Across many areas of the Southern Appalachian region (USDA zones 6 and 7) snowfall has been plentiful this winter, but total rainfall is below normal. It takes 10 inches of snow to equal one inch of rainfall. Fall planted pansies and violas are now both hungry and thirsty. Provide them with a shot of fertilizer and water. […]
Posted in Featured, Fertilizing plants, Southern Appalachian Region, Violas, watering tips, Winter Garden Interest 
Comments Off on Revitalize Pansies NowIn addition to the popular Oriental hellebore (H. x orientalis), four other species are hardy in the Southern Appalachian region (USDA hardiness zones 6 and 7). Christmas rose (H. niger) is the first lenten rose to bloom, often 4-6 weeks earlier if mild December weather permits. The 3 ½- inch flowers are large and showy, […]
Posted in alkaline soil, compost, Flowers, Lenten rose (Hellebore), mulching, Perennials, Shade Gardening, Southern Appalachian Region, watering tips, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on The Other Lenten RosesLenten roses or hellebores (Helleborus spp.) are long-lived perennials, often surviving in the same garden spot for many years. Four species of Lenten roses grow in the Southern Appalachian region (USDA hardiness zones 6 and 7). All thrive in shady garden recesses, exposed to as little as 3 – 4 hours of dappled sunlight. Numerous […]
Posted in alkaline soil, compost, Lenten rose (Hellebore), mulching, Perennials, Pruning, Shade Gardening, Southern Appalachian Region, watering tips, Winter Garden Interest Comments Off on Lenten Roses Perk Up the February GardenPart III: By late January your poinsettia plant may look droopy and the leaves pale green. Some flowers (colorful bracts) and leaves may have dropped. To revive the plant and to program it to flower again next winter requires additional care from you starting now. Move the plant to an east or south exposure window, […]
Posted in Interior (house) Plants, plant nutrition, Poinsettia, Southern Appalachian Region, watering tips Comments Off on Re-Blooming Your Poinsettia: Winter thru Summer CareThe Perennial Plant Association (PPA) has selected Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’ as the 2012 Perennial Plant of the Year. Runnersup for 2012 honors were Panicum virgatum ’Northwind’, Heuchera ‘Caramel’ and Chelone lyonii ‘Hot Lips’. Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’ foliage is deer resistant. It grows to a height and width of 12-15 inches. Its silvery foliage stands out in a […]
Posted in Brunnera 'Jack Frost', mulching, Perennials, Shade Gardening, Southern Appalachian Region, watering tips Comments Off on 2012 Perennial Plant of the Year NamedLovely Foliage Plants at Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC Most plants adapt to winter’s shorter daylength and low light intensity. Interior plants require less water and nutrients. Plants also adapt to the lower room humidity in our modern day homes. Grouping plants together and spritzing them 1-2 times a day is helpful. Soil moisture needs varies with the type […]
‘Pink Shimmer’ poinsettia You’ve purchased a beautiful poinsettia and want to give it a proper home for the holidays. Room light, temperature and soil moisture are the key environmental concerns. Place your poinsettia either in a bright sunlit room or one receiving an indirect lighting source. Keep the plant away from heating vents and drafty windows. In general, poinsettias grow trouble free […]
Posted in Flowers, Interior (house) Plants, Pests, Uncategorized, watering tips Comments Off on Care of Your Poinsettia in the HomeMany rare and unusual garden plants are introduced into a garden as a thoughtful gift. Lacebark pine (Pinus bungeana) is an arboreal aristocrat which a few gardeners are privileged to own. Lacebark is a lovely 3- needle pine with exquisite exfoliating bark which becomes more attractive each succeeding year. The lacebark feature begins after 8-10 years, but it’s […]
Posted in acidic soil, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, DWARF CONIFERS, Evergreen, Evergreens, Fertilizing plants, mulching, Pines (Pinus spp.), Planting tips, Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Uncategorized, watering tips, Winter bark, winter hardiness 2 Comments »Hydrangea Invincibelle® Spirit ranks as one of the finest new plant introductions in 2010. This hydrangea comes from a good bloodline. Invincibelle® Spirit is a pink flowering clone originating from Annabelle. The cultivar ‘Annabelle’ (Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’) has been a star in Southern Appalachian gardens (USDA hardiness zones 6 and 7) for the past quarter century. Invincibelle® […]
Posted in Hydrangea, Native Plant, Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Trees & Shrubs, Uncategorized, watering tips Comments Off on Hydrangea Invincibelle Spirit ®
Drooping doghobble or fetterbush (Leucothoe fontanesiana) is native to woodland areas in the Southern Appalachian region (USDA zones 6 and 7). Doghobble is a tall ground cover, averaging 3 – 4 feet in height. The long gently arching evergreen branches display a rambling nature, best reined in with hand pruning as needed. White fragrant flowers, […]
