Consider planting a colorful array of low shrubs, perennials, annuals, ground covers and spring bulbs with hostas. Additions must prefer partial sun to shade and moderate moist soil. Choose varieties with brightly colored foliage, structure, size, texture and color for contrast. Avoid aggressive vegetative companions. Hosta companions can include anemone, assorted ferns, astilbe, lenten roses (Helleborus), […]
Archive for the ‘Southern Appalachian Region’ Category
Hosta Garden Companions
Posted by Hugh on August 7th, 2024
Posted in acidic soil, Aralia 'Sun King', Astilbe (false spirea), Autumn fern (Dryopteris), Barrenwort (Epimedium), Bees and other pollinators, Bergenia (pigsqueak), Brunnera 'Jack Frost', Bugleweed (Ajuga), Butterflies, Carex (Sedges), Cranesbill (Geranium), Dead nettle (Lamium), Deciduous, Disease resistant, Ferns, Ground cover, Hakone grass, Heuchera (coralbells), Hosta, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Non-native, Perennials, Pulmonaria, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Solomon's seal, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Uvularia (bellwort), watering tips, winter hardiness, Woodland phlox 
Comments Off on Hosta Garden CompanionsCelebrate Three New Summerific® Hibiscus Varieties
Posted by Hugh on July 31st, 2024
Summerific® is a trademarked series of Rose Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos) from Walters Gardens Inc. in Zeeland, Michigan. It is a native perennial hibiscus that emerges from the soil in late spring and grows rapidly. Both their huge flowers and foliage are natural focal points in the summer garden. This long-lived perennial can be utilized as […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Deciduous, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Heat Tolerance, Hibiscus (mallow) sawfly, Hibiscus moscheutos, Hummingbird, Japanese beetle, Landscape ideas, Light requirement, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, Winter Protection Comments Off on Celebrate Three New Summerific® Hibiscus VarietiesMimosa Tree – A Different Option
Posted by Hugh on July 20th, 2024
Over the hot spring and summer months, weedy Mimosa trees (Albizia julibrissin) stand beautiful along U.S roadsides. During the rest of the year, people pay very little attention to this arboreal Asian beauty that inhabit a vast area from Iran to China (USDA hardiness zones 6-9). YES, this tree can be invasive. Read on. From […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Container garden, Deciduous, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Heat Tolerance, Hummingbird, Landscape ideas, Mimosa tree (Albizia), mulching, Non-native, Phytophthora ramorum, Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Root suckering, Small landscape tree, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Weak branching, winter hardiness Comments Off on Mimosa Tree – A Different OptionGroundcover Sedums In Containers
Posted by Hugh on July 14th, 2024
Low creeping sedums (stonecrops) are super nice groundcover plants. Consider planting stonecrops in border fronts, on moderate slopes, containers and rock gardens. Plant in the partial to full sun, although many species grow well in light shade. The site should have good soil drainage. Sedums are also planted on “green roof” and “green wall” systems. I […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, Container garden, deadheading, Deciduous, Drought tolerant, Evergreen, Fertilizing plants, Ground cover, Landscape Construction, Landscape ideas, Native Plant, Native Plant, Non-native, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Sedum, Sedum (Groundcover types), Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips Comments Off on Groundcover Sedums In ContainersSome Summer Perennials Reach New Heights
Posted by Hugh on July 7th, 2024
Celebrate this 4th of July with three giant flowering perennials: Giant coneflower, Joe Pye weed and Queen Of The Prairie Filpendula. Giant / Large coneflower (Rudbeckia maxima) is an herbaceous perennial that is grows in average, moist, well-drained soils in mostly full-day sun (USDA hardiness zones 4-9). Also called “Dumbo’s Ears”, it tolerates light shade, […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Deciduous, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Eupatorium 'Gateway', Eupatorium rugosum 'Chocolate', Filipendula, Fragrant, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Rudbeckia maxima, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, Wildflower, Wildlife attractant, winter hardiness Comments Off on Some Summer Perennials Reach New Heights‘Sun King’ Aralia Glows In the Summer Heat
Posted by Hugh on July 1st, 2024
Plants with golden foliage can brighten up almost any drab garden patch. Sun King golden aralia (Aralia cordata ‘Sun King’) is no exception, hardy in USDA hardiness zones 3-9. It is also known as Japanese spikenard and mountain asparagus. Under ideal conditions this thornless, rhizomatous, herbaceous perennial grows rapidly to 3-5 feet tall and as […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Aphids, Aralia 'Sun King', Attracting birds, Bees and other pollinators, Container garden, Deciduous, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Landscape ideas, Light requirement, Mealy bugs, Mites, mulching, Non-native, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Slugs, Slugs, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on ‘Sun King’ Aralia Glows In the Summer HeatBletilla – Hardy Garden Orchid
Posted by Hugh on June 26th, 2024
Chinese ground orchid (Bletilla striata), aka “Hardy Garden Orchid”, is a terrestrial orchid which produces small, cattleya-like, downward-facing purple flowers. It is indigenous to moist grassy slopes of central China and southern Japan. Ground orchids produce attractive foliage and showy flowers, that bloom from mid-spring and early summer. The flowering racemes stand approximately 12-18 inches high […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bees and other pollinators, Deciduous, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Ground orchid (Bletilla), Landscape ideas, mulching, Non-native, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Bletilla – Hardy Garden OrchidRed Hot Pokers /Exceptional Summer Performers
Posted by Hugh on June 21st, 2024
Red-hot Pokers (Kniphofia spp.) are easy to grow long-lived perennials from South Africa. (USDA hardiness zones 5b-9). They go by a number of common names including torch lilies and tritoma. Colorful floral spikes (with a little imagination) resemble sizzling pokers or fiery torches, visited often by hummingbirds, bees and butterflies. Modern day cultivars are mostly […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bees and other pollinators, Container garden, deadheading, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Evergreen, Hummingbird, Landscape ideas, Light requirement, mulching, Native Plant, Non-native, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Red hot Poker (Kniphofia), Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on Red Hot Pokers /Exceptional Summer PerformersPerennial Salvias Getting Better
Posted by Hugh on June 14th, 2024
Perennial salvias (Salvia × sylvestris) represent a number of hybrid crosses between S. nemorosa and S. pratensis but may include S. × alpestris, S. × asperula, S. × collina, and S. × superba. Most cultivars are branched, upright, clump-forming, perennials with opposite, oblong to lanceolate, medium green leaves and showy spikes of tiny, tubular, two-lipped flowers (each to 1/2” long). Flower color choices range from blue to lavender to purple, depending […]
Posted in acidic soil, Autumn flowering, Bees and other pollinators, Container garden, deadheading, Deciduous, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Heat Tolerance, Honey bees, Landscape ideas, mulching, Non-native, Perennials, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Sage (Salvia), Salvia, Salvia nemorosa, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Perennial Salvias Getting BetterIndian Pinks
Posted by Hugh on June 7th, 2024
Indian Pinks (Spigelia marilandica) is a strikingly beautiful native wildflower throughout central and southeastern U.S. It is sometimes called “woodland pinkroot”. This perennial grows well in many parts of the U.S. (Zones (5b-9). Plants emerge in mid-spring. Sometime in June, depending on locality, their bright red tubular flowers flare open, crowned by five sharply pointed […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Breeding Plants, deadheading, Disease resistant, Heat Tolerance, Indian pink (Spigelia), Landscape ideas, Light requirement, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Purchasing Plants, Shade Gardening, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Indian Pinks
