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, […]
Archive for the ‘Pruning’ Category
Four Very Different Annuals You Should Try
Posted by Hugh on February 23rd, 2017
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 SpurgeTransform These Three Shrubs Into Trees
Posted by Hugh on February 9th, 2017
Some large shrubs can be trained into lovely small flowering trees. These three flowering shrubs may be trained into small 15-25 feet tall, single or multi- trunk trees: Siebold viburnum (Viburnum sieboldii) is a tall upright branched deciduous shrub (USDA hardiness zones 4-7). This native from Japan grows to 15-20 feet tall and 10-15 feet wide […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aphids, compact tree, Container growing, Disease resistant, Flowering, Green Privacy Screen, Heat Tolerance, Hydrangeas, Landscape ideas, Native Plant, Ninebark, Ornamental fruit, Panicle hydrangea, Planting tips, Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Staking, Summer flowering, Trees & Shrubs, Viburnum beetles, Viburnums, watering tips, Winter bark, winter hardiness Comments Off on Transform These Three Shrubs Into TreesPest Alert: Update On Emerald Ash Borer
Posted by Hugh on January 31st, 2017
Across the U.S. and Canada, ash trees are dying from infestations of Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), an Asian insect pest. In many U.S. cities, ash (Fraxinus) is a major urban tree genus. Since 2002 EAB has become a serious pest that has killed more than 40 million ash trees in 18 states. This hardwood tree is important to […]
Posted in acidic soil, Ash (Fraxinus), Attracting birds, Bees and other pollinators, Borers, Certified Arborist, Emerald ash borer, Insect suseptible, Large Shade trees, Native Plant, Pests, Pruning, Sanitation, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Trees & Shrubs, Uncategorized Comments Off on Pest Alert: Update On Emerald Ash BorerStop The “Crape Murder”
Posted by Hugh on January 28th, 2017
In Tennessee (where I live) and in the Southeastern U.S., bad crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia x) pruning continues to be done by professional landscapers and homeowners (USDA hardiness zones 6-9). This practice, also called “topping”, reduces tree (or shrub) height. Over 25 years, Southern Living magazine called this “crape murder”. Crape murder is not going away. More crape […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Butterflies, Cercopora leaf spot, compact tree, Container growing, container shrub, Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia), Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Downy mildew, Drought tolerant, Flowers, Heat Tolerance, Messy Fruits, mulching, Planting tips, Powdery mildew, Privacy Screen, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Root suckering, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Weak wooded, Winter bark, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness Comments Off on Stop The “Crape Murder”Landscaping Plantings Around A Garden Railroad
Posted by Hugh on January 18th, 2017
Garden railroad layouts are becoming more popular. A number of dwarf and compact growing plants play a major role in landscaping around the layout. Many miniature forms of taller varieties are available. Here are several great plant choices to add the your garden railroad: Trees and Shrubs – offer scale or tall canopy […]
Posted in acidic soil, Angelonias, Carex (Sedges), compact shrub, compact tree, Container growing, container shrub, deadheading, Drought tolerant, DWARF CONIFERS, Elms (Ulmus), Euphorbias, Evergreen, Fertilizing plants, Fullmoon maple, Ginkgo biloba, Globe amaranth (Gomphrena), Ground cover, Hemlock (Tsuga), Hosta, Ilex (hollies), Impatiens, Landscape ideas, Lantana, Moss rose (Portulaca), mulching, Perennials, Planting tips, Pruning, Salvia, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spruces (Picea spp.), Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, winter hardiness, Yews (Taxus spp.) Comments Off on Landscaping Plantings Around A Garden RailroadFive Simple Pruning Tips For DIYers
Posted by Hugh on January 11th, 2017
Gardeners are frequently scared about making pruning mistakes. There are lots of gardening books filled with lots of before and after photos. Let’s face facts…your yard tree or shrub does look like the ones pictured in the pruning book. Here are my simple 5 steps for pruning: Why and When to prune: You can prune a […]
Posted in Amur maple (A. ginnala), Ash (Fraxinus), Birch (Betula spp.), Buddleia (Butterfly bush), Certified Arborist, compact tree, container shrub, Crabapple, Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia), Dogwood (Cornus), Elms (Ulmus), Flowering, Forsythia, Fothergilla, Garden Maintenance, Green ash (Fraxinus), Hibiscus syriacus, Honeylocust (Gleditsia), Hydrangea, Hydrangeas, Insect (Pest) Problems, Kwanzan cherry, Lacebark elm, Large Shade trees, Lilac (Syringa), Linden (Tilia), Mealy bugs, Oaks (Quercus spp.), Okame cherry (Prunus), Ornamental cherry (Prunus), pin oak, Pruning, Redbud, river birch, Scale, Small landscape tree, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Sweetgum (Liquidambar), Trees & Shrubs, Vitex (Chaste tree), Yoshino cherry (Prunus), Zelkova Comments Off on Five Simple Pruning Tips For DIYersShopping Tips When Purchasing Plants
Posted by Hugh on January 4th, 2017
Spring and fall are excellent planting times and buying opportunities. A trips to a garden center can be very costly unless you go prepared. Here are some practical tips to make those shopping trips more enjoyable and a lot less expensive. Create your landscape plan first before buying plants. First, visit garden centers to pick up great landscaping ideas […]
Posted in Attracting Butterflies, Container growing, Disease resistant, Evergreen, Flowers, Foliage plant, Fruits & Vegetables, Garden Maintenance, Garden Problems, Ground cover, Interior (house) Plants, Landscape ideas, Native Plant, Ornamental fruit, Perennials, Pesticide recommendations, plant nutrition, Planting tips, Poisonous or toxic, Privacy Screen, Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Roses, Southern Appalachian Region, Trees & Shrubs, Vine, Water Gardens, watering tips, Winter Protection Comments Off on Shopping Tips When Purchasing Plants
