Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) is a U.S. native broadleaf evergreen shrub (USDA hardiness zone 5 – 7(8)). Whether you are hiking through area woodlands or driving through Biltmore Estates in Asheville, NC, flowering mountain laurels dominate the May-June landscape in Northeast Tennessee or Western North Carolina. Mature shrub sizes range from 5 feet (dwarf cultivars) […]
Archive for the ‘Trees & Shrubs’ Category
Mountain Laurels – A Native Shrub Many Gardeners Forget To Plant
Posted by Hugh on May 6th, 2021
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, compost, Container garden, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Evergreen, Fertilizing plants, Flowering, Flowering shrub, Landscape ideas, Mountain laurel (Kalmia), mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Phytophthora ramorum, Planting tips, Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, winter hardiness, Winter Protection 
Comments Off on Mountain Laurels – A Native Shrub Many Gardeners Forget To PlantNew Compact Anise Hybrid Shrubs
Posted by Hugh on May 1st, 2021
Two new hybrid anise (Illicium) shrubs have been released by the NCSU Mountain Crop Improvement Lab in Mills River, NC. These new star anise shrubs, bred by Dr. Tom Ranney, are hybrids between Illicium floridanum and I. mexicanum. These native evergreen shrubs are low-maintenance and adapt to a wide range of growing conditions (USDA hardiness zones 6b-9a […]
Posted in acidify soil, Anise tree (Illicium), Autumn flowering, Autumn Fruiting, Bees and other pollinators, compact shrub, compost, container shrub, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Evergreen, Evergreens, Heat Tolerance, Native Plant, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Trees & Shrubs Comments Off on New Compact Anise Hybrid ShrubsFive Hardy Evergreen Ferns
Posted by Hugh on April 11th, 2021
In the southeastern U.S., ferns are important additions to shady perennial and woodland gardens. Ferns can be used as a ground cover to soften the hard edges of water features, rocks and paths, and make wonderful filler for mixed container plantings. Ferns do not flower or seed, but instead, reproduce by spores that usually form […]
Posted in acidic soil, Autumn fern (Dryopteris), Container garden, Container growing, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Evergreen, Ferns, Flower arrangments, Ground cover, Heat Tolerance, Holly Fern (Cyrtomium), Japanese Holly fern (Cyrtomium), Korean Rock fern (P. tsus-simensis), Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Root rotting, Shade Gardening, Slugs, Snails, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Tassel fern (P. polyblepharum), Wind protection, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness Comments Off on Five Hardy Evergreen FernsFragrant Snowbell
Posted by Hugh on April 1st, 2021
Fragrant snowbell (Styrax obassia) is a small deciduous tree or large shrub that grows 20 to 30 feet tall (15-25 feet wide). It is indigenous to Japan, Korea, and Manchuria (USDA hardiness zones 5-8). Fragrant snowbell exhibits multi-season interest: spring flowering, showy fall leaf color, and an attractive bark. Fragrant, bell-shaped, white flowers (racemes) are […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bees and other pollinators, Deciduous, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Fragrant, Landscape ideas, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Small landscape tree, Soil drainage, Spring flowering, Street tree, Styrax, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Fragrant SnowbellGetting Rid Of Difficult Weeds
Posted by Hugh on March 26th, 2021
Some aggressive perennials like Chameleon plant (Houttuynia cordata), variegated Bishop’s weed (Aegopodium podagraria), along with many woody briars can be extremely difficult to eliminate from a landscape area or garden bed. If a weedy garden bed contains no desirable plants, you can over spray weeds with glyphosate, a nonselective herbicide.(Roundup™ is common trade name). This […]
Posted in Aggressive grower, Bishop's weed (Aegopodium), Broadleaf weeds, Chameleon plant (Houttuynia), Container garden, Environmental Conservation, Environmental issues, Euonymus (Ground Cover), Garden ecology, Ground cover, Honeysuckle (Lonicera), Invasive plant, Invasive species, Ivy (Hedera), Landscape ideas, mulching, multi-flora rose, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, root injury, Sanitation, Soil Conservation, Southern Appalachian Region, Weed control, Weeds Comments Off on Getting Rid Of Difficult WeedsSteps In Planting A Hedge
Posted by Hugh on March 21st, 2021
Why Plant A Hedge: Living privacy fence offers privacy from street traffic and neighbors Serves as a sound barrier to reduce noise A windbreak to reduce harsh winds Snow fence to reduce snow accumulation Wildlife protection and food for birds from berries and seed. Planning: Select vigorous disease and pest free trees and shrubs that suit […]
Posted in acidic soil, acidify soil, Althea (Hibiscus), Boxwood (Buxus), Deer resistant, Firethorn (Pyracantha), Flowering shrub, Forsythia, Hedges, Hemlock (Tsuga), Hophornbeam (Ostrya), Hornbeam (Carpinus), Ilex (hollies), Inkberry Holly (Ilex), Japanese yew, Juniper, Large shrub, Lilac (Syringa), Linden (Tilia), mulching, Native Plant, Planting tips, Pruning, Pyracantha (firethorn), Southern Appalachian Region, Spirea (Spiraea), Trees & Shrubs, watering evergreens, watering tips, Wind protection, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness, Winter Protection, Yews (Taxus spp.) Comments Off on Steps In Planting A HedgeGrowing Japanese Maples In Containers
Posted by Hugh on February 25th, 2021
Many slow-growing and compact cultivars of Japanese maples (Acer palmatum) and full moon forms (A. japonicum) grow for 3-5 years in containers. Japanese maples develop a decorative canopy, and their lacey foliage turns yellow, orange and/or red in autumn. Most Japanese maples perform well in partial to full day sunlight, but not in full shade. […]
Posted in acidic soil, compact tree, compost, Container garden, Container growing, Deciduous, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Fullmoon maple, Japanese maple, Landscape ideas, Maples (Acer), mulching, Ornamental fruit, Planting tips, Privacy Screen, Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Repotting plants, Shade Gardening, Small landscape tree, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Wind protection, winter hardiness Comments Off on Growing Japanese Maples In ContainersTwenty Highly Dependable Small Landscape Trees
Posted by Hugh on February 15th, 2021
In small landscapes, where growing space is limited, a number of outstanding trees may be planted. Several are also examples of great spring or summer flowering trees. U.S. native species are designated N. Additional landscape traits include: Grow under 30 feet in height and underneath power lines). Winter hardiness across the U.S. (USDA hardiness zones […]
Posted in American hornbeam, Appalachian dogwood series, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Cold tolerance, compact tree, Container garden, Container growing, Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia), Deciduous, Dioecious, Disease resistant, Dogwood (Cornus), Fringetree (Chionanthus), Fullmoon maple, Hawthorn (Crataegus), Hummingbird, Landscape ideas, Lilac (Syringa), Magnolia grandiflora, Native Plant, Native Plant, Okame cherry (Prunus), Ornamental cherry (Prunus), Ornamental fruit, Paperbark maple, Purchasing Plants, Redbud, Serviceberry (Amelanchier), Silverbell (Halesia), Small landscape tree, Southern Appalachian Region, Street tree, Trees & Shrubs, Yoshino cherry (Prunus) Comments Off on Twenty Highly Dependable Small Landscape TreesWinter-blooming Wintersweet
Posted by Hugh on February 6th, 2021
Wintersweet (Chimonanthus praecox) is a landscape shrub offers four seasons of landscape interest. Also called Japanese allspice, this deciduous mid-sized shrub typically grows 10-15 feet tall and 8-12 feet wide and blooms during winter (USDA zones 7-9). You can also risk planting wintersweet in a protected courtyard garden in Zones 6 to minimize freeze injury […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bees and other pollinators, Deciduous, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Fragrant, mulching, Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, winter hardiness, Wintersweet (Chimonanthus) Comments Off on Winter-blooming WintersweetSeven Shrubs That Bloom In February
Posted by Hugh on February 1st, 2021
If you have ever dreamt of creating a year-round landscape garden, here are seven fine shrubs to start with. These shrubs bloom in late winter and are also important to early insect pollinators — native ground bees, bumble bees, and butterflies. In USDA hardiness zones 7-9, winter temperatures begin to moderate and some shrubs burst into floral […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Chinese witchhazel, container shrub, Daphne odora, Deciduous, Disease resistant, Edgeworthia, Environmental Conservation, Evergreen, Evergreens, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Flowering shrub, Fragrant, Honeysuckle (Lonicera), Jessamine (Gelsemium), Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Planting tips, Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Sweetbox (Sarcococca), Trees & Shrubs, Winter flowering, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness, Wintersweet (Chimonanthus), Witchhazel (Hamamelis) Comments Off on Seven Shrubs That Bloom In February
