These eight (8) shrubs amaze me by the numbers of bees and other pollinators that their flowers attract when blooming. Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica) is an erect, rounded, broad-spreading, deciduous shrub with arching branches. Itea grows 3-4 feet (less frequently to 5 feet) tall with similar spread. Fragrant, tiny white flowers borne in cylindrical, drooping racemes […]
Archive for the ‘Soil drainage’ Category
Favorite Native Shrub Pollinators
Posted by Hugh on July 21st, 2020
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Autumn foliage color, Autumn Fruiting, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Blue mist (Caryopteris), Bottlebrush buckeye, Chokeberry (Aronia), Container garden, Deciduous, Deer resistant, Drought tolerant, Elderberry (Sambucus), Environmental issues, Fertilizing plants, Fothergilla, Landscape ideas, Large shrub, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (dividing), Propagation (layering), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Summersweet (Clethra), Trees & Shrubs, Virginia sweetspire, Wildlife attractant, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness, Witchhazel (Hamamelis) 
Comments Off on Favorite Native Shrub PollinatorsIndian Pinks Generate Garden Fireworks
Posted by Hugh on July 11th, 2020
Indian Pinks Generate Garden Fireworks Indian pink (Spigelia marilandica) is a strikingly beautiful native wildflower native to the Southern Appalachian region. However, this perennial grows well in most parts of the country (Zones (5b)6-9). Plants emerge quite late in the spring. Sometime in June, depending on locality, their bright red tubular flowers flare open, crowned […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bees and other pollinators, Container garden, deadheading, Deciduous, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Hummingbird, Indian pink (Spigelia), Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, Wildlife attractant, winter hardiness Comments Off on Indian Pinks Generate Garden FireworksAttracting Hummingbirds
Posted by Hugh on July 6th, 2020
This time of year many gardeners are setting out bird feeders, including those filled with a sugar solution to encourage hummingbirds to visit your garden. Unfortunately, the sugary drink will also attracts numerous ants, bees, and wasps. When warm spring and summer weather arrives, the solution clouds up with bacteria which ferments or perhaps fatal […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Annuals, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Butterflies, Container garden, Daylilies, Disease resistant, Environmental issues, Fall Garden Interest, Foxglove (Digitalis), Honey bees, Honeysuckle (Lonicera), Landscape ideas, Lantana, Liatris, Lobelia (cardnial flower), Monarda (Beebalm), Native Plant, Native Plant, Native wildflowers, Nepeta (catmint), Penstemon, Perennials, Phlox, Purchasing Plants, Rhododendrons, Sage (Salvia), Salvia, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Summer phlox (P. paniculata), Trees & Shrubs, Vine, Weigela, Wildlife attractant Comments Off on Attracting HummingbirdsCompass Plant – Prairie Giant
Posted by Hugh on June 26th, 2020
Compass Plant (Silphium laciniatum) are impressive prairie plants that look like – but are not – sunflowers. Native to the central U.S. (USDA hardiness zones 3 to 8), these sturdy prairie giants grow upwards of 5-8 feet in height (1.5 – 3 feet wide) on stiff, hairy, resinous stems. The group (Silphiums) are also called […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Compass Plant (Silphium), Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Uncategorized, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Compass Plant – Prairie GiantGaura (Wand Flower)
Posted by Hugh on June 21st, 2020
Gaura (Gaura lindheimeri), also known as wand flower, whirling butterfly, and bee blossom (Gaura lindheimeri) is one tough perennial that blooms through the summer into fall. Gaura is native to Texas and Louisana and is hardy to USDA plant zones (5)6-9. It lives many years in hot humid climates and requires very little care after […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, Container garden, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Gaura, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Perennials, Propagation (dividing), Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Gaura (Wand Flower)Four Landscape Shrubs That Are Early Summer Stars
Posted by Hugh on June 16th, 2020
Bottlebrush buckeye (Aesculus parviflora) is one of our finest early summer native flowering shrubs for sun or shady sites. It is a dense, mounded, suckering, deciduous, multi-stemmed shrub which grows 6-12 feet tall and 15-18 feet spread. It flaunts unique palmate green leaves (5-7 leaflets) and white 10-12 inch tall floral candles. The dynamic bottlebrush […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Bottlebrush buckeye, Butterflies, Buttonbush (Cephalanthus), compact shrub, Container growing, container shrub, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Flowering shrub, Heat Tolerance, Hummingbird, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (dividing), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Root suckering, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Summersweet (Clethra), Trees & Shrubs, Vitex (Chaste tree), Wildlife attractant, winter hardiness Comments Off on Four Landscape Shrubs That Are Early Summer StarsQueen Of The Prairie Or Meadowsweet
Posted by Hugh on June 6th, 2020
Q “Tall and pretty spectacular” very much describes Queen of the prairie (Filipendula rubra) (USDA hardiness zones 3 to 8). Twelve species comprise this genus of U.S. perennials (USDA hardiness zones 3-8). Best known species are meadowsweet (F. ulmaria).dropwort (F. vulgaris), both native to Europe, and queen-of-the-forest (F. occidentalis) and queen-of-the-prairie (F. rubra), both native […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aggressive grower, alkaline soil, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, Deciduous, Disease resistant, Filipendula, Flower Arranging, Foliage plant, Fragrant, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, mulching trees, Native Plant, Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Powdery mildew, Propagation (dividing), Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Rust diseases, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Queen Of The Prairie Or MeadowsweetGarden Phlox Attract Pollinators
Posted by Hugh on May 21st, 2020
Phlox (Phlox spp.) are popular perennials that are also U.S. natives. A multitude of species and hybrids are available to landscapers and gardeners for almost any type of garden environment, including containers. Here is a list of the intermediate garden species: Border phlox (Phlox paniculata), Meadow phlox (P. maculata), Carolina phlox (P. carolina), Smooth phlox […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Butterflies, Container garden, deadheading, Disease prone, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Perennials, Phlox, Planting tips, Powdery mildew, Propagation (Cuttings), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Summer phlox (P. paniculata), Weed control, winter hardiness Comments Off on Garden Phlox Attract PollinatorsCalibrachoas (Million Bells*)
Posted by Hugh on May 16th, 2020
Gardeners have discovered Million Bells* (Calibrachoa x hybrida), a small flowering cousin of the petunia. Million Bells are prolific bloomers and produce one-inch mini-blossoms. They were first marketed to home gardeners in the 1990’s. They’re native to Peru, Brazil, and Chile, and are commonly grown as annuals in the U.S. Over the past twenty years […]
Posted in acidic soil, Annuals, Autumn flowering, Bees and other pollinators, Calibrachoa (Million bells), Chlorosis (yellowing), compost, Container garden, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Flower arrangments, Hummingbird, Landscape ideas, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Calibrachoas (Million Bells*)The Mountain Mints – The Pollinators’ Favorite
Posted by Hugh on May 11th, 2020
Mountain mints (Pycnanthemum spp.) are clump-forming native perennials. They typically grow 1-3 feet tall depending on species (USDA hardiness zones 4 – 8). About 20 species of mountain mints are found in the southeastern U.S. As their name suggests, they belong to the mint family, very evident by their square stems and aromatic leaves when […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Butterflies, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fragrant, Garden ecology, Ground nesting bees, Heat Tolerance, Honey bees, Landscape ideas, Mountain mints (Pycnanthemum), Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (dividing), Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Uncategorized, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on The Mountain Mints – The Pollinators’ Favorite
