In late winter – early spring, after the snow has melted and daytime temperatures are steadily above freezing, let’s get busy with the cleanup in the perennial garden. First, if you garden in a severe winter region such as zones 4 or colder, remove all winter protection such […]
Archive for the ‘Pruning’ Category
Basic Care Tips In The Spring Perennial Garden
Posted by Hugh on March 22nd, 2017
Posted in Baptisia (wild indigo), Black eyed Susan (Rudbeckia), Bloodgood (Sanguinaria), Bulb Crops, Chionodoxa (Glory of the Snow), Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), deadheading, Eupatorium 'Gateway', Ferns, Fertilizing plants, Flowering Bulb, Garden Maintenance, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Overcrowding, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Pruning, Shasta daisy (Leucanthemum), Snowdrops (Galanthus), Southern Appalachian Region, Spanish bluebells, Spring flowering, Spring flowering bulbs, Uncategorized, watering tips, Weeds, winter hardiness, Winter Protection 
Comments Off on Basic Care Tips In The Spring Perennial GardenWinter Daphnes Can Be A Rewarding Challenge
Posted by Hugh on March 20th, 2017
Native to China and Japan, winter or fragrant daphnes (Daphne odora) open to light pink or white flowers in winter and early spring in the southeastern U.S. and Pacific Northwest (USDA hardiness zones 7-9). Their welcome floral fragrance will pervade through your garden for nearly two weeks starting in late winter. Winter daphnes grow 3 to 4 […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aphids, Bees and other pollinators, compact shrub, container shrub, Daphne odora, Disease prone, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, root injury, Root rotting, Scale, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Transplant problem, Trees & Shrubs, Winter flowering, winter hardiness, winter injury, Winter Protection Comments Off on Winter Daphnes Can Be A Rewarding ChallengeCool Plant Combos For Containers
Posted by Hugh on March 10th, 2017
As more and more urban gardeners are growing in small spaces, including decks and patio of condos and town houses, container gardens are becoming more significant. They’re creating large mixed containers that include miniature trees and shrubs rather than their big cousins. For design containers may include thrillers (tall or spiky), fillers, and spillers (weepers). […]
Posted in acidic soil, Begonia boliviensis, Calibrachoa (Million bells), compact shrub, compact tree, compost, Container garden, Container growing, container shrub, Disease resistant, DWARF CONIFERS, Euphorbias, Fan flower (Scaevola), Ferns, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Flower arrangments, Fountain Grass (Pennisetum), Globe amaranth (Gomphrena), Hosta, Landscape ideas, Moss rose (Portulaca), Pansies, Perennials, Planting tips, Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Scaevola, Sedges (Carex), Sedum (Groundcover types), Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Sweet flag (Acorus), Sweet potato vine, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, winter hardiness, Winter Protection, Zinnia Comments Off on Cool Plant Combos For ContainersAutumn Ferns Offer Lush Tropical Touch
Posted by Hugh on March 7th, 2017
Ferns are fine textured lacey-leaf groundcovers. Many kinds of ferns add a tropical accent to the shade garden. Autumn fern (Dryopteris erythrosora), aka Japanese wood fern, has evergreen or semi-evergreen arching foliage, depending how cold winter is (USDA hardiness zones 5 to 8). Its common name is misleading. Best fronds color is in spring; fronds unfurl with […]
Posted in acidic soil, Autumn fern (Dryopteris), compost, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Ferns, Fertilizing plants, Ground cover, mulching, plant nutrition, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Shade Gardening, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Wind protection, winter hardiness Comments Off on Autumn Ferns Offer Lush Tropical TouchEnjoy The Double Soft Pink Flowers of Kwanzan Cherry
Posted by Hugh on March 4th, 2017
Kwanzan cherry (Prunus serrulata ‘Kwanzan’) is a commonly planted Oriental cherry in the U.S. (USDA hardiness zones 5 – 8). It’s most often utilized as a small 25 to 35 foot tall flowering deciduous tree in an open lawn, patio. and deck setting for its cool summer shade. It is a […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aphids, Bacterial diseases, Caterpillars, Flowering, Insect (Pest) Problems, Japanese beetle, Japanese beetles, Kwanzan cherry, Ornamental cherry (Prunus), Planting tips, Powdery mildew, Pruning, Scale, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Trees & Shrubs, Virus diseases, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Enjoy The Double Soft Pink Flowers of Kwanzan CherryGetting A Sourwood Tree Going
Posted by Hugh on February 26th, 2017
Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum) is one of our most beautiful U.S. native trees. Trees often grow multi-stemmed or shrub-like to 20-30 feet or in tree form to 35-40 feet high and narrow in spread. Trying to establish a new tree can be challenging. In the wild sourwoods are often found growing in shallow soils on steep […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, mulching, Native Plant, Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Sourwood (Oxydendrum), Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Transplant problem, Trees & Shrubs, winter hardiness Comments Off on Getting A Sourwood Tree GoingFour Very Different Annuals You Should Try
Posted by Hugh on February 23rd, 2017
I asked three regional horticulturists to identify an under-planted drought tolerant annual. Here are four (4) that they recommended: Drumstick flower or “Billy Buttons” (Craspedia globosa) produces a golden-yellow display of spherical flowers that often reach the size of golf balls (USDA plant hardiness zones 8-11). The silvery-gray foliage reaches about 2 feet tall and wide, […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, Container garden, Drought tolerant, Drumstick flw. (Craspedia), Evolvulus, Fertilizing plants, Flowers, Ground cover, Heat Tolerance, Hummingbird, mulching, Planting tips, Plectranthus, Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Salvia, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Four Very Different Annuals You Should TryExceptionally Hardy ‘Margarita’ Carolina Yellow Jessamine
Posted by Hugh on February 21st, 2017
Carolina yellow jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens) is a lovely ignored native vine. It is native from Virginia to Texas to Florida, easily spotted growing in a sunny location growing on trees (USDA zones 6-9). It is the state flower of South Carolina. Grow it as a trellised vine or as a low shrub-like mound (ground cover). Flowers often serve as an early call […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aggressive grower, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Evergreen, Fertilizing plants, Fragrant, Ground cover, Jessamine (Gelsemium), Native Plant, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Staking, Summer flowering, Trees & Shrubs, Vine, winter hardiness, Winter Protection 
Tags: Vines Comments Off on Exceptionally Hardy ‘Margarita’ Carolina Yellow JessamineBlue Star Amsonia Is A Solid Performer
Posted by Hugh on February 17th, 2017
Blue Star (Amsonia tabernaemontana) is native to the central U.S. (USDA hardiness zones 3-9). This herbaceous perennial is frequently seen growing in open woodlands in the midwest and south to Florida and Texas. In mid-spring (in Tennessee), plants are filled with clusters of soft light blue star-like flowers, each nearly ¾ inches across. This clump-forming perennial […]
Posted in acidic soil, Amsonia (blue star), Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, compost, Container garden, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Flowers, mulching, Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Blue Star Amsonia Is A Solid Performer‘Ascot Rainbow’ Variegated Spurge
Posted by Hugh on February 10th, 2017
‘Ascot Rainbow’ Spurge (Euphorbia x martinii) is an herbaceous evergreen perennial which has shown to be remarkably winter hardy (USDA hardiness zones 5b-9). This spurge is a relatively low maintenance perennial. This plant has both distinctive variegated flowers and foliage. Plant several spurges together for an awesome visual show. Ascot Rainbow Spurge struts attractive bluish-green narrow foliage […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Container garden, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Foliage plant, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, mulching, Perennials, Photoperiod (Daylength), Planting tips, Poisonous or toxic, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Spurge (Euphorbia), watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on ‘Ascot Rainbow’ Variegated Spurge
