Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) is a native wildflower. Annual or biennial forms are also called gloriosa daisy and brown-eyed Susan. In recent years public urban gardens are growing annual types. From summer into early autumn, brown-eyed Susans produce showy daisy-like blossoms up to 3-inches across with light or deep yellow rays and brownish-purple centers (“buttons”). Their cut flowers will decorate households. This coarse weedy […]
Archive for the ‘mulching’ Category
Fill Summer Flower Beds With Annual Rudbeckias
Posted by Hugh on July 10th, 2018
Posted in acidic soil, Annual rudbeckia (R. hirta), Annuals, Aphids, Attracting Butterflies, Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Biennial, compost, Container garden, deadheading, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Flower arrangments, Flowers, Landscape ideas, Leaf/needle spots, mulching, Native Plant, Planting tips, Powdery mildew, Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Rust diseases, Slugs, Snails, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness 
Comments Off on Fill Summer Flower Beds With Annual RudbeckiasHeat Loving Annuals For Containers
Posted by Hugh on July 6th, 2018
Not all annuals grow well in containers. An aggressively growing annual may not be a suitable companion plant in containers. Small containers dry out quickly. Large containers, a minimum of 16 inches across, should be your beginner size. For an eye-catching container garden, utilize plants that require the same care but differ in colors, heights, […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aggressive grower, Angelonias, Annuals, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, compost, Container garden, deadheading, Dichondra, Disease resistant, Euphorbias, Fan flower (Scaevola), Fertilizing plants, Flowers, Globe amaranth (Gomphrena), Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, Lantana, Marigold, Mexican sunflower (Tithonia), mulching, Overcrowding, Pentas (Egyptian star flower), Persian shield (Strobilanthes), Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (dividing), Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Scaevola, Setcreasea 'Purple Heart', Soil drainage, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Sweet potato vine, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Heat Loving Annuals For ContainersSmaller Alternatives To Limelight® Panicle Hydrangea
Posted by Hugh on July 2nd, 2018
Beautiful panicle hydrangeas (Hydrangea paniculata) are among the best hydrangea choices for the summer garden (USDA hardiness zones 3 to 8). Flowers of some cultivars age gracefully with floral heads turning lightly pink. They are perfect for use in containers or in groupings or masses, shrub borders, hedges, and screens. Panicle hydrangeas are suitable as fresh […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, compact shrub, Container garden, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Green Privacy Screen, Hydrangeas, Landscape ideas, Large shrub, mulching, Panicle hydrangea, Planting tips, Privacy Screen, Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, winter hardiness Comments Off on Smaller Alternatives To Limelight® Panicle HydrangeaThree July Blooming Trees (Other Than Crapemyrtles)
Posted by Hugh on June 25th, 2018
Chaste Tree (Vitex agnus-castus) is a 10-15 feet tall, vase-shaped, deciduous shrub or a small 15-20 foot tree. The species is native from southern Europe and Asia. Often mistaken as a purple-flowering crapemyrtle, vitex is grown where wintry weather is not severe (USDA hardiness zones 6-9). Its palmately compound grayish-green leaves, composed of 5-7 lance-shaped leaflets, are […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, compact shrub, compact tree, compost, container shrub, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Environmental issues, Golden Raintree, Landscape ideas, Medium sized Tree, mulching, Native Plant, Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Small landscape tree, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Sourwood (Oxydendrum), Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Vitex (Chaste tree), watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Three July Blooming Trees (Other Than Crapemyrtles)‘Herbstsonne’ Rudbeckias Fill Their Spot
Posted by Hugh on June 20th, 2018
For an old fashion plant ‘Herbstsonne’ (Rudbeckia laciniata) still pops up in many modern day gardens. It is a tall upright growing, clump-forming perennial black-eyed Susan (USDA hardiness zones 5 to 9). This vigorous North American perennial grows 4-7+ feet tall and 2-3 feet wide. ‘Herbstsonne’ is also synonymous with the cultivar ‘Autumn Sun’. Formerly […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aggressive grower, Attracting birds, Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Black eyed Susan (Rudbeckia), Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (dividing), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Rudbeckia 'Herbstonne', Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Staking, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, Wildflowers, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness Comments Off on ‘Herbstsonne’ Rudbeckias Fill Their SpotStunningly Beautiful Three-Flowered Maple
Posted by Hugh on June 16th, 2018
Three flower maple (Acer triflorum), often called trifoliate maple, is native to eastern Asia (USDA hardiness zones 4-7). The latter pseudonym is misleading as A. triflorum is actually one of many compound-leafed maples identified as “trifoliate maples”. This small deciduous understory maple typically grows 2o-25 feet tall with a densely-branched, rounded crown. Specimens often grow to 35-40 feet in height range. The […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Bees and other pollinators, Chlorosis (yellowing), compact tree, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Landscape ideas, Maples (Acer), mulching, Planting tips, Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Small landscape tree, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Street tree, Summer heat tolerant, Three Flower Maple (A. triflorum), Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Weed control, winter hardiness Comments Off on Stunningly Beautiful Three-Flowered MapleAmerican Basswood Tree
Posted by Hugh on June 12th, 2018
American basswood (Tilia americana) is a common deciduous native tree in midwestern and eastern U.S. forests (USDA hardiness zones 2-11). This large majestic tree is remarkably fast-growing but not weak wooded. Basswood is planted as a large residential shade tree, street tree along wide avenues, or tall privacy screen. A mature specimen may grow 50 […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aphids, Attracting birds, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Fragrant, Heat Tolerance, Insect (Pest) Problems, Japanese beetles, Landscape ideas, Large Shade trees, Linden (Tilia), Mites, mulching, mulching trees, Native Plant, Planting tips, Powdery mildew, Propagation (Seed), Propagation(grafting), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Street tree, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on American Basswood TreeMulti-Use Bowles’ Golden Sedge
Posted by Hugh on June 8th, 2018
Bowles’ golden sedge (Carex elata ‘Aurea’) is an easy to grow sedge (USDA hardiness zones 5-8). Golden sedge was introduced by English plantsman and garden writer E.A. Bowles who discovered it growing in eastern England. Bowles’ Golden sedge grows 1 ½ to nearly 3 feet high (in flower) and 2-3 feet wide. It features bright lemon- […]
Posted in acidic soil, Carex (Sedges), compost, Container garden, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Ground cover, Heat Tolerance, mulching, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Spring flowering, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Multi-Use Bowles’ Golden SedgeShredded Umbrella Plant For Woodland Gardens
Posted by Hugh on June 3rd, 2018
Shredded umbrella plant (Syneilesis aconitifolia) is native to China, Korea, and Japan (USDA hardiness zones 5-7). The plant is often misidentified as mayapple (Podophyllum). The foliage is exquisitely dissected, similar to a finely dissected Japanese maple leaf. The plant serves a wonderful addition to any shade garden. In mid-spring exquisite umbrella-like foliage emerges covered with hairy silver hairs. Umbrella-like pubescent leaves are very dissected and […]
Posted in acidic soil, compost, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Ground cover, Landscape ideas, mulching, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Purchasing Plants, Sanitation, Shade Gardening, Shredded umbrella plant (Syneilesis), Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Syneilesis aconitifolia, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Shredded Umbrella Plant For Woodland GardensAlexandrian Laurel For Deep Shade
Posted by Hugh on May 17th, 2018
Alexandrian Laurel or Poet’s Laurel (Danae racemosa) is a wonderful evergreen shrub that is rarely planted in U.S. gardens. Danae is indigenous to Iran and Syria. This evergreen shrub needs partial to full shade and the warm climes of southeast or Pacific northwest states (USDA hardiness zones 6 – 9). If winters are exceptionally cold […]
Posted in acidic soil, Alexandrian Laurel, compost, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Environmental Conservation, Evergreen, Fall Garden Interest, Foliage plant, Ground cover, Landscape ideas, mulching, Ornamental fruit, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Shade Gardening, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness Comments Off on Alexandrian Laurel For Deep Shade
