Many landscape plants die because they were planted in soil that was too wet or soggy. Poorly drained soils are generally poorly aerated. A high water table in an area limits your choices of plants that you may grow. Plants that grow naturally along streams and ponds are good candidates for poorly drained sites. During periods of heavy […]
Archive for the ‘Trees & Shrubs’ Category
All About Soil Drainage
Posted by Hugh on January 20th, 2019
Posted in compost, Container garden, Daphne odora, Garden ecology, Landscape Construction, Landscape ideas, Moss (in lawn), mulching, Planting tips, Potting Mix, Purchasing Plants, root injury, Root rotting, Soil Conservation, Soil drainage, Soil Testing, Southern Appalachian Region, Transplant problem, watering tips 
Comments Off on All About Soil DrainageSelecting A Good Landscape Shade Tree
Posted by Hugh on January 15th, 2019
Medium to large shade trees increase the value of your property. Their summer shade and wintry wind protection may also reduce utility bills by 20 to 25%. Trees attract wild birds for nesting, protection, and as a food source. Some deciduous species will brighten up the landscape with dazzling fall color. Choosing a fast growing tree, yet some may not […]
Posted in Attracting birds, Bees and other pollinators, Birch (Betula spp.), Black gum (Nyssa), Butterflies, Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia), Dioecious, Disease resistant, Elms (Ulmus), Ginkgo biloba, Golden Raintree, Green ash (Fraxinus), Hackberry (Celtis), Honeylocust (Gleditsia), Hornbeam (Carpinus), Japanese Pagoda Tree (Styphnolobium), Kentucky coffeetree, Landscape Construction, Landscape ideas, Large Shade trees, Linden (Tilia), Maples (Acer), Medium sized Tree, Native Plant, Oaks (Quercus spp.), pin oak, Purchasing Plants, Shade tree, Silver Linden (Tilia), Silver maple (Acer saccharinum), Street tree, Sweetgum (Liquidambar), Sycamore (Platanus), Trees & Shrubs, Tulip tree (Liriodendron), willow oak, Willow oak (Quercus), Yellowwood, Zelkova Comments Off on Selecting A Good Landscape Shade TreeUpdate On Boxwood Blight Disease
Posted by Hugh on January 1st, 2019
A decade ago, boxwoods (Buxus spp.) were the quintessential shrubs, particularly for formal hedges. Over the past half century, many new boxwood varieties have been introduced into nursery commerce, a boxwood variety that will work in most garden situations. Just five years ago, boxwood production at U.S. nurseries was greater than for azaleas, hollies, hydrangeas, and arborvitaes. […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bees and other pollinators, Boxwood (Buxus), Chlorosis (yellowing), Container garden, Disease prone, Environmental issues, Evergreen, Hedges, Landscape ideas, mulching, Pesticide recommendations, Planting tips, Privacy Screen, Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Sanitation, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Trees & Shrubs, watering evergreens, watering tips Comments Off on Update On Boxwood Blight DiseaseWeeping Landscape Trees
Posted by Hugh on December 28th, 2018
Weeping forms of willows (Salix spp.), flowering cherries (Prunus spp.), pines (Pinus spp.), spruces (Picea spp.) and European beeches (Fagus sylvatica) are magnificent landscape features. Weeping forms of evergreen and deciduous trees develop strong upright central leaders, and their outward branches cascade downward. Among conifer species there are over 150 different cultivars with pendulous habits. Here is a list of 28 weeping tree species. I […]
Posted in Atlas cedar (Cedrus), Attracting Butterflies, Bald cypress (Taxodium), Beech (Fagus spp.), Bees and other pollinators, Birch (Betula spp.), Black gum (Nyssa), Deciduous, Deciduous conifer, Deodara cedars (Cedrus), Elms (Ulmus), Evergreens, Japanese maple, Japanese Pagoda Tree (Styphnolobium), Katsura tree (Cercidophyllum), Landscape ideas, Large Shade trees, Larix kaempferi, Linden (Tilia), Nootkatensis cedar, Ornamental cherry (Prunus), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Redbud, river birch, Serbian spruce, Silver Linden (Tilia), Small landscape tree, Spruces (Picea spp.), Styrax, Trees & Shrubs, Weeping habit Comments Off on Weeping Landscape TreesPrevent Leaf Burn on Evergreens This Winter
Posted by Hugh on December 24th, 2018
Winter foliage burn on evergreens is often most prevalent on boxwoods (Buxus), hollies (Ilex), rhododendron, and many kinds of conifers. Symptoms often develop when temperatures warm up in late winter and early spring. This type of winter damage is often misdiagnosed as an infectious disease or damage from excessively cold temperatures. Evergreens transpire (lose water […]
Posted in acidic soil, Alexandrian Laurel, Camellia, Cryptomeria (Japanese cedar), Cupressus (cypress), Doghobble (Leucothoe), Drought tolerant, DWARF CONIFERS, Environmental Conservation, Environmental issues, Evergreens, Fertilizing plants, Fraser fir (Abies), Garden ecology, Ilex (hollies), Landscape ideas, Magnolia grandiflora, Magnolia virginiana, Microbiota, mulching, Native Plant, Osmanthus 'Goshiki', Pieris japonica, Planting tips, Purchasing Plants, Rhododendrons, root injury, salt injury, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Sweetbox (Sarcococca), Taiwan cryptomeria, Thujopsis, Trees & Shrubs, Umbrella pine (Sciadopitys), watering tips, Wind protection, winter hardiness, Winter Protection, Yews (Taxus spp.) Comments Off on Prevent Leaf Burn on Evergreens This WinterUnusual Forms Of Umbrella Pine Are Really Cool
Posted by Hugh on December 11th, 2018
Japanese Umbrella Pine (Sciadopitys verticillata) is a prized ornamental evergreen (USDA hardiness zones 5b -9). It is not actually a pine. The only species within genus Sciadopitys, this conifer dates back to the dinosaurs. Umbrella pine is a mid-sized landscape tree with several fine attributes: 1. glossy green long narrow needles arranged like the spokes of a wheel; 2. peeling […]
Posted in acidic soil, Chlorosis (yellowing), compact shrub, compact tree, Container growing, container shrub, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Evergreen, Landscape ideas, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation(grafting), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Umbrella pine (Sciadopitys), Uncategorized, watering tips, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness Comments Off on Unusual Forms Of Umbrella Pine Are Really CoolFertilizing Trees And Shrubs
Posted by Hugh on November 15th, 2018
Maintaining good plant nutrition is of key importance. A tree and shrub which is growing vigorously can resist infestation from most diseases and insects. Symptoms of poor nutrition: pale green or chlorotic leaves; undersized plants; slower annual growth rate; many dead or dying branch tips; increased insect/disease problems. Trees under 10 years of age should be fertilized annually. There is little need to […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Fertilizing plants, Garden Maintenance, Insect suseptible, Landscape ideas, Large Shade trees, Large shrub, Maples (Acer), Medium sized Tree, mulching, Native Plant, plant nutrition, Planting tips, Purchasing Plants, Small landscape tree, Soil Conservation, Soil pH, Soil Testing, Southern Appalachian Region, Trees & Shrubs Comments Off on Fertilizing Trees And ShrubsBeware Of Fast Growing Trees
Posted by Hugh on November 10th, 2018
Many property owners choose fast growing landscape trees. These large shade trees increase the value of your property. Their summer shade and wintry wind protection may reduce utility bills by 20 – 25% . Trees attract wild birds for nesting, protection, and as a food source. Some brighten up your landscape with dazzling fall color. However, we may pay a […]
Posted in Anthracnose, Attracting birds, Bacterial diseases, Borers, Box elder (Acer), Boxelder tree (Acer), Disease prone, Environmental issues, Garden ecology, Insect (Pest) Problems, Landscape ideas, Large Shade trees, Native Plant, Paulownia (Empress tree), Poplar (Populus spp.), Purchasing Plants, Root suckering, Scale, Silver maple (Acer saccharinum), Southern Appalachian Region, Street tree, Sycamore (Platanus), Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus), Trees & Shrubs, Tulip tree (Liriodendron), Uncategorized, Weak branching, Weak wooded, Willows (Salix) Comments Off on Beware Of Fast Growing TreesDieback Shrubs
Posted by Hugh on November 5th, 2018
Dieback shrubs are a group of hardy landscape shrubs that emerge and grow vigorously from mid-spring through early summer. They bloom reliably from late summer into early fall. Plants are near the edge of their hardiness range, and often die back to the ground in the winter. They act more like herbaceous perennials. The above-ground shoots are not […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Blue mist (Caryopteris), Buddleia (Butterfly bush), Butterflies, compact shrub, Container growing, container shrub, Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia), Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Flower arrangments, Landscape ideas, mulching, Planting tips, Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Vitex (Chaste tree), watering tips, Wind protection, winter hardiness Comments Off on Dieback ShrubsFall – Winter Pruning Dos and Don’ts
Posted by Hugh on October 30th, 2018
Pruning is a chore that you don’t need to put off until spring. Many trees and shrubs may be pruned this autumn. However, NOT all landscape trees and shrubs are pruned. Here are some pruning guidelines to follow: WAIT to prune spring flowering deciduous shrubs such as Forsythia, Lilac, Bridal Wreath & Vanhoutte Spireas, Quince, Viburnums, Fothergilla, […]
Posted in Bigleaf hydrangea (H. macrophylla), Blue mist (Caryopteris), Buddleia (Butterfly bush), Chinese (kousa) dogwood, compact shrub, Crabapple, Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia), Daphne odora, Dogwood (Cornus), Dogwood shrubs (Cornus), Flowering, Flowering quince (Chaenomeles), Forsythia, Fothergilla, Garden Maintenance, Hibiscus syriacus, Hybrid teas, Hydrangea arborescens, Hydrangeas, Landscape ideas, Large Shade trees, Large shrub, Mahonia, Maples (Acer), Mountain laurel (Kalmia), multi-flora rose, Panicle hydrangea, Pieris japonica, Pruning, pruning climbing roses, Purchasing Plants, Re-Bloomers, Rhododendrons, river birch, Roses, Shade tree, Small landscape tree, Spirea (Spiraea), Spring flowering, Street tree, Summer flowering, Summersweet (Clethra), Vitex (Chaste tree), Weigela, Winter flowering, Yellowwood Comments Off on Fall – Winter Pruning Dos and Don’ts
