Some flowering bulbs, corms, and tubers are early-bloomers. With the start of calendar year January 2026, several days in the 50’s and 60’s have been forecasted. In our garden, flowers of three perennials are beginning to poke through the soil. That’s besides the early daffodils which are always early-risers but hold off blooming until late […]
Archive for the ‘Hellebores’ Category
Early Risers In The New Year Garden
Posted by Hugh on January 2nd, 2026
Posted in acidic soil, Bees and other pollinators, Deciduous, Deer resistant, Drought tolerant, Evergreen, Flower arrangments, Galanthus (snowdrops), Ground cover, Hellebores, Lenten rose (Hellebore), mulching, Non-native, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Winter aconite (Eranthis), Winter flowering, winter hardiness 
Comments Off on Early Risers In The New Year GardenPlanting Under Trees
Posted by Hugh on November 7th, 2023
Here is an idea that I picked up at Chanticleer Gardens in Wayne, Pennsylvania and pollinators will also love you for it. When planting a deciduous tree, make good use of the ground area beneath the tree by planting shade tolerant ground covers. Evergreen trees don’t work here. You can also create a beautiful planting […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Barrenwort (Epimedium), Bees and other pollinators, Brunnera 'Jack Frost', Carex (Sedges), Cranesbill (Geranium), Dead nettle (Lamium), Deciduous, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Ferns, Ground cover, Hakone grass, Hellebores, Heuchera (coralbells), Heucherella (foamy bells), Hosta, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Pulmonaria, Purchasing Plants, Sedum (Groundcover types), Shade Gardening, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Sweet flag (Acorus), Tiarella (foam flower), Trout lily (Erythronium), Twinleaf (Jeffersonia), Virginia bluebell (Mertensia), watering tips, Winter aconite (Eranthis) Comments Off on Planting Under TreesEleven Popular Perennials In The U.S.
Posted by Hugh on February 6th, 2022
Today’s most popular perennials are ones asking for low maintenance and have few to no bug or disease problems. Cutflowers may be used in fresh cut and in dried arrangements. Coneflowers (Echinacea x) – native coneflowers are tough and pretty; flower colors: purple, white, orange, red, yellow. Compact coneflower series (16 to 30 inches tall): […]
Posted in acidic soil, Black eyed Susan (Rudbeckia), Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Daylilies, deadheading, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Hellebores, Hosta, Monarda (Beebalm), mulching, Peony, Perennials, Phlox, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (dividing), Pruning, Red hot Poker (Kniphofia), Shasta daisy (Leucanthemum), Summer phlox (P. paniculata), watering tips, Wildlife attractant, winter hardiness Comments Off on Eleven Popular Perennials In The U.S.Deer Resistant Perennials
Posted by Hugh on August 11th, 2021
Most deer-resistant plants share several traits or characteristics: 1. Aromatic flowers / foliage; 2. thorny, bristly, or hairy (pubescent) leaves or stems; 3. toxic plants. If “deer pressure” (population) is exceptionally high, deer don’t heed plant lists like this one. Available food resources, species of deer, seasonal weather are all factors. Flowers, foliage, fruits, and […]
Posted in acidic soil, Amsonia (blue star), Artemisia, Aster, Astilbe (false spirea), Attracting Butterflies, Autumn fern (Dryopteris), Baptisia (wild indigo), Barrenwort (Epimedium), Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Blazing star (Liatris), Bleeding Hearts (Dicentra), Brunnera 'Jack Frost', Bugleweed (Ajuga), Butterfly weed (Asclepias), Calamagrostis, Calamint, Columbine (Aquilegia), Compass Plant (Silphium), Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Coreopsis, Coreopsis 'Gold Standard, Cranesbill (Geranium), Crocosmia (Montbretia), Deciduous, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Echinops (Globe thistles), Eupatorium 'Gateway', Evening primrose (Oenothera), Filipendula, Flower Arranging, Foxglove (Digitalis), Gaura, Goldenrod (Solidago), Hellebores, Iris (Tall bearded), Landscape ideas, Lavender (Lavandula), Liatris, Ligularias, Liriope, Monarda (Beebalm), mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Nepeta (catmint), Ostrich fern (Matteuccia), Pennisetum spp., Penstemon, Peony, Perennials, Pests, Planting tips, Platycodon (Balloon flower), Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (dividing), Purchasing Plants, Rodgersia, Rosemary, Rosinweed (Silphinum), Rudbeckia 'Herbstonne', Russian sage (Perovskia), Shade Gardening, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Tennessee Coneflower, White Wood Aster (Eurybia) Comments Off on Deer Resistant PerennialsMarginal Plants For Wet Areas
Posted by Hugh on August 16th, 2020
Most perennials demand well-drained soil. They perform poorly or die out when in ground that is constantly wet and soggy. However, a small number of perennials tolerate and even thrive in moist soils. Most plants listed here are all hardy within zones 5-8, and grow best in moist, humus-rich, well-drained soil. Most are okay getting their feet (roots and crown) wet for […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Baneberry (Actaea), Bayberry (Myrica), Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Bin bluestem (Andropogon), Birch (Betula spp.), Brunnera 'Jack Frost', Butterflies, Calamagrostis, Canna lily, Carex (Sedges), Container garden, Cornus sanguinea, Cornus sericea, Dawn redwood (Metasequoia), Deciduous, Eupatorium 'Gateway', Eupatorium rugosum 'Chocolate', Farfugium, Ferns, Filipendula, Ground cover, Hakone grass, Hardy begonia (B. grandis), Hellebores, Hibiscus coccineus, Hibiscus moscheutos, Hosta, Hummingbird, Hydrangea arborescens, Ilex (hollies), Iris, Kerria, Landscape ideas, Lobelia (cardnial flower), Magnolia virginiana, Maidenhair fern (Adiantum), Milkweeds (Asclepias), Muhly grass, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Nepeta (catmint), Northern sea oats (Chasmanthium), Obedient plant (Physotegia), Ornamental Grasses, Papyrus, Perennials, Planting tips, Purchasing Plants, river birch, Rodgersia, Sedges (Carex), Shade Gardening, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Summersweet (Clethra), Switchgrass (Panicum), Toadlily (Tricyrtis), Tradescantia (Spiderwort), Trees & Shrubs, Virginia sweetspire, watering tips, Weigela, Winterberry holly Comments Off on Marginal Plants For Wet AreasSix Perennials For Dry Shade
Posted by Hugh on March 6th, 2020
Many of the following perennials tolerate dry shade but flourish in moist, well-drained soil. Each typically displays the richest foliage colors with a couple of hours of direct sunlight a day. All hold up well to dry conditions and are deer and rabbit resistant. Barrenworts (aka Bishop’s cap, Fairy Wings) (Epimedium spp.) represent over 70 […]
Posted in acidic soil, Barrenwort (Epimedium), Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Bugleweed (Ajuga), Container garden, Cranesbill (Geranium), Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Evergreen, Fertilizing plants, Geranium, Ground cover, Hellebores, Landscape ideas, Lenten rose (Hellebore), Liriope, mulching, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (dividing), Purchasing Plants, Sacred Lily (Rohdea), Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Uncategorized, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Six Perennials For Dry ShadeChanging Garden Soil pH
Posted by Hugh on February 6th, 2020
In general, the garden soil pH fluctuates only slightly unless you accidentally spilled fertilizer or limestone. Soil pH is also affected by rainfall patterns, decomposing organic matter, and bacterial activity in the ground. In the eastern U.S. rain water is slightly acidic. Acid rain is the result of these pollutants (mostly sulfate and nitrate) from […]
Posted in acidic soil, acidify soil, alkaline soil, applying sulfur, Azalea (deciduous), Azaleas (evergreen), Birch (Betula spp.), Chlorosis (yellowing), Container garden, Ferns, Fertilizing, Hellebores, Hydrangeas, Landscape Construction, Landscape ideas, Mountain laurel (Kalmia), mulching, Perennials, pin oak, Planting tips, Purchasing Plants, Rhododendrons, river birch, Soil pH, Soil Testing, Trees & Shrubs, Uncategorized Comments Off on Changing Garden Soil pHTen Stars Of The Winter Landscape
Posted by Hugh on January 21st, 2020
Here are 10 reliable plants that shine in my Tennessee garden (Zone 6-b) during the winter season: Witchhazels (Hamamelis spp.) –two species bloom in winter: (a). Vernal witchhazel (H. vernalis) blooms in mid- to late- January (zones 4-8). (b). Chinese witchhazel hybrids (H. x intermedia) dominate the month of February into March. – deciduous, large […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bees and other pollinators, compact shrub, Container garden, Container growing, container shrub, Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas), Cornus officinalis, Daphne odora, Disease resistant, Edgeworthia, Fertilizing plants, Flowering, Fragrant, Hellebores, Honeysuckle (Lonicera), Jessamine (Gelsemium), mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (Seed), Shade Gardening, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Viburnum x bodnantense, Viburnums, Winter blooming, Winter flowering, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness, Wintersweet (Chimonanthus), Witchhazel (Hamamelis) Comments Off on Ten Stars Of The Winter LandscapeFall Garden Chores
Posted by Hugh on September 21st, 2019
Fall is the perfect time to take on a few of the many spring garden chores. Here is a list of ten of the most important tasks: Weeding– get rid of newly emerging winter annual weeds now before they flower and set seeds. Perennial weeds such as dandelions, plantains, and thistles can be sprayed and eliminated in the […]
Posted in acidify soil, Attracting birds, Azaleas (evergreen), Bees and other pollinators, Bulb Crops, Camellia, Common witchhazel (H. virginiana), compost, deadheading, Deer resistant, Edgeworthia, Fall Garden Interest, Flowering Bulb, Green Recycling, Hellebores, Hyacinth, Landscape Construction, Landscape ideas, lenten rose, Lenten rose (Hellebore), mulching, Ornamental Grasses, Planting tips, Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Rabbit/deer Protection, Southern Appalachian Region, Trees & Shrubs, Tulips, Violas, watering tips, Winter Protection, Winterhazels (Corylopsis), Witchhazel (Hamamelis) Comments Off on Fall Garden ChoresFifteen Garden Perennials Which You Can’t Kill (Or Almost)
Posted by Hugh on February 26th, 2018
Here is a list of flowering perennials that need little care after planting. Ornamental grasses and ferns are not listed here. One steadfast rule that you must follow if this group of plants are to work for you: “choose the right plant for the right site”. Shady plants in full sun and terrestrial plants in swampy ground […]
Posted in acidic soil, Astilbe (false spirea), Baptisia (wild indigo), Barrenwort (Epimedium), Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Container growing, Coreopsis, Cranesbill (Geranium), Daylilies, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Ground cover, Heat Tolerance, Hellebores, Italian arum, Landscape ideas, Liriope, mulching, Native Plant, Nepeta (catmint), Ornamental Grasses, Peony, Perennials, Planting tips, Purchasing Plants, Russian sage (Perovskia), Siberian iris (I. sibirica), Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Stonecrop sedums, Summer flowering, Variegated Solomon Seal, watering tips, Winter flowering, winter hardiness Comments Off on Fifteen Garden Perennials Which You Can’t Kill (Or Almost)
