Some native U.S. landscape shrubs are not only great spring/summer flowering shrubs, but their fall foliage color(s) are an added attraction. Here are ten of my favorites listed alphabetically by genus: Bottlebrush Buckeye (Aesculus parvifolia) – foliage of this summer flowering shrub turns bright yellow in fall. (zones 4-8) Red Chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia) – under-planted native shrub that […]
Archive for the ‘Soil drainage’ Category
Ten Native Shrubs Possessing Great Fall Leaf Color
Posted by Hugh on October 1st, 2018
Posted in acidic soil, Arrowwood (V. dentatum), Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Autumn foliage color, Autumn Fruiting, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Blackhaw viburnum (V. prunifolium), Blueberry (Vaccinium), Bottlebrush buckeye, Chokeberry (Aronia), compost, Cranberry bush (V. trilobum), Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Flowering, Fothergilla, Fragrant, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, Large shrub, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Oakleaf hydrangea (H. quercifolia), Purchasing Plants, Soil Conservation, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Viburnum beetles, Viburnums, Virginia sweetspire, winter hardiness, Witherod (Viburnum nudum 
Comments Off on Ten Native Shrubs Possessing Great Fall Leaf ColorOsage Orange As A Landscape Tree
Posted by Hugh on September 20th, 2018
Osage orange (Maclura pomifera) has been declawed and neutered (USDA Zones 5-9). A member of the mulberry family (Moraceae), this tough prairie tree species is native to east Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. It grows fast @ 2 ½ to 3 feet per year. It is also called Bois D’Arc (pronounced “bow-dark”). Osage orange is a […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aggressive grower, alkaline soil, Attracting birds, Bees and other pollinators, Dioecious, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fall Garden Interest, Fencing, Fertilizing plants, Fruits poisonous, Heat Tolerance, Inconspicious, Landscape ideas, Medium sized Tree, Messy Fruits, mulching, Native Plant, Osage Orange (Maclura), plant nutrition, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (layering), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil Conservation, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Wildlife attractant, Wind protection, winter hardiness Comments Off on Osage Orange As A Landscape TreeFall Lawn Care Tips
Posted by Hugh on September 15th, 2018
The fall season is “spring-time” for home lawn care. This is a great opportunity to apply grass seed, fertilize, and eliminate weeds in cool season lawns. In Tennessee (USDA hardiness zones 6-7), cool season grasses (fescue, bluegrass and perennial rye) are fertilized in mid-September with a high nitrogen-based fertilizer, available at most garden centers. […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bermuda, Broadleaf weeds, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Environmental Conservation, Fertilizing, Fertilizing plants, Garden ecology, Ground cover, Heat Tolerance, Herbicide management, Irrigation, Kentucky bluegrass, Landscape ideas, Lawn Care, Mowing, Pesticide Recommendations, Pesticide recommendations, Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Red fescue, Ryegrass, seeding lawn, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Tall Fescue, watering tips, Weed control, Weed management, Weeds, winter hardiness Comments Off on Fall Lawn Care TipsSuccess In Growing Franklinia Tree
Posted by Hugh on September 10th, 2018
Franklinia (Franklinia altamaha) is a uniquely different large shrub or small tree. Great plant for the “I can grow anything crowd”. Rated hardy in USDA hardiness zones 5-8, I’ve never seen a landscape quality specimen in zone 5 and find that the tree performs best in zones 6 to 7. Success with growing franklinia hinges on […]
Posted in acidic soil, Autumn flowering, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, compact tree, compost, Environmental issues, Fall Garden Interest, Fertilizing plants, Flowering, Fragrant, Franklinia, Landscape ideas, Large shrub, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Root rotting, Small landscape tree, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Transplant problem, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Winter bark, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on Success In Growing Franklinia TreeWorking With Poorly Drained Soils
Posted by Hugh on September 8th, 2018
As a rule, yews (Taxus spp.), Japanese hollies (Ilex crenata), azaleas (Rhododendron spp.), blueberries (Vaccinium spp.), and roses (Rosa spp.) are common examples of landscape plants that fail in poorly drained soils. Holly cultivars like ‘Hoogendorn’ and ‘Soft Touch’ fair better in clay soils that most other Japanese hollies in the Southern Appalachian region (USDA hardiness […]
Posted in Azalea (deciduous), Azaleas (evergreen), Disease prone, Evergreen, Ilex (hollies), Native Plant, Rhododendrons, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, winter hardiness Comments Off on Working With Poorly Drained Soils‘Henry Eilers’ Coneflower (Rudbeckia)
Posted by Hugh on September 1st, 2018
Called “sweet coneflower” (Rudbeckia subtomentosum), this U.S. Midwest prairie species is a long-lived perennial that grows in a variety of soils (USDA hardiness zones 4-8). Sweet coneflower prefers full or partial sun (6 hours minimum) and a moist well-drained loamy soils. It is highly drought tolerant after its first year in the garden. Established plants emerge in mid-spring as a […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Autumn flowering, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Butterflies, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Fragrant, Landscape ideas, Native Plant, Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Powdery mildew, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (dividing), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, Wildlife attractant, winter hardiness Comments Off on ‘Henry Eilers’ Coneflower (Rudbeckia)Growing Morning Glories
Posted by Hugh on August 28th, 2018
Morning glory vines (Ipomoea tricolor) add a dash of old fashion charm to today’s gardens. YES! these aggressive vines demand a high degree of attention. Their funnel or tubular-shaped flowers open in the morning and close late in the afternoon. In a single growing season, vines may grow 6 to 12 feet and more (depending on variety). Morning […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aggressive grower, alkaline soil, Annuals, Bees and other pollinators, compost, Container garden, Disease resistant, Failure to Bloom, Fertilizing plants, Flowers, Landscape ideas, Morning glory (Ipomoea), mulching, Planting tips, Poisonous or toxic, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Staking, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Tropical Plants (non-hardy), Vine, watering tips, Wind protection, winter hardiness Comments Off on Growing Morning GloriesLigularias For Moist Sites
Posted by Hugh on August 20th, 2018
Ligularias (ligs) are big leafy perennials whose roots must be kept constantly moist so that plants don’t wilt or “faint”. An established plant may tolerate several days in dry soil, yet the droopy foliage will recover from the water loss each night. Several species are tropical (under the genus Farfugium). Bigleaf ligs (L. dentata) and narrow-spiked ligularias (L. stenocephala), […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Butterflies, compost, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Garden ecology, Landscape ideas, Ligularias, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Shade Gardening, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Ligularias For Moist SitesKorean Sweetheart Tree
Posted by Hugh on August 1st, 2018
The late Dr. J. C. Raulston, N.C. State University horticulture professor emeritus, discovered Korean sweetheart tree (Euscaphis japonica) in 1985 on the Korean Peninsula while participating in a U.S. National Arboretum collection expedition (USDA hardiness zones 6-8). Dr. Raulston brought seeds back to the N.C. State Arboretum for assessment and evaluation. The species common name “sweetheart […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bees and other pollinators, compost, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Landscape ideas, mulching, Ornamental fruit, Planting tips, Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Small landscape tree, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Sweetheart tree (Euscaphis), Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness Comments Off on Korean Sweetheart TreeNative Plumleaf Azalea Blooms In Late July
Posted by Hugh on July 28th, 2018
Plumleaf azalea (Rhododendron prunifolium) is a native deciduous azalea that grows in the Chattahoochee River Valley on the Georgia-Alabama line (USDA hardiness zones 6-9). It is one of the signature plants of Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Georgia. Their bright orange-red flowers surprise in late July into early Augusta and blooms may last for 2 weeks or […]
Posted in acidic soil, Azalea (deciduous), Bees and other pollinators, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Planting tips, Plumleaf azalea, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Rhododendrons, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on Native Plumleaf Azalea Blooms In Late July
