Turtlehead (Chelone spp.) is a U.S. native. Turtle-head shaped flowers appear in August and September. The 1 inch flowers open from bottom to top along the stem (s). Colors vary from bright white, creamy white, and white tinged with pink (depending on species and cultivar grown). Pink turtlehead (C. lyonii ) is native to the Southern […]
Archive for the ‘Deer resistant’ Category
‘Hot Lips’ Turtlehead – A Late Summer Flowering Native
Posted by Hugh on August 8th, 2012
Posted in acidic soil, Bee Favorite, Butterflies, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Heat Tolerance, Hummingbird, Native Plant, Perennials, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Turtlehead (Chelone), watering tips 
Comments Off on ‘Hot Lips’ Turtlehead – A Late Summer Flowering Native‘Fireworks’ Pennisetum
Posted by Hugh on April 23rd, 2012
Fountain grasses are popular annual grasses that thrive in Southern Appalachian gardens (USDA zones 6 and 7). The new cultivar ‘Fireworks’ is totally spectacular. The mid-vein of the grass blade is burgundy red and edged in hot pink. Fireworks displays three seasons of awesome foliage color before dying off in the fall. Red plume foxtail flowers bloom […]
Posted in acidic soil, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Fountain Grass (Pennisetum), Irrigation, Ornamental Grasses, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips Comments Off on ‘Fireworks’ PennisetumFountain Grasses Are Summer Sizzlers
Posted by Hugh on April 21st, 2012
Purple Pennisetum Grass in Hot Parking Lot Fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum ) is a warm season grass native to Northern Africa (USDA zones 8-10). It is a dense clump-forming grass with several topnotch cultivars. Most popular are purple fountain grasses (varieties ‘Purpureum’ and ‘Rubrum’) for their heat resistant dark reddish purple foliage. The pink to […]
Posted in acidify soil, alkaline soil, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Flowers, Fountain Grass (Pennisetum), Heat Tolerance, Ornamental Grasses, plant nutrition, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips Comments Off on Fountain Grasses Are Summer SizzlersPowis Castle Artemisia Is Exceptional
Posted by Hugh on March 16th, 2012
Most artemisias (aka “wormwood”) can not cope with the summer heat and humidity in the mid-South. Their silvery foliage tends to burn out (some say “melt out”) in mid to late summer. ‘Powis Castle’ artemisia is truly the exception. Powis Castle is likely a hybrid (Artemisia arborescens x A. absinthium Powis Castle is a bushy, woody-based perennial […]
Posted in Artemisia, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Heat Tolerance, Perennials, plant nutrition, Pruning, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, winter hardiness Comments Off on Powis Castle Artemisia Is Exceptional‘Duet’ – A New Variegated Beautyberry That Is Stable
Posted by Hugh on October 13th, 2011
‘Duet’ is a variegated leaf cultivar of white fruited Japanese beautyberry (Callicarpa dichotoma ‘Albifructus’). It was discovered at Tennessee Technological University in 2000 by Dr. Gary Bachman and Mr. W. Edgar Davis. ‘Duet’ beautyberry was released jointly by the U.S. National Arboretum and Tennessee Technological University. […]
Plant Autumn Asters Instead Of Mums
Posted by Hugh on October 2nd, 2011
Aromatic asters (Aster oblongifolius) is one of our finest late blooming native asters for the autumn garden in the Southern Appalachian region (USDA zones 6 and 7). Through the spring and summer months, the dense gray-green shrubby foliage mounds grow 15-18 inches high and 24-30 inches wide. Hundreds of yellow-centered, daisy type flowers cover the […]
Posted in Aster, Autumn flowering, Butterflies, deadheading, Deer resistant, Native Plant, Perennials, Southern Appalachian Region, Uncategorized, Virus diseases Comments Off on Plant Autumn Asters Instead Of Mums‘Autumn Bride’ Started A Heuchera Evolution
Posted by Hugh on September 1st, 2011
Autumn Bride heuchera (Heuchera villosa ‘Autumn Bride’) is blooming now. This native ground cover, aka “hairy alumroot”, displays wide lime-green foliage which is not as colorful as many new H. villosa hybrids introduced in recent years. However, the white flowers on Autumn Bride are showier and more numerous. Heucheras prefer a moist, well-drained, compost-rich soil. Plants are heat and humidity […]
Winter King Hawthorn – A Winter Fruit Attraction
Posted by Hugh on January 7th, 2011
bright red fruit in winter season ‘Winter King’ is an outstanding cultivar of our native green hawthorn (Crataegus viridis) and is at home here in the Southern Appalachian region (USDA zones 6 and 7). Over the winter season few deciduous trees present a colorful fruiting display much better than Winter King. Winter King hawthorn is a small landscape tree, maturing to 25-30 […]
Posted in Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Hawthorn (Crataegus), Native Plant, Ornamental fruit, Southern Appalachian Region, Trees & Shrubs, Winter bark Comments Off on Winter King Hawthorn – A Winter Fruit AttractionGinkgo -Sex Education 101
Posted by Hugh on October 22nd, 2010
Surviving an autumn season with a heavily fruited ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) tree is a foul smelling experience. The odorous yellow fleshy fruits ripen in October and drop onto public streets and home lawns. Several times I have witnessed the Jonesborough Tennessee Fire Department raking up fallen fruit and hosing down a sidewalk too treacherous to walk […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Autumn foliage color, Deer resistant, Gardenia, Ginkgo biloba, Large Shade trees, Propagation (Seed), Propagation(grafting), Pruning, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Winter bark, winter hardiness Comments Off on Ginkgo -Sex Education 101Plumleaf Azalea Is Showy Summer Blooming Shrub
Posted by Hugh on August 1st, 2010
Plumleaf azalea (Rhododendron prunifolium) has been blooming in my garden for the past ten days. This species is a late July – early August bloomer in northeast TN. The bright orange-red flowers of this native azalea light up any garden spot whether in full sun or partial shade. Provide some additional shade in southern climes […]
Posted in Azalea (deciduous), Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Heat Tolerance, Hummingbird, mulching, Native Plant, Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs Comments Off on Plumleaf Azalea Is Showy Summer Blooming Shrub
