Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergeri capillaris) grows 3-4 feet with blemish-free green foliage all summer long. By early fall, its bright colored floral seed heads (inflorescenses) are showing up, which gives Muhly its decorative look. ‘Pink Muhly’ tends to grow floppy and struts pink-hued inflorescenses that shimmer in a breeze. ‘White Cloud’ is a white flowering form […]
Archive for the ‘Perennials’ Category
Fall Color Of Ornamental Grasses
Posted by Hugh on September 21st, 2020
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Bin bluestem (Andropogon), Calamagrostis, Container garden, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Flower arrangments, Fountain Grass (Pennisetum), Landscape ideas, Muhly grass, Native Plant, Ornamental Grasses, Pennisetum spp., Perennials, Planting tips, Prairie dropseed (Sporobolus), Propagation (dividing), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Switchgrass (Panicum) 
Comments Off on Fall Color Of Ornamental GrassesPerennials With Great Autumn Foliage
Posted by Hugh on August 21st, 2020
Bloody cranesbill (Geranium sanguineum) – short 9-12 inches high clump forming groundcover that bears purple flowers in May-June. Its deeply cut foliage green leaves turn shades of red after first frost. (Zones 3-8). Red leaf mukdenia (Mukdenia rossii) – fanned, maple-like leaves emerge bright green in spring, age to bronze-green in summer, and finish green […]
Posted in acidic soil, Amsonia (blue star), Attracting birds, Autumn fern (Dryopteris), Autumn flowering, Bees and other pollinators, Bin bluestem (Andropogon), Calamagrostis, compost, Disease resistant, Environmental Conservation, Fall Garden Interest, Ferns, Flower Arranging, Honey bees, Landscape ideas, Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium), mulching, Native Plant, Ornamental Grasses, Pennisetum spp., Perennials, Planting tips, Plumbago (Leadwort), Propagation (dividing), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Solomon's seal, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Switchgrass (Panicum), Wildlife attractant, winter hardiness Comments Off on Perennials With Great Autumn FoliageMarginal 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 Architecturally Tall Perennials
Posted by Hugh on August 11th, 2020
Here are six showy architectural gems to grow in your garden. All six are “big guys” and are valued for their bold presence, disease-free foliage, and their attractive flowers, that are also great pollinators. Queen of the Prairie (Filipendula rubra) is a U.S. native perennial that mimics an astilbe on steroids. This tall, upright, clump-forming […]
Posted in acidic soil, Annual rudbeckia (R. hirta), Annuals, Biennial, Butterflies, Compass Plant (Silphium), compost, Container garden, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Environmental Conservation, Fall sunflower (Helianthus spp.), Fennel (Foeniculum), Fertilizing plants, Filipendula, Fragrant, Heat Tolerance, Hibiscus coccineus, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Rosinweed (Silphinum), Rudbeckia 'Herbstonne', Soil Conservation, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Staking, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Transplant problem Comments Off on Six Architecturally Tall PerennialsCelebrate Summerific® Rose Mallow (Hibiscus) Week
Posted by Hugh on August 6th, 2020
Perennial hibiscus (Hibiscus moscheutos) is commonly known as rose mallow or dinner plate size hibiscus. Blooms measure a huge 7-9 inches across. Plants are exceptionally hardy, and can withstand winters as cold as zone 4 (-20°F to -30°F) in Minnesota (zone 4) and the heat of zone 9 (20°F -30°F) in Florida. Each flower lasts […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Breeding Plants, Container garden, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Hibiscus (mallow) sawfly, Hibiscus moscheutos, Hummingbird, Japanese beetles, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Celebrate Summerific® Rose Mallow (Hibiscus) WeekSeven Late Summer Perennial Gems
Posted by Hugh on August 1st, 2020
The following seven (7) perennials provide gorgeous floral color in mixed perennial beds in late summer and into fall. Flowers attract pollinators, including lots of bees, butterflies, and an occasional hummingbird. ‘Blue Fortune’ Giant Hyssop (Agastache x ‘Blue Fortune’) offers lavender-blue flowers during a long hot summer extending into early fall. Leaves emit a minty-anise […]
Posted in acidic soil, Agastache (Hyssop), Aster, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Butterflies, Chrysanthemum, compost, Container garden, Culinary, deadheading, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fall Garden Interest, Fragrant, Ground cover, Heuchera (coralbells), Hummingbird, Landscape Construction, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Plumbago (Leadwort), Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Russian sage (Perovskia), Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Symphyotrichum (asster), Turtlehead (Chelone), watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Seven Late Summer Perennial GemsBeebalm (Monarda) Varieties Attract Hummingbirds, Butterflies And Moths
Posted by Hugh on July 16th, 2020
In 2016 Mt. Cuba Center in Greenville DE enlisted a team of trained volunteers to monitor the visitation of hummingbirds, moths, and butterflies in the 40 cultivar beebalm (Monarda) trial. Their goal was to systematically observe and note the cultivars that were most frequently visited by these pollinators. Below is a listing of the five […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, compost, Container garden, deadheading, Deciduous, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Downy mildew, Flower arrangments, Heat Tolerance, Hummingbird, Landscape ideas, Monarda (Beebalm), mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Powdery mildew, Purchasing Plants, Re-Bloomers, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering Comments Off on Beebalm (Monarda) Varieties Attract Hummingbirds, Butterflies And MothsIndian 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 HummingbirdsTorch Lilies (Kniphofia)
Posted by Hugh on July 1st, 2020
Torch lilies (Kniphofia spp.) are easy to grow long-lived perennials from South Africa that are remarkably (USDA hardiness zones 5-9). They go by a number of common names including red hot poker and tritoma. The colorful floral spikes (and a little imagination) resemble fiery torches or sizzling pokers, visited often by hummingbirds, bees and butterflies. […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, deadheading, Deciduous, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Flower Arranging, Flower arrangments, Hummingbird, Landscape ideas, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Red hot Poker (Kniphofia), Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Torch lily (red hot poker), watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Torch Lilies (Kniphofia)
