June 20 – 26 is National Pollinator Week. National Pollinator Week is a time to celebrate pollinators and spread the word about what you can do to protect them. Nine years ago the U.S. Senate unanimous approved and designated a week in June as “National Pollinator Week”. National Pollinator Week is […]
Archive for the ‘Garden Maintenance’ Category
Celebrate National Pollinator Week
Posted by Hugh on June 19th, 2016
Posted in Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, Garden ecology, Ground nesting bees, Native Plant, Planting tips, Pollination needs, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Uncategorized, Wildlife attractant 
Comments Off on Celebrate National Pollinator WeekButtonbush Offers Year-round Interest
Posted by Hugh on June 13th, 2016
Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), aka Button-willow or Honey Bells, is a medium to large native shrub with many fine landscape attributes. This unique flowering shrub is a favorite in attracting beneficial wildlife. It populates bogs, swamps and pond areas, as well as dry limestone bluffs in the eastern U.S. […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Butterflies, Buttonbush (Cephalanthus), Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Flowering, Fragrant, Heat Tolerance, mulching, Native Plant, Ornamental fruit, Planting tips, Poisonous or toxic, Privacy Screen, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Wildlife attractant, winter hardiness Comments Off on Buttonbush Offers Year-round InterestJapanese Snowbells Worth A Try
Posted by Hugh on June 10th, 2016
Japanese snowbells (Styrax japonicus) is a graceful, slow growing, low branched spring flowering tree. At present snowbells are not popular with U.S. gardeners , mostly because of unavailabliity (USDA hardiness zones 5-8). Snowbells are lovely understory trees, similar to our native dogwoods (Cornus florida). Small, pendulous, slightly fragrant, bell-shaped white flowers appear in May. Small white […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bee Favorite, Butterflies, compact tree, Fertilizing plants, Firewood, mulching, Ornamental fruit, Planting tips, Propagation(grafting), Purchasing Plants, Small landscape tree, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Styrax, Transplant problem, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Winter bark, winter hardiness, winter injury Comments Off on Japanese Snowbells Worth A TryThree Native Landscape Grasses To Try
Posted by Hugh on June 7th, 2016
These three native grasses are easy to establish in average, dry to medium moist, well-drained soils and in full sun. They tolerate a wide range of soils including dry rocky sites, and are exceptionally drought tolerant. Figure on 1 to 2 years for each to become fully established. Blue Lyme Grass (Leymus arenarus ‘Blue Dune’) is a vigorous spreading cool […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Attracting birds, Autumn flowering, Blue Lyme grass (Leymus), Cold tolerance, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fragrant, Ground cover, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, Mexican Feather Grass (Nassella), Ornamental Grasses, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Propagation (Seed), Sand Dune Protection, Soil Conservation, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Three Native Landscape Grasses To TryRecommendations On Hardy Crape Myrtles
Posted by Hugh on June 4th, 2016
Crape myrtles are dependable trees and shrubs in zones 7 – 10. In northern areas of USDA zone 6, a number of crape myrtle varieties (cultivars) are rated as winter hardy perennials but not develop into a full sized woody tree or shrub described on the plant tag. In northeastern U.S. cities such as Philadelphia, Wilmington or Baltimore, crape myrtles […]
Posted in Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia), Disease resistant, Environmental issues, Fertilizing plants, Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Trees & Shrubs, Winter bark, winter hardiness, winter injury, Winter Protection Comments Off on Recommendations On Hardy Crape MyrtlesThree Native Flowering Shrubs For Your Summer Landscape
Posted by Hugh on June 1st, 2016
Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica) flowers in late spring with dark green, pest-free summer foliage that turns brilliant red in fall (USDA hardiness zones 5-9). It thrives in full sun to partial shade, and in moist mildly acidic soils. It is also highly drought tolerant once established. Fertilize […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Butterflies, compost, Container growing, container shrub, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Flowering, Hummingbird, mulching, Native Plant, Planting tips, Plumleaf azalea, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Summersweet (Clethra), Trees & Shrubs, Virginia sweetspire, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Three Native Flowering Shrubs For Your Summer LandscapeTips On Growing Delphiniums
Posted by Hugh on May 30th, 2016
Modern day delphiniums (Delphinium spp.), also called larkspurs, are the result of 2 centuries of complex breeding efforts in Europe and U.S. Delphiniums are short-lived perennials, at their best for 2-3 years. They’re most attuned to the cool temperate climes of the northern U.S. Delphiniums belong in the Buttercup (Ranunculaceae) family (USDA hardiness zones […]
Posted in acidic soil, compost, deadheading, Delphinium, mulching, Native Plant, Perennials, Propagation (dividing), Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Slugs, Slugs, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Staking, Summer flowering, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on Tips On Growing Delphiniums“Neo-Nicotinoid Free” — What Does This Means”
Posted by Hugh on May 27th, 2016
Earlier this year several big box store and regional independent garden center chains announced that the plants they sell in 2016 will be “neonicotinoid-free”. Large regional nurseries and greenhouse operations are also jumping on-board the anti-neonic bandwagon. This means that pesticides containing the ingredient acetamiprid and imidacloprid are members of the neonicotinoid class, and are forbidden to […]
Posted in Bees and other pollinators, Garden Maintenance, Insect (Pest) Problems, Landscape ideas, Pesticide recommendations, Poisonous or toxic, Pollination needs, Purchasing Plants Comments Off on “Neo-Nicotinoid Free” — What Does This Means”Six Summer Annuals Your Grandma Did Not Know About
Posted by Hugh on May 24th, 2016
Angelonia (“summer snapdragon”)… are outstanding performers in the summer flower garden, yet so many gardeners have never heard of them. Angelonias demonstrate outstanding heat and humidity tolerances. Serenita™ (12-14 inches high), Serena™ (15-18 inches high), and Archangel™ (12-14 inches tall high) series, are available in purple, lavender, pink, […]
Posted in acidic soil, Angelonias, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Begonia, Butterflies, Container garden, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Euphorbias, Fertilizing plants, Flowers, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, Pentas (Egyptian star flower), Planting tips, Scaevola, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Torenia (wishbone flw.), winter hardiness Comments Off on Six Summer Annuals Your Grandma Did Not Know AboutJapanese Crape Myrtle Flaunts Stunning Bark
Posted by Hugh on May 21st, 2016
Most crape myrtle cultivars marketed through garden centers are hybrids that combine the large colorful flowers of Common Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) with the mildew-resistant foliage and cold hardiness of Japanese Crapemyrtle (L. faurei). Japanese Crape myrtle are cold hardy (USDA hardiness zones 6-b to 9) and are heat tolerant. They are rated hardy to winter minus 10 […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia), Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, Winter bark, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness Comments Off on Japanese Crape Myrtle Flaunts Stunning Bark
