I thank the person who gave me a native swamp sunflower (Helianthus angustifolia). This long-lived perennial appears to have its own internal clock for blooming around the first day of October. Its long narrow rough-textured leaves average 6 inches in length. The 2-3 inch wide flowers appear first on top of the tall 6 to 7 foot plants, and […]
Archive for the ‘winter hardiness’ Category
October Starts Out With Fall Sunflowers
Posted by Hugh on September 26th, 2011
Posted in Autumn flowering, deadheading, Fall sunflower (Helianthus spp.), Fertilizing plants, Native Plant, Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness 
Comments Off on October Starts Out With Fall SunflowersFranklinia Will Survive If…
Posted by Hugh on September 22nd, 2011
Franklinia (Franklinia altamaha) is admittedly a very finicky large shrub or small tree. Pure white, five-petal, 2 ½ – 3 inch camellia-like flowers bloom sporadically from August thru mid-October. Flowers are slightly fragrant. In the fall glossy green leaves gradually transition to blends of red, orange and burgundy hues. Franklinia grows best on an eastern exposure […]
Posted in acidic soil, acidify soil, Autumn flowering, Fall Garden Interest, Fertilizing plants, Franklinia, Japanese beetles, mulching, Native Plant, Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Transplant problem, Trees & Shrubs, Wind protection, winter hardiness Comments Off on Franklinia Will Survive If…‘Chocolate’ White Snakeroot Is A Better Choice
Posted by Hugh on September 7th, 2011
White Snakeroot (Eupatorium rugosum) is native to moist woodland areas in most eastern and midwestern states (U.S.). It grows in average, moist, well-drained soil in full sun to light shade. It is a long-lived and an aggressive perennial. ‘Chocolate’ (E. rugosum ‘Chocolate’) earns its namesake for its chocolaty or burgundy tinted foliage. ‘Chocolate’ white […]
Posted in Aggressive grower, Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Butterflies, Disease resistant, Eupatorium rugosum 'Chocolate', plant nutrition, Poisonous plant, Root suckering, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Uncategorized, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on ‘Chocolate’ White Snakeroot Is A Better Choice‘Slender Silhouette’ Sweetgum…Very Few Gumballs!
Posted by Hugh on September 4th, 2011
Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) is a medium to large landscape tree, which matures to 65-70 feet in height and 35 feet in spread. To many people it’s called the cursed “gumball” or “ankle twister” tree, not be confused with the fruit balls of the American sycamore or London plane tree (Platanus spp.). Gumball detractors should look […]
Posted in acidic soil, Disease resistant, Heat Tolerance, Native Plant, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Sweetgum (Liquidambar), Trees & Shrubs, winter hardiness Comments Off on ‘Slender Silhouette’ Sweetgum…Very Few Gumballs!Old-Timey ‘Royal Standard’ Hosta Still Rules
Posted by Hugh on August 14th, 2011
Kingwood Center is a wonderful public garden in Mansfield, Ohio with several top notch beds of hostas. One glorious bed of ‘Royal Standard’ hosta blooms their heads off from mid-August into September. With over 35,000 registered hostas available, why look back at this vintage variety. Royal Standard was patented and introduced in 1965 by Wayside Gardens […]
Posted in compost, Hosta, Perennials, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Uncategorized, winter hardiness Comments Off on Old-Timey ‘Royal Standard’ Hosta Still Rules‘Morning Calm’ Trumpet Vine
Posted by Hugh on August 5th, 2011
Our native trumpet vine, aka trumpet creeper (Campis radicans), may instill fear in gardeners. A wild vine may climb a utility pole, 30- 40 feet in one year. The late horticulturist Dr. J. C. Raulston at NC State University in Raleigh recommended its tamer Chinese cousin (C. grandiflora) and the cultivar ‘Morning Calm’. Trumpetvine climbs and […]
Posted in Campsis grandifolia 'Morning Calm', plant nutrition, Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Vine, winter hardiness Comments Off on ‘Morning Calm’ Trumpet VineA Canna Lily Revival
Posted by Hugh on July 30th, 2011
Depending on where you garden, Canna lily (Canna spp.) is a tropical-looking, herbaceous annual or perennial. Its colorful foliage and long blooming time leaves a huge visual impact. Canna is not reliably winter hardy in the Southern Appalachian region (USDA hardiness zones 6 and 7). […]
Posted in Canna lily, Canna lily, Fertilizing plants, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Uncategorized, Virus diseases, water garden maintenance, watering tips, winter hardiness, winter injury Comments Off on A Canna Lily RevivalTorch Lily Has Long Bloom Life
Posted by Hugh on July 23rd, 2011
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 […]
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 Seasons
