With some aggressively growing shrubs, it frequently comes down to you (and your pruners) versus the plant. Technique: a sharp pair of hand pruners along with 3-4 times annually to train a large unruly shrub into a behaved small tree. Here is a list of 5 great shrub candidate that may become a great small tree: […]
Archive for the ‘Pruning’ Category
Five Shrubs Make Wonderful Small Trees
Posted by Hugh on July 18th, 2019
Posted in acidic soil, Althea (Hibiscus), Attracting birds, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Butterflies, compact tree, Container garden, Container growing, Deciduous, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Flowering, Harlequin glorybower, Landscape Construction, Landscape ideas, mulching, Ninebark, Panicle hydrangea, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Staking, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Uncategorized, Vitex (Chaste tree), watering tips, Wind protection, winter hardiness 
Comments Off on Five Shrubs Make Wonderful Small TreesCrusader™ Cockspur Hawthorn
Posted by Hugh on July 13th, 2019
n Cockspur thorn (Crataegus crus-galli) is sometimes seen as a dense, low-branched, broad-rounded tree to 25-35 feet with horizontal branching armed with numerous large 1.5 to 3 inch long thorns. Lower branches often sweep near to the ground. It is also often seen as a tall, flat-topped shrub. This native hawthorn grows naturally from Quebec […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Edible fruits, Fertilizing plants, Flowering, Hawthorn (Crataegus), Honey bees, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Ornamental fruit, Planting tips, Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Small landscape tree, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Uncategorized Comments Off on Crusader™ Cockspur HawthornPerennial Favorites For The Summer Garden
Posted by Hugh on July 8th, 2019
If someone was to create the Garden Performance Hall of Fame for summer flowering perennials, I would nominate this list of ten (10). I have had experience growing many of them in my Northeast Tennessee garden (USDA hardiness zone 6-b). In a few instances, I have selected a variety that grows in friends’ or a […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Black eyed Susan (Rudbeckia), Butterflies, compost, Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Coreopsis, Coreopsis 'Gold Standard, Daylilies, deadheading, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Heuchera (coralbells), Hummingbird, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Perennials, Phlox, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Re-Bloomers, Russian sage (Perovskia), Sage (Salvia), Sedum (Shrub type), Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Stonecrop sedums, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Summer phlox (P. paniculata), Tennessee Coneflower, watering tips Comments Off on Perennial Favorites For The Summer GardenJune Blooming Japanese Tree Lilac
Posted by Hugh on June 23rd, 2019
Chinese tree lilac (Syringa reticulata) is an under-planted small multi-trunked tree or large flowering shrub (USDA hardiness zones 3-7). In tree form, it grows 20- 30 feet tall and 15- 20 feet wide with a rounded crown. Mature 70 year old plus specimens at Biltmore Estates in Asheville, NC are 50 feet or taller. Its […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Balled and Burlapped (b&b), Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, Deciduous, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Flower Arranging, Fragrant, Landscape ideas, Lilac (Syringa), mulching, Planting tips, Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Shade tree, Small landscape tree, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Street tree, Summer flowering, Trees & Shrubs, Winter bark, winter hardiness Comments Off on June Blooming Japanese Tree LilacSummersweet Shrub – Underplanted And Underappreciated
Posted by Hugh on June 11th, 2019
Summersweet clethra (Clethra alnifolia), aka sweet pepperbush, is a deciduous summer blooming shrub that ranges from coastal Maine to Florida (USDA hardiness zones 4-8). This delightful shrub grows 3-6 feet, although some cultivars grow 8 feet or higher. Flower colors (depending on variety) range from white, pink, and rose pink. The sweetly fragrant flower clusters ( 4- 6 inches […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, compost, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Fragrant, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Summersweet (Clethra), Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Summersweet Shrub – Underplanted And UnderappreciatedTry Maple-leaf Viburnum In Woodsy Areas
Posted by Hugh on May 16th, 2019
Maple-leaf Viburnum (Viburnum acerifolium) is a small to medium deciduous shrub that is indigenous to many areas of the Eastern U.S. (USDA hardiness zones 3-8). This underutilized native viburnum is at its finest in a dappled shady woodland landscape. Slow-growing at first, a single plant may reach heights of 4-6 feet and 2-4 feet in […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, compost, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Ornamental fruit, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Viburnum Maple-leaf (V. acerifolium), Viburnums, Wildlife attractant, winter hardiness Comments Off on Try Maple-leaf Viburnum In Woodsy AreasBlack Mondo Grass
Posted by Hugh on May 11th, 2019
Black mondo grass or black lilyturf (Ophiopogon planiscapus) is sold as a number of cultivars – ‘Arabicus’, ‘Black Dragon’, ‘Nigrescens’, or ‘Ebony Knight’. This stoloniferous grass-like perennial belongs to the lily family (Liliaceae) (USDA hardiness zones 6-9). Its blackish-purple foliage (3/16 inch wide leaf blades) forms lush arching clumps. For the patient gardener, know that […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bees and other pollinators, Cold tolerance, Container garden, Drought tolerant, Evergreen, Fertilizing plants, Ground cover, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, Mondo grass (Ophiopogon), mulching, Ornamental fruit, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Sanitation, Shade Gardening, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on Black Mondo GrassAnnual Geraniums Make Garden Comeback
Posted by Hugh on May 6th, 2019
Once popular annual geraniums (Pelargonium x) are making a comeback with U.S. gardeners. Geraniums are also planted in window boxes or hanging baskets. Three types of geraniums are sold at garden centers: zonal or bedding geraniums (P. x hortorum), ivy-leaf geraniums (P. peltatum), and Martha Washington geraniums (P. x domesticum). Color choices include red, pink, rose, salmon, […]
Posted in acidic soil, Annuals, Autumn flowering, Botrytis disease, Cercopora leaf spot, Container garden, deadheading, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Flowers, Geranium, Interior (house) Plants, Landscape ideas, Leaf diseases, mulching, Planting tips, Potting Mix, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Re-Bloomers, Sanitation, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips Comments Off on Annual Geraniums Make Garden ComebackRussian Arborvitae For Cool Areas Of The U.S.
Posted by Hugh on May 1st, 2019
Russian arborvitae and Siberian cypress (Microbiota decussata) is an underutilize ground cover (USDA hardiness zones 3-7). This tough juniper-like evergreen hails from Siberia and demonstrates exceptional cold hardiness to -40 ° F. In extreme northerly sites, the lacy evergreen foliage may turn complete brown in the dead of winter and re-sprout in spring. In the cool temps of […]
Posted in acidic soil, Container garden, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Evergreen, Fertilizing plants, Ground cover, Landscape ideas, Microbiota, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Wind protection, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on Russian Arborvitae For Cool Areas Of The U.S.Enjoy Two Kinds Of Stachys In Your Summer Garden
Posted by Hugh on April 26th, 2019
Many gardeners are acquainted with the wooly leaf perennial called lambs ears (Stachys byzantina). But the genus Stachys is also home to betony (S. officinalis) / (S. monieri). Alpine betony (Stachys monieri) is native to Europe and Asia (USDA hardiness zones 4-8). ‘Hummelo’ betony is very different in appearance from its gray velvety leaf relative […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Betony (Stachys), Butterflies, compost, Container garden, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Ground cover, Heat Tolerance, Hummingbird, Lamb's ears (Stachys), Landscape ideas, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Re-Bloomers, Sanitation, Slugs, Snails, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Enjoy Two Kinds Of Stachys In Your Summer Garden
