Torch lily (Kniphofia spp.), aka “red hot poker”, is an easy to grow long-lived perennial from South Africa. Its colorful floral spike (and a little imagination) resembles a fiery torch or sizzling poker, visited often by hummingbirds, bees and butterflies. New cultivars are mostly hybrids and vary in plant height and flower color. Starting in […]
Archive for the ‘winter hardiness’ Category
Torch Lily Has Long Bloom Life
Posted by Hugh on July 23rd, 2011
Posted in Attracting birds, Bee Favorite, Butterflies, deadheading, Disease resistant, Hummingbird, Perennials, Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Torch lily (red hot poker), Uncategorized, watering tips, winter hardiness 
Comments Off on Torch Lily Has Long Bloom LifeSummer Blooming Oyama Magnolia
Posted by Hugh on July 10th, 2011
A friend on vacation sent me the attached photo from Wooster, Ohio. When I told him that it was Oyama magnolia (Magnolia sieboldii), he asked why gardeners are not growing it. Good question! Oyama magnolia is a 10-15 feet tall (and equal spread) deciduous tree or large shrub from eastern Asia. It prefers to grow […]
Posted in acidic soil, compost, Featured, Flowering, Large shrub, Magnolia, Magnolia sieboldii, mulching, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, winter hardiness Comments Off on Summer Blooming Oyama MagnoliaStewartia- A Tree for All Seasons
Posted by Hugh on June 1st, 2011
Japanese stewartia (Stewartia pseudocamellia) is a truly beautiful 20-30 foot small tree or multi-trunked shrub. Stewartia may be finicky to grow, but a great plant nonetheless. Although rarely seen in U.S. gardens, Japanese stewartia is the most commonly grown of the six stewartia species. All are winter hardy in the Southern Appalachian region (USDA zones 6 […]
Posted in acidic soil, compost, Disease resistant, Flowers, Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Stewartia pseudocamellia, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering iris, winter hardiness Comments Off on Stewartia- A Tree for All SeasonsSummer Wine™: The Taming of The Ninebark
Posted by Hugh on May 19th, 2011
Over the past 25 years our native Eastern ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius) has been reborn. Its overly vigorous nature has been tamed. Latest up is Summer Wine™ ninebark with small, deeply cut, wine burgundy leaves, quite different from the medium green foliage of old-fashioned ninebarks. Summer Wine is a more compact (5-6 feet in height and width) grower. Grow ninebark in […]
Posted in compact shrub, container shrub, Ninebark, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness Comments Off on Summer Wine™: The Taming of The Ninebark‘Janet Blair’ Rhododendron
Posted by Hugh on May 13th, 2011
Here in the Southern Appalachian region (USDA zones 6 and 7) rhododendrons can be challenging. Of critical importance is to choose a good garden spot and to plant a hardy cultivar. Over the past 25 years ‘Janet Blair’ has been one of the most reliable varieties in my Northeast Tennessee garden. ‘Janet Blair’ bears medium-sized […]
Posted in acidic soil, compost, deadheading, mulching, plant nutrition, Rhododendrons, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Uncategorized, water garden maintenance, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on ‘Janet Blair’ RhododendronGrowing Azaleas in Outdoor Containers Year-Around
Posted by Hugh on May 10th, 2011
In the Southern Appalachian region (USDA zones 6 and 7), if you desire to grow azaleas in above ground containers year around, you must select winter hardy cultivars. Two of the best for containers are ‘Elsie Lee’ (2½- inch wide semi-double light lavender blooms) and ‘Herbert’ (1 ¾- inch wide bright purple with dark blotch). […]
Posted in acidic soil, Azaleas (evergreen), Container growing, mulching, plant nutrition, Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Trees & Shrubs, winter hardiness Comments Off on Growing Azaleas in Outdoor Containers Year-AroundWolfeyes Chinese Dogwood
Posted by Hugh on April 20th, 2011
Chinese dogwood (Cornus kousa), a favored spring-flowering tree, reaches 20-25 feet in height and blooms two weeks subsequent to our native flowering dogwood (C. florida). The ‘Wolf Eyes’ cultivar forms a compact tree or large shrub, standing 8–10 feet tall and nearly twice as wide. lowly reaches 10 to 20 ft. tall and wide; largest […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Bees and other pollinators, Chinese (kousa) dogwood, compact tree, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Landscape ideas, Light requirement, mulching, Non-native, Propagation(grafting), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Wolfeyes Chinese DogwoodThree Mid-sized Ornamental Grasses for Small Gardens
Posted by Hugh on April 14th, 2011
For their sheer architecture alone, ornamental grasses provide 4- seasons of landscape excitement. Within a small garden space three mid-sized (4 – 6 feet tall) ornamental grasses with awesome vertical stature excel. All are highly rated for long garden life and low annual maintenance. ‘Karl Foerster’ Feather Reed Grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora ) forms silvery […]
Double Take™ Flowering Quinces
Posted by Hugh on April 8th, 2011
Photo credit: Dr. Tom Ranney, NCSU Research Horticulturist Flowering quince (Chaenomeles spp) is an early spring flowering shrub, treasured for its brightly colored blooms (USDA hardiness zones 5-9). Old fashioned quince shrubs produced small amounts of fruits which were gathered and prepared into yummy jelly in the autumn kitchen. These often large 10-12 foot tall shrubs produced small sharp […]
Posted in Bee Favorite, compact shrub, Fertilizing plants, Flowering, Flowering quince (Chaenomeles), Propagation (Cuttings), Soil drainage, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, winter hardiness Comments Off on Double Take™ Flowering QuincesPulmonarias: Wonderful In The Shade Garden
Posted by Hugh on March 6th, 2011
Although my multi-year addiction for hostas has never waned, I remain equally passionate about the lungworts (Pulmonaria spp.). Lungwort is also called Bethlehem sage and Jerusalem sage. Their uniquely splotched or variegated foliage wakes up a dark patch in any shade garden. Lungworts are planted as ground covers and for color accents. In early spring (March), lungworts send up […]
Posted in acidic soil, Container garden, Ground cover, Landscape ideas, mulching, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Pulmonaria, Purchasing Plants, Shade Gardening, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Sun scald, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Pulmonarias: Wonderful In The Shade Garden
