’ Magnolia Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) is remarkably hardy in USDA zone 6. This evergreen magnolia prefers a moist well-drained, slightly acidic soil, and planted in a partial to full sun location.  It is a long-lived large 70-80 feet tall tree, best suited to large commercial and residential properties, golf […]

Add Hardy Begonia To Your Shade Garden

Hardy begonia (Begonia grandis) is the only species of begonia which is winter hardy in USDA zones 6-9 (zone 5 with protection). This shade-loving perennial grows 18 -24 inches high and wide, and displays a well-branched mounding habit. Foliage is medium to olive green above and reddish green with red veining beneath. Leaf shape is […]

Northern Maidenhair Fern Appear Delicate But Grow Tough

  Their leaves (called “fronds”) appear delicate, but maidenhair ferns (Adiantum spp.) are reliable long-lived perennials. Northern maidenhair (A. pedatum) thrives in most gardens within USDA zones 3-8, while the Southern counterpart, (A. capillus-veneris), predominates in warmer USDA 7-10. Unfortunately, planting of maidenhairs are not utilized in the Southern Appalachian gardens (USDA zones 6-8). Fronds average 18-24 inches in […]

Evaluating Weeping Bald Cypress Cultivars

Bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) is a large 75 -80 foot deciduous conifer tree. They are long-lived, often 100 years or more. Bald cypress is incredibly hardy from the warm humid Florida swamps to the cold winter temperatures and loamy soils of central Michigan. Bald cypress is tolerant of a wide range of soil and moisture […]

Pest Alert- Boxwood Blight

Boxwood blight is a disease caused by a fungus (Cylindrocladium pseudonaviculatum) which is a serious threat to most boxwood (Buxus) and related species such as sweetbox (Sarcococca spp.). To date there is no evidence of resistance to boxwood blight in any Buxus species. Plant pathologists in England first identified the disease in the mid-1990’s. It […]