Chinese dogwood, aka kousa dogwood, (Cornus kousa) is a small 25 to 35 foot flowering tree (USDA hardiness zones 5-9). It grows in either full or partial sunlight (4-hours sunlight minimum). Depending where you garden, kousa dogwood begins blooming from late April or in May, almost two weeks after our native […]
Archive for the ‘Fertilizing plants’ Category
Chinese (Kousa) Dogwood
Posted by Hugh on April 27th, 2016
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, compact tree, Disease resistant, Dogwood (Cornus), Drought tolerant, Edible fruits, Fertilizing plants, Flowering, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Propagation(grafting), Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Winter bark, winter hardiness 
Comments Off on Chinese (Kousa) Dogwood‘Mojito’ Elephant Ear Is A Tropical Joy
Posted by Hugh on April 24th, 2016
‘Mojito’ elephant ear (Colocasia esculenta), aka taro plant, has become a new favorite in the Conlon garden where it is not dependably winter hardy (Zone 6b). According to Tony Avent at Plant Delights Nursery in Raleigh, NC, tubers are dependably winter hardy in zones 7b -10. ‘Mojito’ (pronounced “Mo-he-toe”) is a sport of […]
Posted in acidic soil, Colocasia, compost, Container growing, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Foliage plant, Landscape ideas, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Tropical Plants (non-hardy), watering tips, Wind protection, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on ‘Mojito’ Elephant Ear Is A Tropical Joy‘Palibin’ Lilac A Good Choice For Small Landscapes
Posted by Hugh on April 15th, 2016
Dwarf Korean lilac (Syringa x meyeri ‘Palibin’) forms a dense multi-stemmed deciduous shrub, 4 to 5 feet high and 5 to 6 feet wide, with rounded top or canopy (USDA hardiness zones 3-7). It branches low to the ground. Flower buds form which are distinctively violet in color. In mid-spring this diminutive lilac is covered by billowy panicles of fragrant purple […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Attracting Butterflies, Butterflies, compact shrub, compact tree, container shrub, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Fragrant, Lilac (Syringa), Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation(grafting), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on ‘Palibin’ Lilac A Good Choice For Small LandscapesNew Coreopsis Cultivars All The Rage
Posted by Hugh on April 12th, 2016
Threadleaf coreopsis (Coreopsis verticillata), also called tickseed, is a popular summer flowering perennial. Coreopsis are native to the U.S. and produces hundreds of pale-yellow blooms. Depending on cultivar, plant grows 12 to 18 inches tall and 2 feet wide. Some gardeners even plant old-time favorites like ‘Zagreb’ and ‘Moonbeam’ as annuals (USDA hardiness zones […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Bee Favorite, Butterflies, Coreopsis, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Native Plant, Perennials, Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, watering tips Comments Off on New Coreopsis Cultivars All The RageSummer Blooming ‘Little Lemon’ Goldenrod
Posted by Hugh on April 10th, 2016
Goldenrods are members of the aster family (Asteraceae); approximately 100 species of goldenrods are native to North America. Across most of the Eastern and Midwestern U.S., goldenrods are frequently spotted growing in moist soils in open farm fields, in ditches, and along edges of streams. The golden yellow blooms attract countless bees, butterflies and other […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Blanket flower (Gaillardia), Butterflies, Container growing, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Goldenrod (Solidago), Heat Tolerance, Helenium, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (dividing), Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Stokesia, Stonecrop sedums, Summer flowering, winter hardiness Comments Off on Summer Blooming ‘Little Lemon’ GoldenrodUtilize Sweet Flag For Garden Accent
Posted by Hugh on April 7th, 2016
Sweet flag cultivar (Acorus gramineus) is an iris-like perennial usually planted for its wavy drifts of golden yellow foliage. This dwarf ground cover, indigenous to China, Korea and Japan, grows 6-12 inches tall. Sweet flag is a member of the acorus family (Acoraceae) (USDA hardiness zones 6-9 and should be winter protected in zone 5). Green […]
Posted in acidic soil, Carex (Sedges), compost, Container growing, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Garden paths, Ground cover, Landscape ideas, mulching, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Sweet flag (Acorus), Water Gardens, watering tips, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on Utilize Sweet Flag For Garden AccentGrowing Trilliums
Posted by Hugh on March 30th, 2016
Trilliums (Trillium spp.) are the beloved native wildflower around the world. Many species are native to the U.S. Five popular U.S. species are great white trillium (T. grandiflorum), yellow trillium (T. luteum), prairie trillium (T. recurvatum), drooping trillium (T. flexipes), and sweet Betsy trillium (T. cuneatum). For 8 months and more, trilliums are […]
Posted in Disease resistant, Failure to Bloom, Fertilizing plants, mulching, Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (Seed), Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Trilliums, watering tips, Weed control, winter hardiness Comments Off on Growing TrilliumsAngel Trumpet Blooms All Summer Long
Posted by Hugh on March 26th, 2016
Angel trumpet (Brugmansia) is tropical plant native from Venezuela to Peru (USDA hardiness zones 7-b to 10). Plants have shown to be surprising hardy outdoors in zone 6-b in a protected area. This beautiful shrub, sometimes grown in a tree form, reaches heights of 6-10 feet. It is a member of the Solanaceae family (tomato, potato, petunia, nicotiana […]
Posted in acidic soil, Angel trumpet (Brugmansia), Bee Favorite, Butterflies, Container garden, Container growing, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Flowers, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, mulching, Planting tips, Poisonous or toxic, Potting Mix, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (layering), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Tropical Plants (non-hardy), watering tips, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on Angel Trumpet Blooms All Summer LongBedding Geraniums Excel In Cool Weather
Posted by Hugh on March 24th, 2016
Over the past decade, the zonal or bedding class of geraniums (Pelargonium x hortorum) have become summer favorites in northern gardens (USDA hardiness zones 3-7). Geraniums thrive in cool weather, but are also widely planted in zones 9-10 gardens where winter temperatures are moderate. Increasing numbers of colorful varieties beautify flower beds and container gardens. Leaves are […]
Posted in acidic soil, Autumn flowering, Botrytis disease, Container garden, Container growing, deadheading, Disease prone, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Flowers, Geranium, mulching, Planting tips, Potting Mix, Powdery mildew, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips Comments Off on Bedding Geraniums Excel In Cool WeatherCarolina Allspice Sweetshrub
Posted by Hugh on March 22nd, 2016
Carolina allspice sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus), aka strawberry bush, bubby bush, sweet Betsy, et al., is a trouble-free medium size spring flowering shrub. This dense rounded deciduous shrub is native to Eastern North America (USDA hardiness zones 4-8). As its common name hints, flowers emit a sweet fruity fragrance. Intensity of floral fragrance is highly variable […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bee Favorite, container shrub, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Fragrant, Green Privacy Screen, mulching, Native Plant, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Sweetshrub (Calycanthus), Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Carolina Allspice Sweetshrub
