Spiny bear’s breeches (Acanthus spinosa) is a clump-forming perennial treasured for its attractive thistle-like foliage and architecturally bold flower spikes (USDA hardiness zones 5b-9). Plant requires little maintenance and is long-lived. Deeply-cut, arching, glossy green, spiny, thistle-like leaves attain 2-3 feet in length on older plants and remain attractive through the growing season. Leaves bear mostly hidden spines on […]
Archive for the ‘Drought tolerant’ Category
Thistle-like Bear’s Breeches
Posted by Hugh on July 13th, 2017
Posted in acidic soil, Aggressive grower, Attracting Butterflies, Bear’s breeches (Acanthus), Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, compost, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, mulching, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Slugs, Snails, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, winter hardiness, Winter Protection 
Comments Off on Thistle-like Bear’s BreechesGround Cover Types Of Flowering Abelias
Posted by Hugh on July 4th, 2017
Flowering abelias (Abelia x grandiflora) come in all shapes and sizes (USDA hardiness zones 6-9). Over the past decade the ground cover types have become very popular. They’re also utilized as accent plants in large containers. In zones 7 -8, they are evergreen. The term “ground cover” is used here to emphasize cultivars that grow low, mostly […]
Posted in Abelia, acidic soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Autumn flowering, Autumn foliage color, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, compact shrub, Container growing, container shrub, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Evergreen, Fertilizing plants, Fragrant, Ground cover, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Trees & Shrubs, winter hardiness Comments Off on Ground Cover Types Of Flowering AbeliasAgaves Like It Hot, Dry and Sunny
Posted by Hugh on July 1st, 2017
Agaves (Agave spp.) are long-leaved succulent landscape plants. These native perennial succulents grow in desert-like environments (USDA hardiness zones 8 and warmer). Plants grow in a rosette form with long their fleshy leaves frequently tipped with one or more sharp spines and a prominent bloom spike with cup shaped flowers. Most are native to the Southwest U.S. […]
Posted in acidic soil, Agave, Agave, alkaline soil, Container growing, container shrub, deadheading, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Heat Tolerance, Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Repotting plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Tropical Plants (non-hardy), watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Agaves Like It Hot, Dry and SunnyFirebush Is One Tough Texas Flowering Plant
Posted by Hugh on June 28th, 2017
Firebush. aka scarlet bush (Hamelia patens), is indigenous from Mexico to Central America (USDA hardiness 10-11). Treat it as a tempermental perennial in zone 9, and an annual everywhere else it is not hardy. This fast growing plant blooms through most of summer into fall with showy clusters of tubular red buds and flowers. Firebush thrives in Texas heat […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aggressive grower, alkaline soil, Aphids, Attracting Butterflies, Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Caterpillars, Container growing, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Firebush (Hamelia), Flowers, Heat Tolerance, Hummingbird, Mealy bugs, Mites, mulching, Planting tips, Pruning, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Tropical Plants (non-hardy), Uncategorized, watering tips, Winter Protection Comments Off on Firebush Is One Tough Texas Flowering PlantCheck Out These Four Plant Select® Picks
Posted by Hugh on June 26th, 2017
If you’re search for top performing plants, especially very drought tolerant, take a look at the picks from Plant Select®. This is a nonprofit collaboration of Colorado State University, Denver Botanic Gardens and professional horticulturists. Their mission is to seek out and distribute the very best plants for landscapes and gardens from the intermountain region to […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, deadheading, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Heat Tolerance, Hesperaloe (red Yucca), Hummingbird, Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium), mulching, Native Plant, Penstemon, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (dividing), Pruning, Sage (Salvia), Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Check Out These Four Plant Select® PicksIce Plants (Delosperma)
Posted by Hugh on June 23rd, 2017
Ice plants (Delosperma spp.) are perennial evergreen succulents from South Africa. Two species are most popular in U.S. gardens starting with hardy ice plant (D. cooperi) (zones 6b – 9) and yellow ice plant (D. nubigenum) (zone 4 – 10). There are also many hybrid cultivars sold at garden centers and on-line. North of zone […]
Posted in acidic soil, Autumn flowering, Bees and other pollinators, Container garden, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Ground cover, Heat Tolerance, Ice Plant (Delosperma), mulching, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (dividing), Purchasing Plants, Root rotting, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness, Winter Protection 1 Comment »Less Invasive Butterfly Bush Identified
Posted by Hugh on June 20th, 2017
Butterfly bush (Buddleia) is a popular garden shrub in many areas of the U.S. Buddleia invasiveness is a serious issue in the Pacific Northwest. The Oregon Dept of Agriculture, Plant Division, has approved for sale these buddleia cultivars in the state. The approved varieties produce 2% or less viable seed, meeting Oregon’s standards for sterility. The […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Buddleia (Butterfly bush), Butterflies, compact shrub, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Flowering, Fragrant, Hummingbird, Invasive plant, mulching, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Trees & Shrubs, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on Less Invasive Butterfly Bush IdentifiedSummer Lawn Care Tips
Posted by Hugh on June 17th, 2017
“Summertime and the living is easy”. That’s a good adage to follow for home lawn care as well. Most lawn care chores, such as fertilizing, seeding, thatch management, and weed cleanup, should be delayed until late August through early October in most locales (USDA zones 4-7). During the heat of summer, proper mowing and irrigation are […]
Posted in Drought tolerant, Environmental Conservation, Environmental issues, Fertilizing, Fertilizing plants, Heat Tolerance, Herbicide management, Irrigation, Kentucky bluegrass, Lawn Care, Mowing, Red fescue, Soil drainage, Summer heat tolerant, Tall Fescue, Thatch management, Weed control, Weed management Comments Off on Summer Lawn Care TipsPanicle Hydrangeas For Small Gardens And Containers
Posted by Hugh on June 13th, 2017
Panicle, PeeGee or PG hydrangeas (Hydrangea panculata) brighten up your July-August garden. They hail from China and Japan and grow almost anywhere in the U.S. (USDA hardiness zones 3 – 8). PG hydrangeas are far more reliable in northern areas (zones 3-5), than mophead hydrangeas (H. macrophylla). They flower at their best in full to partial day sunlight (6 hours […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, compact shrub, compost, Container garden, Container growing, deadheading, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Hydrangeas, Landscape ideas, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Panicle Hydrangeas For Small Gardens And ContainersSorting Through The Joe Pye Cultivars
Posted by Hugh on June 7th, 2017
Joe Pye weed (Eutrichum purpureum) is a native perennial commonly spotted onthe edge of farm fields in the eastern and northern U.S. (USDA hardiness zones 4 to 9). The wild species grows 5-7 feet high and 2-4 feet wide. It blooms from late July to September and is a magnet to attract bees and butterflies. Over the past two […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, Container growing, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Eupatorium 'Gateway', Eupatorium rugosum 'Chocolate', Fertilizing plants, Heat Tolerance, Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Staking, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness Comments Off on Sorting Through The Joe Pye Cultivars
