Hooray! American gardeners are finally becoming savvy about Katsura tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum) as one of the finest landscape trees. This medium to tall growing tree (height depending on cultivar) possesses four-season appeal. Numerous varieties are now available. Small growing cultivars will be featured here. Katsura tree is indigenous to Japan and China where some may […]
Archive for the ‘Pruning’ Category
Katsura Trees For Urban Plantings
Posted by Hugh on August 11th, 2019
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Balled and Burlapped (b&b), Bees and other pollinators, Deciduous, Dioecious, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Fragrant, Katsura tree (Cercidophyllum), Landscape ideas, Large Shade trees, Medium sized Tree, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation(grafting), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Sun scald, Trees & Shrubs, Uncategorized, watering tips, Weeping habit, winter hardiness 
Comments Off on Katsura Trees For Urban PlantingsNew Inkberry Varieties Substitute For Boxwoods
Posted by Hugh on August 6th, 2019
Inkberry holly (Ilex glabra) is a slow-growing evergreen shrub (USDA hardiness zones 5-9). This U.S. native hale from coastal Canada south to Florida, and west to Louisiana. Commonly, inkberry (the species) grows to 5-8 feet tall. It is at home in sandy woodlands and the edges of swamps and bogs where they form colonies via root […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, compact shrub, Container garden, Container growing, container shrub, Dioecious, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Evergreen, Evergreens, Fertilizing plants, Heat Tolerance, Inkberry Holly (Ilex), Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Ornamental fruit, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Uncategorized, watering tips, Wildlife attractant, winter hardiness Comments Off on New Inkberry Varieties Substitute For BoxwoodsJuly Blooming Plumleaf Azalea
Posted by Hugh on July 28th, 2019
Plumleaf azalea (Rhododendron prunifolium), a deciduous azalea native to Georgia and Alabama, is a particular summer favorite (USDA hardiness zones 6-9). It’s hardy even in Boston, NY City, and Philadelphia. Its bright orange-red blooms surprise in late July to early August. Compared to many fragrant spring blooming native species, flowers emit no scent. Its autumnal […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Azalea (deciduous), Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Breeding Plants, Butterflies, Container garden, Deciduous, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Landscape ideas, Native Plant, Native Plant, Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Rhododendrons, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on July Blooming Plumleaf AzaleaWhy My Hydrangeas Are Not Blooming
Posted by Hugh on July 23rd, 2019
Thankfully, this is not a very common problem that few gardeners run into. U.S. gardeners grow four (4) species of hydrangeas: smooth hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens), oakleaf hydrangea (H. quercifolia), bigleaf hydrangea (H. macrophylla), and panicle hydrangea (H. paniculata). There are five reasons why some hydrangeas don’t bloom: 1. Type of hydrangea… Bigleaf hydrangeas, those that […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Bees and other pollinators, Bigleaf hydrangea (H. macrophylla), compact shrub, Container garden, container shrub, Deciduous, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Flower arrangments, Flowering, Hydrangea, Hydrangea arborescens, Hydrangeas, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Oakleaf hydrangea (H. quercifolia), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Rabbit/deer Protection, Shade Gardening, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Uncategorized, watering hydrangeas, watering tips, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on Why My Hydrangeas Are Not BloomingFive Shrubs Make Wonderful Small Trees
Posted by Hugh on July 18th, 2019
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: […]
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 Areas
