If you live in zone 7 and points southward, you are likely growing crape myrtles (Lagerstroemia indica x fauriei). Additional hybrid cultivars (varieties) are hardy in zone 6. Crape myrtles are loved for their spectacular summer flowers, colorful fall foliage, and exquisite peeling bark over trunks and branches. Cultivars range in size from dwarf selections […]
Archive for the ‘Garden Problems’ Category
Landscape Ideas Using Crape Myrtles
Posted by Hugh on April 10th, 2018
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Breeding Plants, Butterflies, compact shrub, Container garden, Container growing, container shrub, Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia), Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, Medium sized Tree, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, winter hardiness 
Comments Off on Landscape Ideas Using Crape MyrtlesBugleweed (Ajuga) Groundcover
Posted by Hugh on April 3rd, 2018
Bugleweed, aka carpetweed (Ajuga reptans), is low-growing semi-evergreen groundcover that offers almost year-round appeal (USDA hardiness zones 3-9). It develops a low prostrate habit and spreads by runners that root into the soil. Attractive vertical spikes of flowers arise in mid- to late- spring. Cultivars abound with multi-colored flowers. Foliage variants range from light green, […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Bugleweed (Ajuga), compost, Container garden, Container growing, Disease resistant, Fertilizing, Fertilizing plants, Ground cover, Heat Tolerance, Invasive species, Landscape ideas, Mowing, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (dividing), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Bugleweed (Ajuga) GroundcoverPest Alert -Laurel Wilt Disease
Posted by Hugh on April 1st, 2018
Laurel wilt (Raffaelea lauricola) is an invasive deadly vascular wilt disease of red bay laurel and other trees in the Lauraceae family. The fungal disease is carried from tree to tree by a small beetle called the redbay ambrosia beetle (Xyleborus glabratus). This Ambrosia beetle bores into the wood and the fungus disease infects the […]
Posted in acidic soil, Ambrosia beetle, Environmental issues, Garden ecology, Garden Problems, Insect (Pest) Problems, Landscape ideas, Laurel Wilt disease, Magnolia virginiana, Mountain laurel (Kalmia), Native Plant, Pesticide recommendations, Pests, Planting tips, Purchasing Plants, Rhododendrons, Sassafras albidum, Southern Appalachian Region, Spicebush (Lindera) Comments Off on Pest Alert -Laurel Wilt DiseaseFour Large Street Trees With A Narrow Vertical Look
Posted by Hugh on March 26th, 2018
There is an old saying that they’re not making more land. This is particularly true in urban downtown areas where room to grow street trees is very limited. Here are four tall trees that also have a striking vertical accent. Their branching is upright. Because of their tall stature, they are particularly suitable planted along wide […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Autumn foliage color, Bees and other pollinators, Deer resistant, Dioecious, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Ginkgo biloba, Landscape ideas, Large Shade trees, mulching, mulching trees, Native Plant, Oaks (Quercus spp.), Ornamental fruit, Planting tips, Propagation(grafting), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Street tree, Sweetgum (Liquidambar), Trees & Shrubs, Tulip tree (Liriodendron), watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Four Large Street Trees With A Narrow Vertical LookFavorites For The Shade
Posted by Hugh on March 23rd, 2018
Here are ten of my favorite perennial plants for shady areas (USDA hardiness zones 4-7). All prosper in 1-2 hours of early morning sunlight and in humus-rich, moist, well-drained soil. Mulch to conserve moisture and suppress weeds. Hosta – unquestionably the shade favorite of U.S. gardeners. A low maintenance plant that returns every spring with lush […]
Posted in acidic soil, Astilbe (false spirea), Attracting Butterflies, Autumn fern (Dryopteris), Barrenwort (Epimedium), Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Bleeding Hearts (Dicentra), Brunnera 'Jack Frost', Bugbane (Actae), Container garden, Cranesbill (Geranium), deadheading, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fall Garden Interest, Ferns, Fragrant, Ground cover, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Solomon's seal, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Tiarella (foam flower), watering iris, winter hardiness Comments Off on Favorites For The ShadeWoody Trees and Shrubs That Bees Like Most and Least*
Posted by Hugh on March 20th, 2018
Recently, I saw this listing of woody trees and shrubs that are good pollinators. I grow a number of these great plants in my garden and will vouch for the accuracy of this list. The source is HRI Research and data was collected in the Ohio Valley region of the U.S. (includes Tennessee, Kentucky, southern Indiana and […]
Posted in Autumnalis flowering cherry, Bee Bee Tree (Tetradium), Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Bigleaf hydrangea (H. macrophylla), Black gum (Nyssa), Bumble bees, Buttonbush (Cephalanthus), Cherry Laurel (Prunus), Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas), Crabapple, Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia), Deciduous Azaleas, Deutzia, Firethorn (Pyracantha), Flowers, Fothergilla, Golden Raintree, Honeysuckle (Lonicera), Hornbeam (Carpinus), Hydrangea, Hydrangeas, Ilex (hollies), Lilac (Syringa), Linden (Tilia), Native Plant, Ninebark, Ornamental cherry (Prunus), Panicle hydrangea, Pollination needs, Pyracantha (firethorn), Redbud, Roses, Seven son flower (Heptacodium), Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summersweet (Clethra), Trees & Shrubs, Uncategorized, Viburnums, Vitex (Chaste tree), winter hardiness, Yellowwood Comments Off on Woody Trees and Shrubs That Bees Like Most and Least*Native Serviceberry
Posted by Hugh on March 17th, 2018
Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea) is a medium-sized native tree. Its native range stretches from Ontario to the Gulf Coast (USDA hardiness zones 4-9). However, it performs well across the Western and Central U.S. Serviceberry is regionally known by many names, including shadbush, shadblow, sarvisberry, sarvis tree, and Juneberry. The latter refers to the small greenish-blue, ripening […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, Cold tolerance, Container garden, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Propagation(grafting), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Serviceberry (Amelanchier), Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Winter bark, Winter flowering, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness Comments Off on Native ServiceberryJazz Up Shady Garden Areas
Posted by Hugh on March 14th, 2018
From brilliant green to rich gold hues, fabulous foliage and flowers can wake up any dark or colorless, shade area. See below a list of great plants that wake up a blah area of your shade garden. Plant list is suitable for gardens in plant hardiness zones 5-8. Exciting colorful and/or tropical-like foliage or showy flowers. Hostas, […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aralia 'Sun King', Autumn fern (Dryopteris), Bees and other pollinators, Bleeding Hearts (Dicentra), Boxwood (Buxus), Brunnera 'Jack Frost', Carex (Sedges), Container garden, Disease resistant, Doghobble (Leucothoe), Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Hakone grass, Heat Tolerance, Heuchera (coralbells), Heucherella (foamy bells), Hosta, Landscape ideas, Ligularias, Liriope, Mayapple (Podophyllum), mulching, Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Pulmonaria, Purchasing Plants, Rodgersia, Sacred Lily (Rohdea), Sedges (Carex), Shade Gardening, Soil drainage, Solomon's seal, Southern Appalachian Region, Spurge (Euphorbia), St. John's Wort (Hypericum), Summer heat tolerant, Sweet flag (Acorus), Tiarella (foam flower), Variegated Solomon Seal, watering tips Comments Off on Jazz Up Shady Garden AreasTips On Repotting Container Plants
Posted by Hugh on March 7th, 2018
Eventually, all potted plants outgrow their containers. This includes potted roses, Japanese maples and other small trees, shrubs, dwarf conifers, elephant ears (Colocasia, Alocasia), cannas, lotus, papyrus, and lots more. A rule of thumb is to transplant every 2 years in early spring before bud break. In the case of perennials and tropicals, this is a good […]
Posted in Alocasia, Banana (Musa spp.), Canna lily, Canna lily, Colocasia, compact shrub, compact tree, compost, Container garden, Container growing, container shrub, Deciduous conifer, Disease resistant, Downy mildew, DWARF CONIFERS, Evergreen, Fertilizing plants, Flowers, Foliage plant, Heat Tolerance, Hybrid teas, Japanese maple, Landscape ideas, Overcrowding, Papyrus, Perennials, Planting tips, Potting Mix, Propagation (dividing), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Repotting plants, root injury, Root rotting, Roses, Rust diseases, shrub roses, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Staking, Summer heat tolerant, Tapioca plant (Manihot), Trees & Shrubs, Tropical Waterlilies (Nymphaea), watering tips, winter hardiness, winter injury, Winter Protection Comments Off on Tips On Repotting Container PlantsWhy No Fruit On My Tree?
Posted by Hugh on March 1st, 2018
Why trees fail to bear fruit or only produce fruit every other year? There are 8 common reasons: Excessive Tree Vigor – Primary cause is over-fertilizing and/or over-pruning fruit trees. Heavy applications of nitrogen will stimulate excessive growth at the expense of flower production. A nearby fertilized lawn may supply too much nitrogen to adjacent fruit […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aggressive grower, Apple tree, Asian Pears, Bees and other pollinators, Biennial bearing, Cherries, Dwarf rootstocks, Edible fruits, Fertilizing plants, Fruits & Vegetables, Insect (Pest) Problems, Landscape ideas, Peach, Pear (Pyrus spp.), Pesticide recommendations, plant nutrition, Planting tips, Plum, Pollination needs, Pruning, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on Why No Fruit On My Tree?
