Celandine poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum) is a popular Eastern U.S. native loved for its 12-18 inch tall 4-petaled, yellow flowers. Its blue-green, pinnately lobed leaves are silvery on the underside. It seeds-in readily, which is a good thing, as plants disappear by late May and comeback early next spring in abundance (USDA hardiness zones 4-9). Virginia bluebells (Mertensia […]
Archive for the ‘Garden Maintenance’ Category
Six Early Spring Wildflowers To Grow In Your Woodland Garden
Posted by Hugh on March 6th, 2021
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, bloodroot (Sanguinaria), Butterflies, Celandine poppy (Stylophorum), Disease resistant, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, organic gardening, Perennials, plant nutrition, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Shooting star (Dodecatheon), Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Trout lily (Erythronium), Twinleaf (Jeffersonia), Virginia bluebell (Mertensia), Virginia bluebells (Mertensia), winter hardiness 
Comments Off on Six Early Spring Wildflowers To Grow In Your Woodland GardenGrowing Crinum Lilies
Posted by Hugh on March 1st, 2021
Crinum Lilies, aka “River lilies”, “Cape Coast lilies”, and “Creole lilies”, are native to Southeast Asia. Crinum lilies are more akin to Amaryllis (Hippeastrum) than true lilies (Lilium). Considered to be an old staple in Southern gardens, crinum lilies are seen growing around old cemeteries, old farmsteads, and in ditches (zones 7-10). Over time long-lasting […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Bulb Crops, compost, Container garden, Crinum lily, Deciduous, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Failure to Bloom, Fertilizing plants, Flower arrangments, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, mulching, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Growing Crinum LiliesGrowing Japanese Maples In Containers
Posted by Hugh on February 25th, 2021
Many slow-growing and compact cultivars of Japanese maples (Acer palmatum) and full moon forms (A. japonicum) grow for 3-5 years in containers. Japanese maples develop a decorative canopy, and their lacey foliage turns yellow, orange and/or red in autumn. Most Japanese maples perform well in partial to full day sunlight, but not in full shade. […]
Posted in acidic soil, compact tree, compost, Container garden, Container growing, Deciduous, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Fullmoon maple, Japanese maple, Landscape ideas, Maples (Acer), mulching, Ornamental fruit, Planting tips, Privacy Screen, Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Repotting plants, Shade Gardening, Small landscape tree, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Wind protection, winter hardiness Comments Off on Growing Japanese Maples In ContainersEastern Bluestar (Amsonia)
Posted by Hugh on February 21st, 2021
Eastern Bluestar (Amsonia tabernaemontana), aka blue dogbane, is a native herbaceous perennial that is becoming more popular with U.S. gardeners (USDA hardiness zones 3-9). This erect, clump-forming plant produces terminal, pyramidal clusters of ¾ inch, soft light blue, star-like flowers in mid- to late-spring atop erect 2-3 feet tall leafy stems. Narrow, willow-shaped, dull green […]
Posted in acidic soil, Amsonia (blue star), Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Deciduous, Disease resistant, Flower Arranging, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Eastern Bluestar (Amsonia)Winter-blooming Wintersweet
Posted by Hugh on February 6th, 2021
Wintersweet (Chimonanthus praecox) is a landscape shrub offers four seasons of landscape interest. Also called Japanese allspice, this deciduous mid-sized shrub typically grows 10-15 feet tall and 8-12 feet wide and blooms during winter (USDA zones 7-9). You can also risk planting wintersweet in a protected courtyard garden in Zones 6 to minimize freeze injury […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bees and other pollinators, Deciduous, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Fragrant, mulching, Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, winter hardiness, Wintersweet (Chimonanthus) Comments Off on Winter-blooming WintersweetSeven Shrubs That Bloom In February
Posted by Hugh on February 1st, 2021
If you have ever dreamt of creating a year-round landscape garden, here are seven fine shrubs to start with. These shrubs bloom in late winter and are also important to early insect pollinators — native ground bees, bumble bees, and butterflies. In USDA hardiness zones 7-9, winter temperatures begin to moderate and some shrubs burst into floral […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Chinese witchhazel, container shrub, Daphne odora, Deciduous, Disease resistant, Edgeworthia, Environmental Conservation, Evergreen, Evergreens, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Flowering shrub, Fragrant, Honeysuckle (Lonicera), Jessamine (Gelsemium), Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Planting tips, Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Sweetbox (Sarcococca), Trees & Shrubs, Winter flowering, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness, Wintersweet (Chimonanthus), Witchhazel (Hamamelis) Comments Off on Seven Shrubs That Bloom In FebruaryEvercolor® Series Of Japanese Sedges
Posted by Hugh on January 26th, 2021
Japanese sedges (Carex oshimensis) are fine-textured variegated sedges that typically grow in a low, grass-like mounded clump to 10-16” tall and wide. This tough colorful sedge was originally found growing in dry woodlands and rocky slopes throughout Honshu Island, Japan. Brownish flower spikes, mostly inconspicuous, form on triangular stems in spring. Japanese sedge are evergreen […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bees and other pollinators, Carex (Sedges), Container garden, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Environmental Conservation, Evergreen, Fall Garden Interest, Fertilizing plants, Ground cover, Landscape ideas, mulching, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Sedges (Carex), Shade Gardening, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Evercolor® Series Of Japanese SedgesUpdate On Coral Bells
Posted by Hugh on January 20th, 2021
Coral bells (Heuchera spp) or alumroot are Tennessee natives. They represent an almost limitless choice of foliage colors, sizes, and forms (USDA hardiness soils 4-9). The biggest chore a gardener has is selecting what cultivar(s) to plant. There is over one hundred to choose that range from grow 8 to 12 inches in height and […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bees and other pollinators, Breeding Plants, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Ground cover, Heuchera (coralbells), Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Purchasing Plants, Rabbit/deer Protection, Shade Gardening, Shade Gardening, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant Comments Off on Update On Coral BellsNew Landscape Roses With Exceptional Fragrance
Posted by Hugh on January 15th, 2021
Over a century of rose breeding has rewarded gardeners with so many gorgeous garden roses: hybrid tea, grandiflora, floribunda and shrub types. Rose breeders have concentrated on plant vigor, flower color, disease resistance, and greater numbers of flowers over the growing season. Over the years, floral fragrance has been mostly ignored. In the past two […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Breeding Plants, compact shrub, Container growing, container shrub, Deciduous, Disease resistant, Flower Arranging, Flowers, Fragrant, mulching, Planting tips, Powdery mildew, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Roses, Roses (Shrub type), shrub roses, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Uncategorized, watering tips Comments Off on New Landscape Roses With Exceptional FragrancePlant Awards Of 2021
Posted by Hugh on January 10th, 2021
For 2021, the National Garden Bureau (NGB), the non-profit organization promoting gardening in North America, has announced the five (5) plant classes that will be featured in the 2021 “Year of the” program. Annual: Year of the Sunflower Vegetable/edible: Year of the Garden Bean Perennial: Year of the Monarda Bulb: Year of the Hyacinth Flowering Shrub: Year of the Hardy […]
Posted in acidic soil, Annuals, Attracting birds, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Bulb Crops, Butterflies, Calamint, Container garden, Deciduous, Disease resistant, Ferns, Flower Arranging, Flower arrangments, Flowering house plant, Foliage plant, Fruits & Vegetables, Green Beans, Herbs, Hibiscus acetosella, Hosta, Hummingbird, Hyacinth, Landscape ideas, Monarda (Beebalm), Native Plant, Native Plant, Nepeta (catmint), Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Sunflowers, Uncategorized, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Plant Awards Of 2021
