Archive for the ‘Deciduous Azaleas’ Category

Three Native Azaleas That Should Be Included In Mid- Atlantic and Southern Gardens

About Native Azaleas: Flowers appear from April to September depending on species. Flower clusters (called “trusses”) appear just before the leaves emerge. Each truss may bear 3 – 12 blooms, which open 1.5 – 2 inches wide.  Flower colors vary among native species from white, pink, orange and red shades. In many spring blooming species, the open petals […]

Bird Friendly Trees And Shrubs

Birds visit trees, shrubs, and vines for five things: fruits (berries), sweet nectar (flowers), insects (particularly caterpillars), nuts and seeds, and shelter. This list is a compilation from the North Carolina and Tennessee chapters of the Audubon Society of ornamental plants common in the Southern Appalachian region. Trees and Shrubs (26) Maples (Acer spp.) Downy Serviceberry […]

Tips On Amending The Soil In The Planting Hole

Adding large amounts of compost or organic matter to a planting hole greatly improve the soil’s water-holding capacity and aeration. Simply throwing piles of leaves into the bottom of the planting hole helps improve a soil. However, amending the planting hole is not recommended by most plant experts. Why? According to soil scientists, the plant roots stay locked within the rich […]

Woody Trees and Shrubs That Bees Like Most and Least*

Recently, I saw this listing of woody trees and shrubs that are good pollinators. I grow a number of these great plants in my garden and will vouch for the accuracy of this list. The source is HRI Research and data was collected in the Ohio Valley region of the U.S. (includes Tennessee, Kentucky, southern Indiana and […]

Protect Young Trees and Shrubs From Voles, Rabbits And Other Critters

Rabbits, chipmunks, and voles (field mice) need a home for the winter. They often choose to nestle up near newly planted trees and shrubs and gnaw  on their sweet sapwood, girdling the trunk and essentially killing the tree. Fruit-bearing plants often damaged by critters over their first 1-2 winters include: apple, pear, peach, redbud, blueberry, and cane fruits. Young […]

Shrubs You Should Not Prune In Fall Season

Why would anyone prune spring flowering shrubs in the autumn season? After a long cold winter, why miss out on the delightful fragrance of lilac and viburnum flowers the following spring? Predicting how cold, warm, or dry the coming winter season is rarely possible. Pruning cuts are wounds and weather extremes may cause injury to […]

Native Plumleaf Azalea Blooms In The Heat Of Summer

Plumleaf Azalea (Rhododendron prunifolium) From my garden here is a look today (July 28th) at plumleaf azalea (Rhododendron prunifolium). Plumleaf is an Alabama native, and its orangey red flowers has been growing in my east Tennessee garden for the past 15+ years. It is hardy to zone 5-b (- 15°F) which includes most of the mid-Atlantic and southern New England states. Plumleaf handles Southern […]

“Mary, Mary, How You Do Grow in My Garden”

‘My Mary’ is a hybrid deciduous azalea (R. ‘Nacoochee’ x R. austrinum) ending its flowering cycle in my spring garden. ‘My Mary’ has been a steady performer, averaging 4-5 feet in height in 10 years. Its clusters of bright yellow orange tubular flowers measure 2 1/2” across. Its early morning sweet fragrance is a gentle […]

Hybrid Decidous Azaleas Brighten The May Garden

The bright reds, oranges and yellows of the hybrid deciduous azaleas (Rhododendron spp.) are lovely among tall shade trees which protect them from the harsh afternoon sunlight of summer. Because their bloodline is from our native piedmont azalea species in the Eastern U.S., hybrid deciduous cultivars possess exceptional disease and insect resistance rarely seen in […]