Archive for the ‘Winter Protection’ Category

Recycle Live Christmas Trees

The holidays are over. This year take your live Christmas tree to a designated location to be recycled. Many cities and towns collect trees which are chipped into mulch. The mulch is spread around municipal park trees and street trees.  It is utilized for erosion management along stream banks and on steep slopes. Mulch is also distributed to gardeners in the spring. Communities pile […]

Hardy Forms of Deodara Cedar

I am surprised by the increasing numbers of deodara cedars (Cedrus deodara) that are prospering in Zones 6-b and 7 gardens. Apparently, deodara cedars are much hardier than once thought. The buzz at a recent American Conifer Regional meeting is these varieties list here are worthy of planting: Tree forms: ‘Karl Fuchs’ ‘Shalimar’ ‘Eisregen’ ‘Eiswinter’ ‘Polar […]

Growing Hardy Camellias

Growing camellias in Tennessee is no longer a dream. Through the efforts of several plant breeders, particularly Dr. William L. Ackerman of the U.S. National Arboretum (retired) and Dr. Clifford Parks of Camellia Forest Nursery, as many as 40 cultivars of winter hardy camellias to -15 °F are now available in nursery commerce. Flower colors […]