Bigleaf or “mophead” hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla) tend to get tall and leggy, and outgrow their garden space. Our native oakleaf hydrangeas (Hydrangea quercifolia) are pruned as blooms quality declines. Remove or “deadhead” all withered or faded flowers. Main pruning time for these two species is from mid-June thru mid-August. Mopheads may rebloom if they had […]
Archive for the ‘Propagation (Cuttings)’ Category
Summer Pruning of Oakleaf and Bigleaf Hydrangeas
Posted by Hugh on June 15th, 2011
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Deciduous, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Flower arrangments, Garden Maintenance, Hydrangea, Hydrangeas, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Oakleaf hydrangea (H. quercifolia), Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (layering), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Shade Gardening, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Uncategorized 
Comments Off on Summer Pruning of Oakleaf and Bigleaf HydrangeasDouble Take™ Flowering Quinces
Posted by Hugh on April 8th, 2011
Photo credit: Dr. Tom Ranney, NCSU Research Horticulturist Flowering quince (Chaenomeles spp) is an early spring flowering shrub, treasured for its brightly colored blooms (USDA hardiness zones 5-9). Old fashioned quince shrubs produced small amounts of fruits which were gathered and prepared into yummy jelly in the autumn kitchen. These often large 10-12 foot tall shrubs produced small sharp […]
Posted in Bee Favorite, compact shrub, Fertilizing plants, Flowering, Flowering quince (Chaenomeles), Propagation (Cuttings), Soil drainage, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, winter hardiness Comments Off on Double Take™ Flowering QuincesOpening Show in February- The Witchhazels
Posted by Hugh on February 15th, 2011
First, not to confuse you, our North American native witchhazel (Hamamelis virginiana) blooms in the fall. Our native vernal witchhazel (H. vernalis) has been flowering for the past few weeks. In February, the showiest witchhazels are opening now – species from China, Korea and Japan. Two of the very best are a Chinese species/cultivar called […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bees and other pollinators, Chinese witchhazel, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Flowering, Garden Maintenance, Landscape ideas, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Southern Appalachian Region, Trees & Shrubs, Wildlife attractant, Winter flowering, winter hardiness 
Tags: Alberta spruce, Chinese witchhazel Comments Off on Opening Show in February- The WitchhazelsCulver’s Root (Veronicastrum)
Posted by Hugh on June 28th, 2010
Midwest native Culver’s root (Veronicastrum virginicum) starts the summer flowering season in my perennial garden. It naturally grows in open woods and meadows and thrives in fertile to moist soils. However, this deep rooted plant hasn’t complain about the current dry period in the Southern Appalachian region (USDA zones 6-7). Be aware that culver’s root […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aggressive grower, alkaline soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Butterflies, Culver's Root (veronicastrum), deadheading, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Goldenrod (Solidago), Heat Tolerance, mulching, Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (dividing), Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Culver’s Root (Veronicastrum)Best of Perennial Veronicas for Gardens
Posted by Hugh on March 17th, 2010
Chicago Botanic Garden (CBG) has published the results of a 10-year study of speedwells (Veronica and Veronicastrum) in its 33rd issue of Plant Evaluation Notes, “A Comparative Study of Veronica and Veronicastrum“. Seven speedwells received good-excellent ratings for their overall performance, including Veronica ‘Fairytale’, V. ‘Giles Van Hees’, V. austriaca ‘Ionian Skies’, V. longifolia ‘Blue […]
Posted in acidic soil, Fertilizing plants, Perennials, Propagation (Cuttings), Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Veronica (speedwells), watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Best of Perennial Veronicas for Gardens‘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’ Boxwood
