Many conifers make great cuts for indoor and outdoor Christmas decorations. Foliage choices: Eastern red cedar and many other junipers, white pine, Norway spruce, Colorado spruce, Balsam fir, Canadian hemlock, Arizona cypress (and cultivars ‘Carolina Sapphire’ and ‘Blue Ice’), and False cypresses (C. pisifera). Needle retention varies among species. For example, Norway spruce and balsam […]
Archive for the ‘Hydrangeas’ Category
Live Cut Foliage And Berries For Home Holiday Decorations
Posted by Hugh on December 1st, 2017
Posted in Abelia, Alexandrian Laurel, Anise tree (Illicium), Autumn Fruiting, Bayberry (Myrica), Boxwood (Buxus), Camellia, Cherry Laurel (Prunus), Christmas tree, Crabapple, Cryptomeria (Japanese cedar), Cupressus (cypress), Doghobble (Leucothoe), Evergreen, Evergreens, Flower Arranging, Garden Tools, Green Recycling, Ground cover, Heather (Calluna), Hemlock (Tsuga), Hydrangeas, Ilex (hollies), Ivy (Hedera), Juniper, Landscape ideas, Magnolia grandiflora, Magnolia virginiana, Native Plant, Oleander (Nerium), Pines (Pinus spp.), Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Southern Appalachian Region, Spruces (Picea spp.), Sweetbox (Sarcococca), Thujopsis, Trees & Shrubs, Uncategorized, Viburnums, Vine, Willows (Salix), Winterberry holly 
Comments Off on Live Cut Foliage And Berries For Home Holiday DecorationsSun 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 »Flowering Shrubs of Summer
Posted by Hugh on August 7th, 2017
In several areas of the U.S. (USDA hardiness zones 6-9), summer landscapes along the east and west coast and Southern U.S. are filled with these botanical beauties: Panicle hydrangeas (Hydrangea paniculata) – so many great choices of these hydrangeas, mostly with lime white flowers starting in July into August. Most popular cultivars are ‘Limelight’, ‘Little Lime, […]
Posted in Abelia, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bigleaf hydrangea (H. macrophylla), Blue mist (Caryopteris), Buddleia (Butterfly bush), Butterflies, compact shrub, Container growing, container shrub, Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia), Disease resistant, Flowering, Fragrant, Ground cover, Hibiscus syriacus, Hummingbird, Hydrangeas, Landscape ideas, Panicle hydrangea, Plumleaf azalea, Purchasing Plants, Rhododendrons, Southern Appalachian Region, Summersweet (Clethra), Trees & Shrubs, Vitex (Chaste tree) Comments Off on Flowering Shrubs of SummerPanicle Hydrangeas For Small Gardens And Containers
Posted by Hugh on June 13th, 2017
Panicle, PeeGee or PG hydrangeas (Hydrangea panculata) brighten up your July-August garden. They hail from China and Japan and grow almost anywhere in the U.S. (USDA hardiness zones 3 – 8). PG hydrangeas are far more reliable in northern areas (zones 3-5), than mophead hydrangeas (H. macrophylla). They flower at their best in full to partial day sunlight (6 hours […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, compact shrub, compost, Container garden, Container growing, deadheading, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Hydrangeas, Landscape ideas, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Panicle Hydrangeas For Small Gardens And ContainersFall In Love With Haas’ Halo® Hydrangea
Posted by Hugh on June 1st, 2017
Anyone walking through your garden will stop to see Haas Halo®) hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens Haas Halo®). This native smooth hydrangea has intense blue-green, leathery foliage and huge pure white wide lace cap blooms (USDA hardiness zones 3-9). Flowers stand tall on stout sturdy stems. Shrub branching is upright. This new hydrangea was found by Frederick H. Ray, […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Butterflies, compact shrub, Container growing, container shrub, deadheading, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Flowering, Hydrangea arborescens, Hydrangeas, mulching, Native Plant, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Re-Bloomers, Shade Gardening, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering hydrangeas, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Fall In Love With Haas’ Halo® HydrangeaTransform These Three Shrubs Into Trees
Posted by Hugh on February 9th, 2017
Some large shrubs can be trained into lovely small flowering trees. These three flowering shrubs may be trained into small 15-25 feet tall, single or multi- trunk trees: Siebold viburnum (Viburnum sieboldii) is a tall upright branched deciduous shrub (USDA hardiness zones 4-7). This native from Japan grows to 15-20 feet tall and 10-15 feet wide […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aphids, compact tree, Container growing, Disease resistant, Flowering, Green Privacy Screen, Heat Tolerance, Hydrangeas, Landscape ideas, Native Plant, Ninebark, Ornamental fruit, Panicle hydrangea, Planting tips, Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Staking, Summer flowering, Trees & Shrubs, Viburnum beetles, Viburnums, watering tips, Winter bark, winter hardiness Comments Off on Transform These Three Shrubs Into TreesFive Simple Pruning Tips For DIYers
Posted by Hugh on January 11th, 2017
Gardeners are frequently scared about making pruning mistakes. There are lots of gardening books filled with lots of before and after photos. Let’s face facts…your yard tree or shrub does look like the ones pictured in the pruning book. Here are my simple 5 steps for pruning: Why and When to prune: You can prune a […]
Posted in Amur maple (A. ginnala), Ash (Fraxinus), Birch (Betula spp.), Buddleia (Butterfly bush), Certified Arborist, compact tree, container shrub, Crabapple, Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia), Dogwood (Cornus), Elms (Ulmus), Flowering, Forsythia, Fothergilla, Garden Maintenance, Green ash (Fraxinus), Hibiscus syriacus, Honeylocust (Gleditsia), Hydrangea, Hydrangeas, Insect (Pest) Problems, Kwanzan cherry, Lacebark elm, Large Shade trees, Lilac (Syringa), Linden (Tilia), Mealy bugs, Oaks (Quercus spp.), Okame cherry (Prunus), Ornamental cherry (Prunus), pin oak, Pruning, Redbud, river birch, Scale, Small landscape tree, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Sweetgum (Liquidambar), Trees & Shrubs, Vitex (Chaste tree), Yoshino cherry (Prunus), Zelkova Comments Off on Five Simple Pruning Tips For DIYers“Plant It Pink” Planting Program
Posted by Hugh on August 23rd, 2016
To build awareness and show support for those affected by breast cancer, over 40 volunteers filled public gardens and surrounding areas with pink plants in downtown Haslett, a suburb of Lansing, MI. The Invincibelle® Spirit II hydrangeas are a beautiful reminder that we are not alone in our hopes and prayers for a cure. […]
Posted in acidic soil, compact shrub, Container growing, container shrub, Disease resistant, Flower Arranging, Hydrangeas, mulching, Native Plant, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (layering), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering hydrangeas, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on “Plant It Pink” Planting ProgramNew PG Hydrangeas Excel In Performance
Posted by Hugh on August 10th, 2016
Panicle, PeeGee or PG hydrangeas (Hydrangea panculata) brighten up the July and August garden landscape. They’re native to China and Japan. They grow and bloom almost anywhere in the U.S. (USDA hardiness zones 3 – 8). Unlike mophead hydrangeas (H. macrophylla), that often fail in full day sun, PGs excel in 6 hours or more of sun. PG hydrangeas are vigorous growers with upright branching and coarse textured […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, compact shrub, Container garden, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Heat Tolerance, Hydrangeas, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (layering), Pruning, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, winter hardiness Comments Off on New PG Hydrangeas Excel In PerformanceWhat To Know About Flowering Vines
Posted by Hugh on April 1st, 2016
For some gardeners planting vines is not for the faint of heart. Vines need space, support, training, and for some – lots of pruning. Some vines don’t demand lots of room while others chew up lots of space. Small vines like clematis or annual morning glories (Ipomoea) may be grown in a large patio container for many years […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aggressive grower, Black-eyed Susan Vine, Campsis grandifolia 'Morning Calm', Crossvine (Bignonia), Disease resistant, Heat Tolerance, Hyacinth Bean, Hydrangea petiolaris, Hydrangeas, Invasive plant, Landscape ideas, Morning glory (Ipomoea), Native Plant, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (layering), Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Spanish flag, Spring flowering, Staking, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trumpet vine (Campsis), Vine, winter hardiness, Wisteria Comments Off on What To Know About Flowering Vines
