Plants with golden foliage can brighten up almost any drab garden patch. Sun King golden aralia (Aralia cordata ‘Sun King’) is no exception, hardy in USDA hardiness zones 3-9. It is also known as Japanese spikenard and mountain asparagus. Under ideal conditions this thornless, rhizomatous, herbaceous perennial grows rapidly to 3-5 feet tall and as […]
Archive for the ‘Garden Maintenance’ Category
‘Sun King’ Aralia Named 2020 Perennial Plant Of The Year
Posted by Hugh on January 1st, 2020
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Aralia 'Sun King', Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, Container garden, Deciduous, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, mulching, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Sun scald, Uncategorized, watering tips, winter hardiness 
1 Comment »Arizona Cypress Standouts
Posted by Hugh on December 26th, 2019
Arizona cypress (Cupressus arizonica var. glabra) is a needle evergreen conifer native to the Southeast U.S. and is noted for its rapid growth rate. It is also grown as a Christmas tree and is rarely troubled by disease and insect problems. Depending on what part of the U.S. that you garden in, damage from bark […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Container garden, Cupressus (cypress), Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Evergreen, Fertilizing plants, Landscape ideas, Medium sized Tree, Native Plant, Native Plant, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Uncategorized, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Arizona Cypress StandoutsPoinsettia Care
Posted by Hugh on December 21st, 2019
Poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima) have become a symbol of the Christmas and winter holiday season. Their colorful bracts (most people call them”flowers”) are actually modified leaves. The tiny “true” flowers are in the center of the bracts. Each year new poinsettia varieties hit the garden shops. In the mid-19th century, Joel R. Poinsett introduced the poinsettia […]
Posted in acidic soil, Annuals, Autumn flowering, Breeding Plants, Container garden, Disease resistant, Fall Garden Interest, Fertilizing plants, Flower arrangments, Landscape ideas, Photoperiod (Daylength), Planting tips, Poinsettia, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Staking, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, Wind protection, winter hardiness Comments Off on Poinsettia CareTips On House Plant Nutrition
Posted by Hugh on December 16th, 2019
Fertilizing tips for your house plants vary according to the individual plant’s need, home or greenhouse environment, and the season of the year. Key elements that house plants require are nitrogen, phosphorus (P) and potassium or potash (K). With few exceptions, tropical plants are low constant feeders, meaning using a water soluble fertilizer such as Miracle-Gro™, Schultz™ […]
Posted in acidic soil, African violet (Saintpaulia), Bromeliads, Calthea, Dracaena, Dumbcane (Dieffenbachia), Ferns, Fertilizing plants, Flowering house plant, Foliage plant, Interior (house) Plants, Landscape ideas, Orchids, Peace lily (Spathiphyllum), Peperomia, Philodendron, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (dividing), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Thanksgiving cactus, Tropical Plants (non-hardy), Uncategorized, watering tips Comments Off on Tips On House Plant NutritionLipstick Plant (Vine) – Lovely Flowering House Plant
Posted by Hugh on December 11th, 2019
Nothing brightens up a room more than a flowering plant. One of my favorites is lipstick plant or lipstick vine (Aeschynanthus spp.), a close relative of the African violet. The green leaf form A. radicans is very popular with shiny dark green leaves and orange, pink, purple flowering varieties. Lipstick plant is a free bloomer, […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aphids, Evergreen, Fertilizing plants, Flowering house plant, Interior (house) Plants, Landscape ideas, Lipstick vine (Aeschynanthus), Mealy bugs, Mites, Pesticide recommendations, plant nutrition, Potting Mix, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Repotting plants, Scale, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Thrips, Tropical Plants (non-hardy), Vine, watering tips Comments Off on Lipstick Plant (Vine) – Lovely Flowering House PlantDowntown Street Trees With A Narrow Vertical Form
Posted by Hugh on December 6th, 2019
On the subject of land, Mark Twain wrote: “they’re not making any more of it”. This is particularly true in downtown urban areas where land to grow trees is usually very limited. Here are five tall trees that possess a striking vertical accent. Their upright branch habit does not take up much horizontal space. Trees […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bees and other pollinators, Breeding Plants, compact tree, Deciduous, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Environmental issues, Fertilizing plants, Ginkgo biloba, Hornbeam (Carpinus), Landscape Construction, Landscape ideas, Large Shade trees, Medium sized Tree, mulching, mulching trees, Native Plant, Oaks (Quercus spp.), Planting tips, Privacy Screen, Propagation(grafting), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Shade tree, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Sweetgum (Liquidambar), Tulip tree (Liriodendron), watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Downtown Street Trees With A Narrow Vertical FormSpace-Saving Vertical Shrubs
Posted by Hugh on December 1st, 2019
Try these slim and sleek varieties in a small space such as on patios or the front porch, in courtyards, or as a single specimens in narrow gardens or containers. Set them at the back of beds for space-saving walls and backdrops. Pot them up for container magic on the porch. All six plants grow […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Autumn flowering, Balled and Burlapped (b&b), Barberry (Berberis), Bees and other pollinators, Boxwood (Buxus), Camellia, compact shrub, Container garden, container shrub, Deciduous, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Evergreen, Evergreens, Fall Garden Interest, Flowering, Ilex (hollies), Juniper, Landscape ideas, mulching, Planting tips, Podocarous, Privacy Screen, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Space-Saving Vertical ShrubsUniquely Different Red Dragon™ Contorted Filbert
Posted by Hugh on November 26th, 2019
Uniquely Different ‘Red Dragon’ Contorted Filbert European filbert or hazelnut (Corylus avellana) is native to Europe, western Asia and northern Africa where it is often found growing in thickets and hedgerows. Red Dragon™ filbert is an outstanding red leaf selection of contorted filbert (C. avellana Red Dragon™). This unique landscape shrub grows 6 – 8 […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bees and other pollinators, compact shrub, Container garden, Container growing, container shrub, Contorted filbert (Corylus), Deciduous, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fall Garden Interest, Fertilizing plants, Flowers, Japanese beetle, Japanese beetles, Landscape ideas, Monoecious, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Propagation(grafting), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Root suckering, Scale, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness Comments Off on Uniquely Different Red Dragon™ Contorted FilbertTrees That Age Gracefully
Posted by Hugh on November 21st, 2019
Trees transition from youth (seedling), middle age and old age (maturity) before requiring a chain saw and replacing. Some age gracefully, actually appreciating in $$ value. Many ginkgo, hickory, beeches, sugar maples, and Southern magnolias live 100 years plus. Oaks such as such as white (Q. alba) and live oak (Q. virginiana) mature in majesty over several hundred years. It’s […]
Posted in American Beech (F. grandifolia), American hornbeam, Atlas cedar (Cedrus), Bald cypress (Taxodium), Beech (Fagus spp.), Black gum (Nyssa), Camellia, Cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus), Chamaecyparis, Deciduous, Disease prone, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Environmental issues, European beech (F. sylvatica), Evergreen, Flowering, Garden ecology, Heat Tolerance, Hickory (Carya spp.), Hornbeam (Carpinus), Insect (Pest) Problems, Japanese maple, Juniper, Katsura tree (Cercidophyllum), Landscape Construction, Landscape ideas, Large Shade trees, Linden (Tilia), Magnolia grandiflora, mulching, Native Plant, Nootkatensis cedar, Oaks (Quercus spp.), Paperbark maple, plant nutrition, Planting tips, Purchasing Plants, Shade tree, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Street tree, Sycamore (Platanus), Three Flower Maple (A. triflorum), Trees & Shrubs, White oak (Quercus) Comments Off on Trees That Age GracefullyAnise (Illicium) Shrubs Coming To Mid-South Gardens
Posted by Hugh on November 16th, 2019
There is lots of interest in this shrub group. Anise shrubs (Illicium spp.) are fast growing, evergreen shrubs (USDA zones 7 to 10). They exhibit a multi-stemmed, upright, compact growth habit. The green foliage of Florida anise (I. floridanum) is quite attractive and aromatic, smelling similar to anise spice when crushed. Their shiny, leathery leaves are […]
Posted in acidic soil, Anise tree (Illicium), Attracting birds, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, compact shrub, compact tree, Container garden, Container growing, Disease resistant, Evergreen, Evergreens, Fertilizing plants, Flowering, Fragrant, Green Privacy Screen, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, Large shrub, mulching, Planting tips, Poisonous or toxic, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Shade Gardening, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Uncategorized, watering evergreens, watering tips Comments Off on Anise (Illicium) Shrubs Coming To Mid-South Gardens
