When stepping out to work in the garden, a pair of hand pruners (shears) is the first tool in my pocket or belt pouch. A good pair of pruning shears is indispensable to snip off old spent flowers and stems from perennials such as hostas, daylilies, peonies, etal; shrubs like rhododendrons, lilacs, hydrangeas; to clear […]
Archive for the ‘Perennials’ Category
My New Favorite Pruning Shears
Posted by Hugh on September 22nd, 2014
Posted in Garden Maintenance, Perennials, Pruning, Trees & Shrubs, Uncategorized 
Comments Off on My New Favorite Pruning ShearsKingwood Center In Mansfield, Ohio
Posted by Hugh on September 10th, 2014
Over the years Kingwood Center in Mansfield, Ohio (60 miles north of Columbus) has been a popular public gardens to visit. Formerly the home of Charles King, the 47 acre former estate garden has been open to the public since 1953. The former King home now houses Kingwood’s administrative offices and horticultural library. Kingwood is […]
Posted in Daylilies, Flowers, Gardens to Visit, Hosta, Interior (house) Plants, Perennials, Roses, shrub roses Comments Off on Kingwood Center In Mansfield, OhioWingstem Common Along Roadsides In Late Summer
Posted by Hugh on September 6th, 2014
In late summer several wildflowers, golden rods (Solidago spp.)and ironweeds (Vernonia spp.) to name two, start blooming along many Midwestern and Eastern U.S. roadsides. Wingstems (Verbesina alternifolia) are another 4-8 feet tall native perennial wildflower that grows nearby (USDA hardiness zones 4-7). Many people ask what they are. Sturdy stems, mostly unbranched, stand tall and […]
Posted in Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Butterflies, Perennials, Summer flowering, Wildflower, Wildflowers, Wingstem (Verbesina) Comments Off on Wingstem Common Along Roadsides In Late SummerSwamp Milkweed Is Monarch Butterfly’s Favorite
Posted by Hugh on August 29th, 2014
Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) is an erect, clump-forming, U.S. native plant indigenous to swamps, bottomlands and wet meadows (USDA hardiness zones 3 to 6). Obviously, it prefers moist soils but grows equally well in average, well-drained garden soils. Full sun is best, but copes with some light shade. As its common name indicates, it makes […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aggressive grower, Aphids, Bee Favorite, Butterflies, Butterfly weed (Asclepias), Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Flowers, Fragrant, Native Plant, Perennials, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, Wildflowers, winter hardiness Comments Off on Swamp Milkweed Is Monarch Butterfly’s FavoriteReawaken Your Garden This Fall
Posted by Hugh on August 21st, 2014
In many areas of the U.S., Labor Day traditionally signals return to school, the start of the football season, and an end to gardening for the year. Mother Nature surely did not schedule it this way. Here are ten plants (plus an extra) that are blooming in late August thru the coming weeks: Stonecrops or […]
Posted in Anemone, Aster, Autumn flowering, Autumn flowering bulbs, Fall Colchicum, Fall crocus, Fall sunflower (Helianthus spp.), Pansies, Perennials, Pesticide recommendations, Spring flowering, Toadlily (Tricyrtis), Violas, Winter flowering Comments Off on Reawaken Your Garden This FallThe Giant Or Jumbo Class Of Hostas
Posted by Hugh on August 10th, 2014
The “Giant” class of hostas is aptly named. Cultivars in this class are novelties. Their enormous leaves and plant sizes (height and spread) definitely will make a bold statement in any garden. To attain their glorious best in plant majesty and leaf size, each cultivar must have a compost-rich, moist, well-drained soil with pH between […]
Posted in Hosta, Perennials, Rabbit/deer Protection, Shade Gardening, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on The Giant Or Jumbo Class Of HostasTall Sedum – The New Mailbox Plant
Posted by Hugh on August 7th, 2014
Tall sedums (Sedum x spectabile) are a popular late summer blooming perennial often nicknamed “showy stonecrops” (USDA hardiness zones 3-9). Members of the succulent plant family, tall sedums have thick round leaves and are recognized for their drought resistance. Star shaped flowers are clustered in colors ranging from whites, pinks, and reds, depending on the […]
Posted in Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Butterflies, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Ground cover, Heat Tolerance, Perennials, Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Stonecrop sedums, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Tall Sedum – The New Mailbox PlantFour Old Fashioned Hostas Continue To Delight
Posted by Hugh on August 4th, 2014
During my annual summer travel to public gardens around the U.S., several clumps of old-timey hostas that were popular in the 1960’s and ’70’s caught my eye. These hosta beauties still own their garden place. Here are listed only four, but there are so many more. ‘Gold Standard’is an old-time favorite. In August multiple pink-lavender […]
Posted in acidic soil, acidify soil, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Hosta, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Pruning, Rabbit/deer Protection, Shade Gardening, Slugs, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Four Old Fashioned Hostas Continue To DelightHosta Award Winners
Posted by Hugh on July 26th, 2014
Without question, hostas are the most popular perennial for the shade garden. Their lovely foliage provides color, texture and architecture in their garden space from April to a hard autumn frost. They are hardy, long-lived, and relatively maintenance-free. Hostas range in size from miniature 2 to 3 inches tall types to enormous large leafy clumps […]
Posted in Fragrant, Hosta, Hummingbird, Perennials, Pests, Propagation (dividing), Rabbit/deer Protection, Slugs, Slugs, Snails, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, watering tips Comments Off on Hosta Award WinnersVersatile Long-blooming Catmints
Posted by Hugh on July 20th, 2014
Catmint (Nepeta spp.) is a favorite of cats who like to roll around in it, sometimes to the detriment of the plant(s) (USDA hardiness zones 3-8). There are several species of catmint. Most popular are the gray-green leafed N. x faassenii and hairy gray heart-shaped leafed N. racemosa. Depending on the cultivar selected, this versatile […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bee Favorite, Butterflies, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fragrant, Ground cover, Nepeta (catmint), Perennials, Planting tips, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on Versatile Long-blooming Catmints
