African Rose Mallow (Hibiscus acetosella), aka Red-leaf Hibiscus and false Roselle, is grown in most of the U.S. as a colorful annual, although it is rated as a perennial shrub for USDA Zones 9-11. It is native to Africa and, as expected, thrives in hot tropical environment such as in the deep South or Southern California […]
Archive for the ‘Pests’ Category
Tropical Beauty Of African Rose Mallow
Posted by Hugh on August 24th, 2017
Posted in acidic soil, Aphids, Attracting Butterflies, Autumn flowering, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, Container garden, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Flowers, Heat Tolerance, Hibiscus acetosella, Hummingbird, Landscape ideas, mulching, Photoperiod (Daylength), Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Rain barrel, Southern Appalachian Region, Staking, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Tropical Plants (non-hardy), watering tips, winter hardiness 
Comments Off on Tropical Beauty Of African Rose MallowPrairie 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 GrassSun Or Shade –These Six Shrubs Don’t Care
Posted by Hugh on August 10th, 2017
A surprising number of flowering shrubs perform beautifully in either sun or shade, making them quite versatile where planning a landscape. All can be utilize around outdoor living areas such as decks and patios. Several good candidates are these six: Japanese pieris, aka lily of the valley shrub (Pieris japonica) is a versatile shrub for […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, compact shrub, Container garden, container shrub, Daphne odora, Deer resistant, Evergreen, Flower Arranging, Fragrant, Heat Tolerance, Hydrangeas, Kerria, Landscape ideas, Mahonia, mulching, Native Plant, Oakleaf hydrangea (H. quercifolia), Pieris japonica, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Uncategorized, watering evergreens, Winter flowering, winter hardiness 1 Comment »Hard Working Perennials For Your Late Summer Garden
Posted by Hugh on August 1st, 2017
Add several fall-flowering perennials to your garden that will add late season color and pizzazz . These are reliable tough perennials, and beneficial pollinators love them. Visit garden centers in August to make your purchases. However, for these great plants to return next year and subsequent years, plants need to get their root systems established. […]
Posted in acidic soil, Anemone, Aster, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial Insects, Butterflies, Chrysanthemum, Container garden, Drought tolerant, Fall sunflower (Helianthus spp.), Landscape ideas, Little Bluestem, Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium), Miscanthus grass, Muhly grass, mulching, Native Plant, Ornamental Grasses, Perennials, Planting tips, Purchasing Plants, Russian sage (Perovskia), Sage (Salvia), Salvia leucantha, Sedum (Groundcover types), Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Stonecrop sedums, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Sunflower (Helianthus), Switchgrass (Panicum), Toadlily (Tricyrtis), watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Hard Working Perennials For Your Late Summer GardenPest Alert – Crape Myrtle Bark Scale
Posted by Hugh on July 28th, 2017
A new scale has been observed infesting crape myrtles (Lagerstroemia x indica) in north Louisiana and Texas cities. In the summer of 2016 it was found threatening crape myrtles in the Piedmont area of North Carolina and in west Tennessee (Memphis). Crape myrtle bark scale is a felt […]
Posted in Aphids, compact shrub, compact tree, container shrub, Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia), Crape myrtle aphid, Southern Appalachian Region, Trees & Shrubs Comments Off on Pest Alert – Crape Myrtle Bark ScaleDon’t Totally Dislike All Box Elder Trees
Posted by Hugh on July 16th, 2017
Box elder (Acer negundo) is a native fast-growing and suckering medium-sized tree (USDA hardiness zones 4b-8). Branches are weak wooded and easily damaged in wind and ice storms. Box elder grows almost anywhere in any average soil, medium to wet, and in full sun. The species fails on a shady site. This weedy maple is […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aggressive grower, Anthracnose, Aphids, Borers, Box elder (Acer), Disease prone, Heat Tolerance, Insect (Pest) Problems, Insect suseptible, Invasive plant, Landscape ideas, Leaf/needle spots, Maples (Acer), Messy Fruits, Native Plant, Planting tips, Powdery mildew, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (Seed), Propagation(grafting), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Sanitation, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Don’t Totally Dislike All Box Elder TreesThistle-like Bear’s Breeches
Posted by Hugh on July 13th, 2017
Spiny bear’s breeches (Acanthus spinosa) is a clump-forming perennial treasured for its attractive thistle-like foliage and architecturally bold flower spikes (USDA hardiness zones 5b-9). Plant requires little maintenance and is long-lived. Deeply-cut, arching, glossy green, spiny, thistle-like leaves attain 2-3 feet in length on older plants and remain attractive through the growing season. Leaves bear mostly hidden spines on […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aggressive grower, Attracting Butterflies, Bear’s breeches (Acanthus), Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, compost, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, mulching, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Slugs, Snails, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on Thistle-like Bear’s BreechesFirebush Is One Tough Texas Flowering Plant
Posted by Hugh on June 28th, 2017
Firebush. aka scarlet bush (Hamelia patens), is indigenous from Mexico to Central America (USDA hardiness 10-11). Treat it as a tempermental perennial in zone 9, and an annual everywhere else it is not hardy. This fast growing plant blooms through most of summer into fall with showy clusters of tubular red buds and flowers. Firebush thrives in Texas heat […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aggressive grower, alkaline soil, Aphids, Attracting Butterflies, Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Caterpillars, Container growing, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Firebush (Hamelia), Flowers, Heat Tolerance, Hummingbird, Mealy bugs, Mites, mulching, Planting tips, Pruning, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Tropical Plants (non-hardy), Uncategorized, watering tips, Winter Protection Comments Off on Firebush Is One Tough Texas Flowering PlantCheck Out These Four Plant Select® Picks
Posted by Hugh on June 26th, 2017
If you’re search for top performing plants, especially very drought tolerant, take a look at the picks from Plant Select®. This is a nonprofit collaboration of Colorado State University, Denver Botanic Gardens and professional horticulturists. Their mission is to seek out and distribute the very best plants for landscapes and gardens from the intermountain region to […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, deadheading, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Heat Tolerance, Hesperaloe (red Yucca), Hummingbird, Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium), mulching, Native Plant, Penstemon, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (dividing), Pruning, Sage (Salvia), Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Check Out These Four Plant Select® Picks
