Not all alstroemerias are alike. I have been enjoying my Princess lilies (alstroemeria hybrids from Holland) over the past 6 years. They have been surprisingly winter hardy in zone 6-b where I garden. Further south in zones 7 and 8, Princess lilies prefer part sun to partial shade. I grow’em on the east side of […]
Archive for the ‘Garden Maintenance’ Category
Princess Lilies — Hardy in Zone 6
Posted by Hugh on December 29th, 2009
Posted in acidic soil, Alstroemeria (Peruvian lily), Flowers, Heat Tolerance, mulching, Perennials, Planting tips, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips 
Comments Off on Princess Lilies — Hardy in Zone 6‘Sky Pencil Holly vs ‘Dee Runk’ Boxwood
Posted by Hugh on December 28th, 2009
Boxwoods and hollies are mainline evergreen shrubs, utilized for low hedging, privacy barriers. Single shrubs are planted solely for their architectural accent. Both hollies and boxwoods grow best in moist, well-drained soils and in full sun to partial shade. Both prefer soils with a pH of slightly acidic to slightly alkaline. Boxwoods tend to be more shade tolerant than […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bees and other pollinators, Boxwood (Buxus), Container garden, container shrub, Drought tolerant, Evergreen, Evergreens, Fertilizing plants, Ilex (hollies), Landscape ideas, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Weak branching, Wind protection, winter hardiness Comments Off on ‘Sky Pencil Holly vs ‘Dee Runk’ BoxwoodPlanting Leyland Cypress May Be Big Mistake
Posted by Hugh on December 23rd, 2009
If you live in USDA Plant Zone 6-b – 7, planting leyland cypress (x Cupressocyparis leylandii) could eventually turn into a maintenance diseaster in your landscape. Leyland cypress is a green behemoth, too fast and aggressive for most folks to handle. Ask yourself, “do you really need a 60-70 foot evergreen privacy screen around your […]
Beware of Storm Damaged Trees
Posted by Hugh on December 20th, 2009
This past weekend Northeast Tennessee as well as most of the coastal eastern U.S. was hit by heavy snow, 7 inches and more of heavy, wet clinging snow. Many of my neighbors lost electric power, telephone and cable. A driveby survey of tree damage around the neighborhood found that the following tree species suffered the […]
Posted in Elms (Ulmus), Maples (Acer), Pear (Ornamental), Pines (Pinus spp.), Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Trees & Shrubs, winter injury Comments Off on Beware of Storm Damaged TreesBaptisia – 2010 Perennial Plant of the Year
Posted by Hugh on December 18th, 2009
Blue false indigo(Baptisia australis) is a beautiful, long-lived, drought tolerant perennial with a robust growth habit and attractive steel blue foliage. In late May, the violet-blue flower spikes rise tall above sturdy 3-4 feet tall plants with steel bluish-green foliage. Baptisias grow best in full sun and in moist, well-drained soils. Feed or fertilize baptisias sparingly to prevent plants from flopping […]
Posted in Baptisia (wild indigo), Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Heat Tolerance, mulching, Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering Comments Off on Baptisia – 2010 Perennial Plant of the YearHardy Forms of Deodara Cedar
Posted by Hugh on October 3rd, 2009
I am surprised by the increasing numbers of deodara cedars (Cedrus deodara) that are prospering in Zones 6-b and 7 gardens. Apparently, deodara cedars are much hardier than once thought. The buzz at a recent American Conifer Regional meeting is these varieties list here are worthy of planting: Tree forms: ‘Karl Fuchs’ ‘Shalimar’ ‘Eisregen’ ‘Eiswinter’ ‘Polar […]
Posted in acidic soil, Deodara cedars (Cedrus), Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Evergreens, Landscape ideas, mulching, Propagation(grafting), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, watering tips, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on Hardy Forms of Deodara CedarGrowing Hardy Camellias
Posted by Hugh on September 22nd, 2009
Growing camellias in Tennessee is no longer a dream. Through the efforts of several plant breeders, particularly Dr. William L. Ackerman of the U.S. National Arboretum (retired) and Dr. Clifford Parks of Camellia Forest Nursery, as many as 40 cultivars of winter hardy camellias to -15 °F are now available in nursery commerce. Flower colors […]
Posted in acidic soil, Autumn flowering, Camellia, compost, Fertilizing plants, Flowering, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on Growing Hardy CamelliasReawaken Your Garden In The Fall
Posted by Hugh on September 16th, 2009
Traditionally Labor Day signals the return to school, football season. Here are ten plants that have or will start blooming shortly: >Sedum “Autumn Joy’, ‘Matrona’, ‘Autumn Fire’ >Goldenrod (Solidago) >Toadlily (Tricyrtis) >Fall anemone >Fall mums, especially old fashioned types like ‘Ryan’s Pink’ and ‘Sheffield Pink’ >Fall Sunflower (Helianthus spp.) >Asters ‘October Skies’, ‘Raydon’s Favorite’, ‘Purple […]
Posted in Aster, Autumn flowering, Colchicum, Goldenrod (Solidago), Native Plant, Pansies, Southern Appalachian Region, Stonecrop sedums, Summer heat tolerant, Toadlily (Tricyrtis) Comments Off on Reawaken Your Garden In The Fall
