Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica) flowers in late spring with dark green, pest-free summer foliage that turns brilliant red in fall (USDA hardiness zones 5-9). It thrives in full sun to partial shade, and in moist mildly acidic soils. It is also highly drought tolerant once established. Fertilize […]
Archive for the ‘Trees & Shrubs’ Category
Three Native Flowering Shrubs For Your Summer Landscape
Posted by Hugh on June 1st, 2016
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Butterflies, compost, Container growing, container shrub, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Flowering, Hummingbird, mulching, Native Plant, Planting tips, Plumleaf azalea, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Summersweet (Clethra), Trees & Shrubs, Virginia sweetspire, watering tips, winter hardiness 
Comments Off on Three Native Flowering Shrubs For Your Summer LandscapeJapanese Crape Myrtle Flaunts Stunning Bark
Posted by Hugh on May 21st, 2016
Most crape myrtle cultivars marketed through garden centers are hybrids that combine the large colorful flowers of Common Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) with the mildew-resistant foliage and cold hardiness of Japanese Crapemyrtle (L. faurei). Japanese Crape myrtle are cold hardy (USDA hardiness zones 6-b to 9) and are heat tolerant. They are rated hardy to winter minus 10 […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia), Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, Winter bark, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness Comments Off on Japanese Crape Myrtle Flaunts Stunning BarkTulip Poplar And Cultivars
Posted by Hugh on May 15th, 2016
Tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), aka yellow poplar and tulip tree, is a large stately deciduous tree of eastern North America (USDA hardiness zones 4-9). This fast growing native typically grows 60-90 feet tall. It is also an important timber tree. A member of the magnolia family, flowers attract large numbers of bees. Ornate 2-inch-wide goblet-shaped flowers are […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aggressive grower, Aphids, Autumn foliage color, Bee Favorite, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Heat Tolerance, Large Shade trees, Native Plant, Propagation (Seed), Propagation(grafting), Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Trees & Shrubs, Tulip tree (Liriodendron), watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Tulip Poplar And Cultivars‘Sun King’ Golden Aralia Glows In Summer Garden
Posted by Hugh on May 12th, 2016
Plants with golden foliage brighten up a dark area in the garden. Sun King golden aralia (Aralia cordata ‘Sun King’) is no exception, hardy in USDA hardiness zones 3-9. Bright golden compound leaves emerge in mid-spring and Sun King aralia retains its bright color through the summer months. This long-lived perennial […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Aralia 'Sun King', compost, Container growing, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, mulching, Ornamental fruit, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Shade Gardening, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, winter hardiness Comments Off on ‘Sun King’ Golden Aralia Glows In Summer GardenDeadheading Rhododendron Flowers
Posted by Hugh on May 9th, 2016
Large-flowered rhododendrons (Rhododendron catawbiense) benefit from “deadheading”, the practice of removing the old spent flower heads. Deadheading encourages increased branching, which frequently results in more blooms the following spring. It also cleans up their scruffy appearance. Small-flowered types (including ‘PJM’, lepidote rhododendrons, and azaleas) do not benefit from deadheading and are mostly […]
Posted in compact shrub, Native Plant, Pruning, Rhododendrons, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Trees & Shrubs Comments Off on Deadheading Rhododendron FlowersReviving A Severely Damaged Crape Myrtle In The Spring
Posted by Hugh on May 1st, 2016
Crape myrtles (Lagerstroemia indica and hybrid cultivars) are rated as hardy perennials and semi-hardy shrubs or trees in USDA zone 6 and parts of zone 7. Since the year 2000, an average of 1 out of 3 winters has killed some crape myrtles to the ground. By […]
Posted in acidic soil, Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia), Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, winter hardiness Comments Off on Reviving A Severely Damaged Crape Myrtle In The SpringChinese (Kousa) Dogwood
Posted by Hugh on April 27th, 2016
Chinese dogwood, aka kousa dogwood, (Cornus kousa) is a small 25 to 35 foot flowering tree (USDA hardiness zones 5-9). It grows in either full or partial sunlight (4-hours sunlight minimum). Depending where you garden, kousa dogwood begins blooming from late April or in May, almost two weeks after our native […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, compact tree, Disease resistant, Dogwood (Cornus), Drought tolerant, Edible fruits, Fertilizing plants, Flowering, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Propagation(grafting), Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Winter bark, winter hardiness Comments Off on Chinese (Kousa) Dogwood‘Mojito’ Elephant Ear Is A Tropical Joy
Posted by Hugh on April 24th, 2016
‘Mojito’ elephant ear (Colocasia esculenta), aka taro plant, has become a new favorite in the Conlon garden where it is not dependably winter hardy (Zone 6b). According to Tony Avent at Plant Delights Nursery in Raleigh, NC, tubers are dependably winter hardy in zones 7b -10. ‘Mojito’ (pronounced “Mo-he-toe”) is a sport of […]
Posted in acidic soil, Colocasia, compost, Container growing, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Foliage plant, Landscape ideas, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Tropical Plants (non-hardy), watering tips, Wind protection, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on ‘Mojito’ Elephant Ear Is A Tropical JoyMonitor And Manage Two-Spotted Spider Mites
Posted by Hugh on April 21st, 2016
Two-spotted spider mites are destructive pests that ravage a wide host of shrubs and garden plants, including certain house plants, annuals, perennials, herbs and vegetables. Many evergreens are also susceptible. Two-spotted spider mites are warm season arachnids, not insects, and are exceptionally troublesome over a hot dry summer. They […]
Posted in Abutilon (Flowering Maple), Apple tree, Aster, Begonia boliviensis, Cherries, Dahlia, Evergreens, Flowers, Foliage plant, Fruits & Vegetables, Garden Problems, Gladiolus, Hemlock (Tsuga), Juniper, Mite susceptible, Mites, New Guinea impatiens, Norfolk Island Pine, Oriental spruce (Picea), Ornamental Pepper, Peach, Pear (Pyrus spp.), Pepper, Perennials, Pesticide recommendations, Pests, Plum, Raspberries, Roses, Southern Appalachian Region, Spruces (Picea spp.), Sunpatiens, Trees & Shrubs, Tropical Plants (non-hardy), Virus diseases Comments Off on Monitor And Manage Two-Spotted Spider MitesJapanese Holly Fern
Posted by Hugh on April 18th, 2016
Japanese Holly Fern (Cyrtomium falcatum ‘Rochfordianum’) is a handsome, evergreen fern for gardens in USDA hardiness zones 6-11. It earns its name from its stiffly erect holly-like fronds. Individual fronds are vase-shaped, 1 to 2 ½ feet long with glossy, leathery, serrated, holly-like compound leaflets (pinnae). The slender, arching fronds arise from erect, scaly rhizomes […]
Posted in acidic soil, compost, Container growing, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Evergreen, Ferns, Foliage plant, Holly Fern (Cyrtomium), mulching, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Japanese Holly Fern
