Take an inventory of your gardening time, talley up of costs, and develop a plan how to make your garden space more beautiful with less work and cost to you. Plant Smarter Simplify! For example, in my zone 6 garden, bigleaf hydrangeas disappoint tow out of three years and they’re water hogs in the summer. Smooth (AG) hydrangeas (like […]
Archive for the ‘Perennials’ Category
Steps To Making Gardening Easier
Posted by Hugh on December 30th, 2017
Posted in Annuals, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Bulb Crops, compost, Container garden, Crop rotation, Deer resistant, Fertilizing plants, Flowers, Garden Maintenance, Garden Tools, Globe amaranth (Gomphrena), Landscape Construction, Landscape ideas, mulching, mulching trees, Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Raised bed Gardening, Scaevola, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Trees & Shrubs, Uncategorized, watering tips, Winter flowering, winter hardiness 
Comments Off on Steps To Making Gardening EasierThe Great Little Bluestems*
Posted by Hugh on November 12th, 2017
Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) is an attractive prairie grass native in southeastern or southwestern areas of the U.S. It is exceptionally hardy (USDA hardiness zones 3-9). Heights of the species (including inflorescences) vary from 2 – 2.5 feet tall and many cultivars grow 3-4 feet tall. Its late summer to fall foliage is a kaleidoscope of pastel […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, Container garden, deadheading, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Landscape ideas, Little Bluestem, Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium), Native Plant, Ornamental Grasses, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil Conservation, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, Wildlife attractant, winter hardiness Comments Off on The Great Little Bluestems*Fall Trimming Of Perennials
Posted by Hugh on October 23rd, 2017
You do not need to cut perennials back in the fall, but many gardeners do so as part of the garden cleanup. Don’t rush the job. Leaves of many perennial plants continue to produce and store carbohydrates in crowns and roots until they go fully dormant. Wait until after the first hard frost or until […]
Posted in acidic soil, Artemisia, Aster, Attracting birds, Bees and other pollinators, Black eyed Susan (Rudbeckia), Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), deadheading, Drought tolerant, Echinops (Globe thistles), Fall Garden Interest, Hellebores, Landscape ideas, Lavender (Lavandula), Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium), mulching, Ornamental fruit, Ornamental Grasses, Perennials, Planting tips, Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Russian sage (Perovskia), Sedum (Groundcover types), Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Stonecrop sedums, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, winter hardiness Comments Off on Fall Trimming Of PerennialsPlanting A Rock
Posted by Hugh on October 17th, 2017
A well placed landscape rock or boulder is a perfect garden feature. Planted properly, the boulder appears to emerge naturally from the bowels of the earth. The crowning achievement is when mosses and lichens find a home in its crevices or when vines crawl over them. Boulders may exhibit seams of color(s), deep crevices, and/or have jagged or rounded edges. Is […]
Posted in Cranesbill (Geranium), Ferns, Flowering Bulb, Flowers, Heuchera (coralbells), Landscape Construction, Landscape ideas, Pansies, Perennials, Planting tips, Purchasing Plants, Sedges (Carex), Sedum, Sedum (Groundcover types), Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering bulbs, Violas Comments Off on Planting A RockWinter Planting –Why Not!
Posted by Hugh on September 27th, 2017
For those who live in northern regions where winters are cold and snowy (USDA hardiness zones 3-6), many (not all) gardeners can still plant many kinds of trees, shrubs and perennials in late fall and winter if the ground is not frozen. Deciduous plants are in their natural period of rest or dormancy. This does not include evergreen trees […]
Posted in Garden Maintenance, Landscape Construction, Landscape ideas, Perennials, Planting tips, Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Street tree, Trees & Shrubs, Uncategorized, watering tips, winter hardiness, winter injury, Winter Protection Comments Off on Winter Planting –Why Not!Robb’s Spurge (Euphorbia)
Posted by Hugh on September 15th, 2017
I always been a fan of spurges, but some have not perform well in my garden. One that does not disappoint is Robb’s spurge (Euphorbia amygdaloides var. robbiae), aka “Mrs. Robb’s Bonnet”. This evergreen spurge grows equally well in either sun or shade, including dry shade (USDA hardiness zones 6-8). This carefree slowly spreading groundcover displays shiny, dark green, […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aggressive grower, alkaline soil, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Container garden, container shrub, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Garden paths, Ground cover, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, mulching, Perennials, Planting tips, Poisonous or toxic, Poisonous plant, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (dividing), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Spurge (Euphorbia), Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, Winter flowering, winter hardiness Comments Off on Robb’s Spurge (Euphorbia)Plant Late For Fall Pollinators
Posted by Hugh on September 3rd, 2017
Don’t give up gardening in the fall. Many beneficial insects depend on the terrific job that you are doing. The following is a sample listing of annuals and perennials that can employ to support pollinators in the fall. Included are many fall-blooming annuals and perennials. When designing a pollinator-friendly landscapes, include an adequate number of these fall-blooming plants […]
Posted in acidic soil, Anemone, Angelonias, Aster, Attracting Butterflies, Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Black eyed Susan (Rudbeckia), Blanket flower (Gaillardia), Butterflies, Calibrachoa (Million bells), Canna lily, Canna lily, Chrysanthemum, Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Container garden, Coreopsis, Coreopsis 'Flower Tower', Coreopsis 'Gold Standard, Coreopsis 'Last Dance', Cosmos, Dahlia, Diascias, Fall Garden Interest, Fall sunflower (Helianthus spp.), Flowers, Globe amaranth (Gomphrena), Ironweed (Vernonia), Landscape ideas, Native Plant, Ornamental Grasses, Perennials, Petunias, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Salvia, Sedum, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Sunflower (Helianthus), Sunflowers, Texas Sage (Salvia), Toadlily (Tricyrtis), Turtlehead (Chelone), watering tips Comments Off on Plant Late For Fall PollinatorsPrairie Dropseed (Sporobolus) – A Durable Ornamental Grass
Posted by Hugh on August 20th, 2017
Prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepsis) is one of the finest warm season grasses native to the Western U.S. (USDA hardiness zones 3 to 9). Initially, this clump-forming perennial grass grows at a slow to medium rate. By early summer its fine textured deep green leaves form an arching fountain habit. Prairie dropseed inhabits prairies, meadows, open […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Attracting birds, Bees and other pollinators, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Environmental Conservation, Fertilizing plants, Fragrant, Ground cover, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, Mowing, Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Prairie dropseed (Sporobolus), Propagation (dividing), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, Wildlife attractant, winter hardiness Comments Off on Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus) – A Durable Ornamental GrassBlonde Ambition® Blue Grama Grass
Posted by Hugh on August 17th, 2017
Looking for something a little different, plant Blonde Ambition® blue grama grass (Bouteloua gracilis ‘Blonde Ambition’). It was discovered and introduced by David Salman of High Country Gardens. This prairie species is native from Manitoba Canada, south through the Rocky Mountains, Great Plains, and Midwestern states, to Mexico. It is exceptionally heat and cold hardy […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Bee Favorite, Blue Grama Grass, Container garden, Container growing, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Ground cover, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, Mowing, Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Purchasing Plants, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Blonde Ambition® Blue Grama GrassAvoid Dreaded Tulip Fire Disease
Posted by Hugh on August 14th, 2017
For over a one-half century Kingwood Center in Mansfield, Ohio has been widely known for their fabulous tulip displays every spring. Over the past few years Kingwood’s garden staff had noted a decline in bloom because of a disease identified as “Tulip Fire” (Botrytis tulipae). This fungal botrytis disease tends to accumulate in the soil […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bees and other pollinators, Botrytis disease, Container garden, Crop rotation, Disease prone, Disease resistant, Environmental issues, Flowering Bulb, Hyacinth, Landscape ideas, mulching, Perennials, Pesticide recommendations, Planting tips, Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Spring flowering bulbs, Tulips, Voles Comments Off on Avoid Dreaded Tulip Fire Disease
