American Holly (Ilex opaca) is a pyramidal evergreen tree that deserves to be planted more for multiple reasons. It is native to the eastern and central U. S. and is easily identified by its spiny green leaves (USDA hardiness zones 5 to 9). It grows slowly to 15 to 35 feet, sometimes taller. The leathery, deep […]
Archive for the ‘Propagation (Cuttings)’ Category
American Holly For Year-round Interest
Posted by Hugh on December 22nd, 2015
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Bee Favorite, Deer resistant, Drought tolerant, Evergreen, Fertilizing plants, Green Privacy Screen, Heat Tolerance, Ilex (hollies), Leaf miner, Mites, Native Plant, Ornamental fruit, Planting tips, Poisonous or toxic, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (Seed), Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Wildlife attractant, Wind protection, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness 
Comments Off on American Holly For Year-round InterestRe-blooming Your Poinsettia
Posted by Hugh on December 14th, 2015
Many people like to save their poinsettia plant and re-flowered it next Christmas. Scheduling a poinsettia to re-bloom is not difficult, but you need to follow an exact year-long procedure. First, continue to water the soil in the pot until early April. In April, cut the stems back to about 4 inches above the soil. […]
Posted in Fertilizing plants, Flowering house plant, Poinsettia, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Repotting plants, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Tropical Plants (non-hardy) Comments Off on Re-blooming Your PoinsettiaStop Destroying Forsythias
Posted by Hugh on November 24th, 2015
Forsythia (Forsythia spp.), also called “yellow bells”, is an extremely popular spring flowering shrub (USDA hardiness zones 5-8). Their bright yellow flowers signal the coming of spring. However, many gardeners do not know how to prune them. Tall 8-12 foot forms of F. x intermedia are commonly sold at most U.S. garden centers. Forsythias grow from 2 to 10 […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Forsythia, Heat Tolerance, mulching, Overcrowding, Planting tips, Privacy Screen, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Rabbit/deer Protection, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Stop Destroying ForsythiasPreventing Disease Outbreaks In The Garden
Posted by Hugh on November 21st, 2015
When a sick plant has been diagnosed with a viral or bacterial disease, your only option is to remove the diseased branch by pruning or destroy the entire plant. You should start out by practicing prevention. Prevention is adopting good cultural and sanitation practices. Consider the following measures: Start with disease-free […]
Posted in Bacterial diseases, Botrytis disease, Daylilies, Disease prone, Downy mildew, Garden Maintenance, Hosta, Overcrowding, Powdery mildew, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (dividing), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, rose virus, Sanitation, Virus diseases Comments Off on Preventing Disease Outbreaks In The GardenStylish Boulevard Cypress
Posted by Hugh on November 15th, 2015
A twist here…a turn there, that’s the unique growth of Boulevard Cypress (Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Boulevard’). It is a popular medium-sized evergreen shrub for home and commercial landscapes (USDA hardiness zones 5-9). Boulevard cypress exhibits a twisted pyramidal form with soft, silvery blue foliage that also grows in a slightly twisted manner. The fine, […]
Posted in acidic soil, Chamaecyparis, compact shrub, container shrub, Disease prone, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Evergreen, Fertilizing plants, Green Privacy Screen, Heat Tolerance, Insect (Pest) Problems, Mite susceptible, mulching, Planting tips, Privacy Screen, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Stylish Boulevard CypressWinterberry Holly Brightens Winter Scene
Posted by Hugh on November 12th, 2015
To escape from dreary days this winter, brightened up your landscape with deciduous hollies. Among a long, long list of deciduous holly species, winterberry holly (Ilex verticillata) is the superior choice (USDA hardiness zones 3-9). Inconspicuous white blooms in spring are followed by red, orange, or yellow berries in fall. Compared to their evergreen […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Bee Favorite, container shrub, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Ilex (hollies), Native Plant, Ornamental fruit, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, winter hardiness, Winterberry holly Comments Off on Winterberry Holly Brightens Winter SceneFive Summer Perennials You Will Love
Posted by Hugh on November 10th, 2015
In the past few years several great performing perennials have caught my eye. Some are exceptional landscape performers exhibiting long bloom period and exceptional disease resistance. All are hardy in Zones 4-9. Here are five of the best: Echinacea Cheyenne Spirit coneflower mix (Echinacea purpurea ‘Cheyenne Spirit’) offers a […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Butterflies, Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Container growing, deadheading, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Ground cover, Hummingbird, Monarda (Beebalm), mulching, Native Plant, Perennials, Phlox, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (Seed), Sedum (Groundcover types), Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, winter hardiness Comments Off on Five Summer Perennials You Will LoveSelecting Japanese Maple Varieties For Winter Hardiness
Posted by Hugh on November 4th, 2015
Japanese maples (Acer palmatum) and (A. japonicum) are among the most picturesque of trees and shrubs. Their star-shaped leaves are comprised of 5-7-9 pointed lobes, depending on variety (cultivar). Trees exhibit layered branching, cascading form, lacy foliage (dissectum types), and stunning fall color. There are countless numbers of cultivars… […]
Posted in acidic soil, compact shrub, compact tree, Container growing, container shrub, Japanese maple, Landscape ideas, Maples (Acer), mulching, mulching trees, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation(grafting), Purchasing Plants, Rabbit/deer Protection, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Wildlife attractant, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on Selecting Japanese Maple Varieties For Winter HardinessAvoid Crape Myrtle Woes In Winter
Posted by Hugh on October 25th, 2015
It’s no secret that in many areas with cold winters (USDA hardiness zones 6-9), hardy crape myrtle cultivars are now available. In northern areas like eastern Maryland and northern VA, crape myrtles have been prospering for two decades and more. However, there is one rule regarding winter care — “Don’t Touch”. Hold off all pruning of crape […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Bee Favorite, Butterflies, compact tree, Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia), Fertilizing plants, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Winter bark, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on Avoid Crape Myrtle Woes In WinterNew England Aster A Great Pick For Fall Garden
Posted by Hugh on October 22nd, 2015
New England (NE) Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae), aka Michaelmas Daisy, is a long-lived native perennial from the east shore west to New Mexico (USDA hardiness zones 4-8). Flowering time is from August to October. It is a favorite choice for prairie restorations, roadside plantings, and wetland sites. This large aster species […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aster, Attracting Butterflies, Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Butterflies, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Virus diseases, winter hardiness Comments Off on New England Aster A Great Pick For Fall Garden
