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 […]
Archive for the ‘winter hardiness’ Category
Blue Star Amsonia Is A Solid Performer
Posted by Hugh on February 17th, 2017
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 TreesButterfly Weed Named 2017 Perennial Plant Of The Year
Posted by Hugh on February 4th, 2017
Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), aka butterfly weed, is a long-lived tuberous rooted perennial indigenous to the southeastern U.S and mid-western U.S. and Canada (USDA hardiness zones 3 to 9). It grows in dry/rocky open woodlands, prairies, farm fields, and along roadsides. Individual plants typically grow as a clump to 2- 3 feet high and 1 -2 feet wide. Unlike many […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, Butterfly weed (Asclepias), Container garden, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Native Plant, Overcrowding, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Transplant problem, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Butterfly Weed Named 2017 Perennial Plant Of The YearStop 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”Comparing Western Red Cedar And ‘Green Giant’ Arborvitaes
Posted by Hugh on January 21st, 2017
Western red cedar or giant red cedar (Thuja plicata) is native to the Pacific Northwest. In the eastern U.S. it is called western arborvitae and landscapers typically do not plant it. Instead, they plant the hybrid cultivar ‘Green Giant’ arborvitae, a cross between western red cedar (T. plicata and Japanese arborvitae (T. standishii). Western arborvitae […]
Posted in acidic soil, Arborvitae (Thuja spp.), Bagworms, Container growing, container shrub, Cryptomeria (Japanese cedar), Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Evergreen, Fertilizing plants, Flowers, Fragrant, Green Privacy Screen, Inconspicious, Leyland cypress, mulching, Native Plant, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering evergreens, winter hardiness Comments Off on Comparing Western Red Cedar And ‘Green Giant’ ArborvitaesLandscaping 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 RailroadSouthern Gardeners Should Use The AHS Heat Zone Map
Posted by Hugh on January 1st, 2017
The AHS Heat Zone Map isn’t new. The American Horticultural Society developed it in 1960 and updated it in 1990. It has become an important reference for knowing both the cold and heat tolerances of garden plants. Many perennials in southern U.S. gardens struggle in the extreme heat and humidity. The heat zone map developed by AHS is […]
Posted in Evergreen, Garden ecology, Heat Tolerance, Native Plant, Pests, Platycodon (Balloon flower), Purchasing Plants, Regional, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Sweetgum (Liquidambar), Trees & Shrubs, Uncategorized, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on Southern Gardeners Should Use The AHS Heat Zone MapLittle Goblin® Series Of Deciduous Hollies
Posted by Hugh on December 25th, 2016
Little Goblin® Red (Ilex verticillata ‘NCIV1’) is one of the new creation from plant breeder Dr. Tom Ranney, at the North Carolina Research And Extension Center in Mills River, NC. It is the first ever tetraploid winterberry. This dwarf variety is also exceptionally hardy and easy to care for. Little Goblin® Orange (‘NCIV2’) is extremely early flowering and […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Bees and other pollinators, Container growing, container shrub, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Evergreen, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Ilex (hollies), mulching, Native Plant, Ornamental fruit, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Little Goblin® Series Of Deciduous HolliesLandscape Trees With Winter Interest
Posted by Hugh on December 22nd, 2016
Does your winter landscape look a bit shabby? This coming spring take some action by planting trees that should perk up its appearance. New tree choices should ratchet up seasonal interest, attract more bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds in the spring-summer and hungry fruit feeding birds in fall-winter. Making smart tree choices can add four-seasons of interest to your yard. […]
Posted in Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Birch (Betula spp.), Butterflies, Chinese (kousa) dogwood, Cornus officinalis, Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia), Dogwood (Cornus), Edible fruits, Ginkgo biloba, Hummingbird, Kwanzan cherry, Landscape ideas, Native Plant, Ornamental fruit, Paperbark maple, Parrotia (Persian ironwood), Purchasing Plants, river birch, Southern Appalachian Region, Stewartia pseudocamellia, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Winter bark, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness, Winterberry holly Comments Off on Landscape Trees With Winter Interest
