Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) is an attractive prairie grass native in southeastern or southwestern areas of the U.S. It is exceptionally hardy (USDA hardiness zones 3-9). Heights of the species (including inflorescences) vary from 2 – 2.5 feet tall and many cultivars grow 3-4 feet tall. Its late summer to fall foliage is a kaleidoscope of pastel […]
Archive for the ‘Propagation (Seed)’ Category
The Great Little Bluestems*
Posted by Hugh on November 12th, 2017
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, Container garden, deadheading, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Landscape ideas, Little Bluestem, Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium), Native Plant, Ornamental Grasses, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil Conservation, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, Wildlife attractant, winter hardiness 
Comments Off on The Great Little Bluestems*Unappreciated And Underplanted Sawtooth Oak
Posted by Hugh on November 5th, 2017
Sawtooth oak (Quercus acutissima) is a medium-sized deciduous oak that exhibits traits similar to both the white oak and red oak sections. Indigenous to China, Korea and Japan, sawtooth oak has naturalized in some parts of the U.S. (USDA hardiness zones (5?)6-9). Sawtooth oak grows 40-60 feet tall and wide with broad spreading branches and rounded canopy. […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bees and other pollinators, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Environmental Conservation, Fertilizing plants, Landscape ideas, Large Shade trees, mulching, Oaks (Quercus spp.), Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Sawtooth oak (Q. acutissima), Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Street tree, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Wildlife attractant, winter hardiness Comments Off on Unappreciated And Underplanted Sawtooth OakTis The Season For Ornamental Kales and Cabbages
Posted by Hugh on October 27th, 2017
Ornamental cabbage and kale (Brassica oleracea) are very close related to the same vegetables that we eat at our kitchen table. They are edible, just not as tasty. Plants are biennials, e.g. they produce leaves one year and flower the following spring. Ornamental kales have deeply cut serrated or ruffled leaves while leaves of ornamental cabbage […]
Posted in acidic soil, Annuals, Aphids, Attracting Butterflies, Autumn flowering, Biennial, Butterflies, Cabbage, Caterpillars, compost, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Insect (Pest) Problems, kale, Landscape ideas, mulching, Ornamental vegetables, Pesticide recommendations, Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Rabbit/deer Protection, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, watering tips, Wildlife attractant, winter hardiness Comments Off on Tis The Season For Ornamental Kales and CabbagesPlant American Beautyberry For A Fall Show
Posted by Hugh on October 20th, 2017
American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) is a loose open growing shrub valued for its spectacular fruits in the fall (USDA hardiness zones 6-10). The growth rate of this native shrub is rapid, eventually reaching 4-7 feet in height and 4-6 feet in spread within 5 years after planting. Beautyberry thrives in a moist, humus-rich, mildly acidic, well-drained soil […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Beautyberry (Callicarpa spp.), Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, Container garden, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Environmental Conservation, Fertilizing plants, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Ornamental fruit, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Rabbit/deer Protection, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Wildlife attractant, winter hardiness Comments Off on Plant American Beautyberry For A Fall ShowNuts About Acorns
Posted by Hugh on October 10th, 2017
Acorns are nuts that form on mature oak trees (Quercus spp.). Acorns come in many shapes, sizes and colors, depending on the species. An acorn is a single nut encased in a hard shell by a cap (used to identify what oak species it is). For example, Northern Red Oak (Q. rubra) tree produces egg-shaped […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Bee Favorite, Bur oak (Q. macrocarpa), Butterflies, Deer resistant, Drought tolerant, Edible fruits, Environmental Conservation, Landscape ideas, Large Shade trees, mulching, Native Plant, Oaks (Quercus spp.), Ornamental fruit, Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Street tree, Summer heat tolerant, Transplant problem, Trees & Shrubs, Wildlife attractant, winter hardiness Comments Off on Nuts About AcornsHalloween Pumpkins And Gourds
Posted by Hugh on October 3rd, 2017
It’s Pumpkin Time!…celebration of Halloween across America. A local pumpkin farm had over 60 kinds of pumpkins to choose from. According to the Missouri Botanical Gardens website: “the term pumpkin really has no botanical meaning”. Pumpkins and gourds are classified as squashes in the Cucurbitaceae family along with cucumbers and melons. If you want to grow […]
Posted in acidic soil, Anthracnose, Aphids, Bees and other pollinators, Borers, Cucumbers, Disease prone, Downy mildew, Fertilizing plants, Fruits & Vegetables, Gourd, Melons, mulching, Ornamental vegetables, Pesticide recommendations, plant nutrition, Planting tips, Powdery mildew, Propagation (Seed), Squash, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, Weed control, Wildlife attractant Comments Off on Halloween Pumpkins And GourdsPlant Late For Fall Pollinators
Posted by Hugh on September 3rd, 2017
Don’t give up gardening in the fall. Many beneficial insects depend on the terrific job that you are doing. The following is a sample listing of annuals and perennials that can employ to support pollinators in the fall. Included are many fall-blooming annuals and perennials. When designing a pollinator-friendly landscapes, include an adequate number of these fall-blooming plants […]
Posted in acidic soil, Anemone, Angelonias, Aster, Attracting Butterflies, Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Black eyed Susan (Rudbeckia), Blanket flower (Gaillardia), Butterflies, Calibrachoa (Million bells), Canna lily, Canna lily, Chrysanthemum, Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Container garden, Coreopsis, Coreopsis 'Flower Tower', Coreopsis 'Gold Standard, Coreopsis 'Last Dance', Cosmos, Dahlia, Diascias, Fall Garden Interest, Fall sunflower (Helianthus spp.), Flowers, Globe amaranth (Gomphrena), Ironweed (Vernonia), Landscape ideas, Native Plant, Ornamental Grasses, Perennials, Petunias, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Salvia, Sedum, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Sunflower (Helianthus), Sunflowers, Texas Sage (Salvia), Toadlily (Tricyrtis), Turtlehead (Chelone), watering tips Comments Off on Plant Late For Fall PollinatorsTropical Beauty Of African Rose Mallow
Posted by Hugh on August 24th, 2017
African Rose Mallow (Hibiscus acetosella), aka Red-leaf Hibiscus and false Roselle, is grown in most of the U.S. as a colorful annual, although it is rated as a perennial shrub for USDA Zones 9-11. It is native to Africa and, as expected, thrives in hot tropical environment such as in the deep South or Southern California […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aphids, Attracting Butterflies, Autumn flowering, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, Container garden, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Flowers, Heat Tolerance, Hibiscus acetosella, Hummingbird, Landscape ideas, mulching, Photoperiod (Daylength), Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Rain barrel, Southern Appalachian Region, Staking, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Tropical Plants (non-hardy), watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Tropical Beauty Of African Rose MallowDon’t Totally Dislike All Box Elder Trees
Posted by Hugh on July 16th, 2017
Box elder (Acer negundo) is a native fast-growing and suckering medium-sized tree (USDA hardiness zones 4b-8). Branches are weak wooded and easily damaged in wind and ice storms. Box elder grows almost anywhere in any average soil, medium to wet, and in full sun. The species fails on a shady site. This weedy maple is […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aggressive grower, Anthracnose, Aphids, Borers, Box elder (Acer), Disease prone, Heat Tolerance, Insect (Pest) Problems, Insect suseptible, Invasive plant, Landscape ideas, Leaf/needle spots, Maples (Acer), Messy Fruits, Native Plant, Planting tips, Powdery mildew, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (Seed), Propagation(grafting), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Sanitation, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Don’t Totally Dislike All Box Elder TreesThistle-like Bear’s Breeches
Posted by Hugh on July 13th, 2017
Spiny bear’s breeches (Acanthus spinosa) is a clump-forming perennial treasured for its attractive thistle-like foliage and architecturally bold flower spikes (USDA hardiness zones 5b-9). Plant requires little maintenance and is long-lived. Deeply-cut, arching, glossy green, spiny, thistle-like leaves attain 2-3 feet in length on older plants and remain attractive through the growing season. Leaves bear mostly hidden spines on […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aggressive grower, Attracting Butterflies, Bear’s breeches (Acanthus), Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, compost, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, mulching, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Slugs, Snails, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on Thistle-like Bear’s Breeches
