Flame azalea (R. calendulaceum) is a spectacular sight when it flowers in early May through June (depending on location). The mountainsides across the Appalachian region seem to be afire with their yellow, orange or red flowers (USDA hardiness zones 5 thru 8). Its native habitat is in open, dry sites in woods, on the hillsides, and […]
Archive for the ‘Regional’ Category
Flame Azalea Favorite Among Native Azaleas
Posted by Hugh on May 26th, 2015
Posted in acidic soil, Azalea (deciduous), Bee Favorite, Butterflies, compost, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Flame azalea (R. calendulaceum), Flowering, mulching, Native Plant, Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Shade Gardening, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, winter hardiness 
Comments Off on Flame Azalea Favorite Among Native AzaleasRed Abyssinian Banana For Tropical Looking Landscapes
Posted by Hugh on May 24th, 2015
Red Abyssinian banana (Ensete maurelii ‘Red Abyssinian’) is a tropical banana from high in the mountains of Ethiopia in eastern Africa. Its enormous reddish to purplish foliage and red – burgundy trunk adds a tropical presence to any garden. Compared to hardier banana genus Musa, Ensete does not produce root suckers […]
Posted in acidic soil, Banana (Ensete spp.), Container garden, Container growing, Fertilizing plants, Foliage plant, plant nutrition, Planting tips, Potting Mix, Pruning, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Staking, Tropical Plants (non-hardy), watering tips, Winter Protection Comments Off on Red Abyssinian Banana For Tropical Looking Landscapes‘Short and Sassy’ Helenium (Sneezeweed)
Posted by Hugh on May 21st, 2015
Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale) is a bee/butterfly friendly perennial that blooms heavily from mid-summer into early fall. Helenium (“sneezeweed”) does not cause hayfever or irritate sinus passages. The genus Helenium is named for Helen of Troy. Its dried leaves were once crunched to make a snuff to promote sneezing. This tough prairie native thrives in full […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Butterflies, deadheading, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Heat Tolerance, Helenium, Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on ‘Short and Sassy’ Helenium (Sneezeweed)American Yellowwood Deserves To Be Planted More
Posted by Hugh on May 19th, 2015
American yellowwood (Cladrastis kentukea) is a beautiful native tree which is rarely planted in U.S. landscapes (USDA hardiness zones 4-8). Yellowwood is a tree for all seasons. It is both a lovely shade and flowering specimen. Long white wisteria-like flowers appear in mid- to late-May. It eventually matures into a lovely 35 to […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Disease resistant, Failure to Bloom, Fragrant, Native Plant, Propagation (Seed), Propagation(grafting), Pruning, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Transplant problem, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Winter bark, winter hardiness, Yellowwood Comments Off on American Yellowwood Deserves To Be Planted MoreCosmos For Sunny Gardens
Posted by Hugh on May 15th, 2015
Cosmos, indigenous to Mexico and South America, are one of the easiest-to-grow flowering annuals. They start blooming in early summer and are at their best in late summer and early autumn. Two most popular species are Cosmos sulphureus and C. bipinnatus. Flower heads are composed of disc and ray flowers. Cosmos is a member of the aster […]
Posted in alkaline soil, Attracting birds, Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Butterflies, Container garden, Cosmos, deadheading, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Failure to Bloom, Fertilizing plants, Flower arrangments, Flowers, Hummingbird, mulching, plant nutrition, Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Southern Appalachian Region, Staking, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips Comments Off on Cosmos For Sunny GardensChinese Fringetree Gains In Popularity And Availability
Posted by Hugh on May 9th, 2015
Chinese fringetree (Chionanthus retusus) When in bloom in mid-spring (May), the fringetrees (Chionanthus spp.) definitely will catch your eye. Chinese fringetree (C. retusus), is one of the finest small to medium sized flowering trees, not to be confused with the U.S. native fringetree (C. virginicus) (USDA hardiness zones 5-9). Both produce spectacular white lacy flowers […]
Posted in acidic soil, compact tree, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Flowers, Fragrant, Fringetree (Chionanthus), Planting tips, Privacy Screen, Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, winter hardiness Comments Off on Chinese Fringetree Gains In Popularity And AvailabilityCardinal Flower Attracts Hummingbirds and Butterflies
Posted by Hugh on May 6th, 2015
With their vibrant red colored blooms in July and August and a strong vertical growth habit, you visually can’t miss with our native cardinal flowers (Lobelia cardinalis) (USDA hardiness zones 3-9). Hummingbirds and butterflies won’t pass them by either. Cardinal flowers are also called scarlet lobelias. Their vibrant red single raceme flowers single them out […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bee Favorite, Butterflies, Deer resistant, Hummingbird, Lobelia (cardnial flower), mulching, Native Plant, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Cardinal Flower Attracts Hummingbirds and ButterfliesPampas Grass – Have We Learned A Lesson?
Posted by Hugh on May 4th, 2015
Many areas in the mid-South and northeast U.S. (USDA hardiness zones 6 and 7a) learned a hard lesson in the harsh cold winter of 2013-14. Over the past decade gardeners had been lulled into zone bending, insisting on planting species from a warmer zone. One of them was pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana). Very few clumps survived here […]
Posted in Autumn flowering, Disease resistant, Ornamental Grasses, Pampas Grasss (Cortaderia), Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, winter hardiness, winter injury, Winter Protection Comments Off on Pampas Grass – Have We Learned A Lesson?Siebold Viburnum Makes Wonderful Small Tree
Posted by Hugh on May 3rd, 2015
The genus Viburnum is no stranger to U.S. gardens. Many species and cultivars of viburnums are popular. Siebold viburnum (V. sieboldii) is a large spring flowering species from eastern Asia (USDA hardiness zones 5-7), but is under-planted in today’s gardens. This multi-trunk large shrub to 12 to 15 feet high or 25 […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Drought tolerant, Ornamental fruit, Planting tips, Privacy Screen, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Viburnum sieboldii, Viburnums, Wildlife attractant, winter hardiness Comments Off on Siebold Viburnum Makes Wonderful Small TreeGood News About Garden Impatiens
Posted by Hugh on May 1st, 2015
Gardeners no longer have to give up growing garden impatiens (Impatiens walleriana). No, the worldwide disease outbreak of downy mildew on garden impatiens is not over. But new disease resistant cultivars of impatiens are arriving at garden centers this spring. Two of the newest are: SunPatiens® Spreading Shell Pink and Bounce® Pink Flame (‘Balboufink’). […]
Posted in acidic soil, Container garden, Container growing, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Flowers, Impatiens, mulching, New Guinea impatiens, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Good News About Garden Impatiens
