Get ready to alter your mindset with ‘Summer Gold’ Chinese (kousa) dogwood (Cornus kousa) (USDA hardiness zones 5-8). Its diminutive size, 8 to 10 feet high and 4 to 5 feet wide, makes it a great fit for a small city garden. Branching is distinctly upright, which partially accounts for its narrow space needs. ‘Summer […]
Archive for the ‘Trees & Shrubs’ Category
‘Summer Gold’ Kousa Dogwood
Posted by Hugh on April 27th, 2014
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Bee Favorite, Chinese (kousa) dogwood, compact tree, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Dogwood (Cornus), Ornamental fruit, Pruning, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, watering tips, Winter bark, winter hardiness 
Comments Off on ‘Summer Gold’ Kousa Dogwood‘Miss Kim’ Lilac Tackles Southeast U.S. Heat and Humidity
Posted by Hugh on April 17th, 2014
When northerners move south, they insist on growing lilacs (Syringa spp.). Southern U.S. heat and humidity often take their toll on these lovely fragrant and colorful spring flowering shrubs (USDA hardiness zones 3-8). One very popular and exceptionally reliable lilac is ‘Miss Kim’ lilac (S. pubescens ssp. patula ‘Miss Kim’). A cultivar of Manchurian lilac, […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Butterflies, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Fragrant, Hummingbird, Lilac (Syringa), Planting tips, Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Trees & Shrubs Comments Off on ‘Miss Kim’ Lilac Tackles Southeast U.S. Heat and HumidityPest Alert: Kudzu Bug- Plant Pest And Home Invader
Posted by Hugh on April 7th, 2014
Kudzu bug was first seen in Atlanta, Georgia in 2009. Currently, this plant pest and home invader has spread rapidly through the southern U.S. (to Texas) and as far north as eastern Maryland and southern Delaware. Kudzu bug belongs to the shield bug family (Plataspidae), but does emit a strong odor. It secretes a noxious […]
Posted in Garden Problems, Insect (Pest) Problems, Pesticide recommendations, Pests, Redbud, Southern Appalachian Region, Wisteria, Yellowwood Comments Off on Pest Alert: Kudzu Bug- Plant Pest And Home InvaderThree Beautiful Ornamental Crabapples
Posted by Hugh on April 4th, 2014
Crabapples (Malus spp.) get a bad rap! Many gardeners associated them with the old diseased and pest prone varieties planted a half-century ago. Modern cultivars make nice small ornamental trees. The new cultivars exhibit exceptional resistance to five serious diseases of crabapples: apple scab, fire blight, cedar-apple rust, leaf spot and powdery mildew. Three of […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Bee Favorite, compact tree, Crabapple, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Ornamental fruit, Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Weeping habit, winter hardiness Comments Off on Three Beautiful Ornamental CrabapplesAttracting Monarch Butterflies To Your Garden
Posted by Hugh on April 1st, 2014
From Canada to Mexico, gardeners are called upon to halt the decline of the Monarch butterfly populations across North America. The best way you can help is to fill your garden with Monarch’s favorite flowering nectar plants and milkweeds (Asclepias spp.). Plants should be sited in open full sun and moist well-drained soil. Avoid spraying […]
Posted in Aster, Black eyed Susan (Rudbeckia), Buddleia (Butterfly bush), Butterflies, Cosmos, Drought tolerant, Eupatorium 'Gateway', Eupatorium rugosum 'Chocolate', Flowers, Heat Tolerance, Lantana, Liatris, Marigold, Milkweeds (Asclepias), Monarda (Beebalm), Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Star zinnia, Stonecrop sedums, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, Zinnia Comments Off on Attracting Monarch Butterflies To Your GardenBeautiful Giant Dogwood Has Some Limitations
Posted by Hugh on March 28th, 2014
Giant dogwood (Cornus controversa) is a medium-sized deciduous tree that grows to 35 to 40 feet high (in the wild to 60 feet) in USDA hardiness zones 5 to 7. This Asian native (China and Japan) is cherished for its distinctive horizontal (tiered) branching habit. Giant dogwood prefers an acidic, organically rich, moisture, well-drained soil. […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Bee Favorite, Butterflies, Deer resistant, Disease prone, Dogwood (Cornus), Flowering, Insect (Pest) Problems, Medium sized Tree, Planting tips, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, winter hardiness Comments Off on Beautiful Giant Dogwood Has Some LimitationsServiceberry- Favorite Tree of Gardeners And Birdwatchers
Posted by Hugh on March 24th, 2014
On an early late winter’s morn, the frosty appearance from a nearby mountainside may actually be from our native serviceberries (Amelanchier spp.) (USDA hardiness zones 4-9). Serviceberry’s small white blooms frequently signals that winter’s end is near. Flowering may last 7-10 days. Downy serviceberry (A. arborea) and shrubby Allegheny serviceberry (A. laevis) are commonly planted. […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Bee Favorite, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, mulching, Native Plant, Planting tips, Serviceberry (Amelanchier), Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Trees & Shrubs, winter hardiness Comments Off on Serviceberry- Favorite Tree of Gardeners And BirdwatchersYoshino Flowering Cherry Is Southern Favorite
Posted by Hugh on March 21st, 2014
In The Southeast U.S. most ornamental flowering cherry trees (Prunus spp.) are challenged by summer heat and humidity. ‘Yoshino Cherry’ (Prunus x yedoensis) continues to be the top performer in the group (USDA hardiness zones 5-8). In 1912, the Japanese government gifted the United States 3000 Yoshino flowering cherries. In the years that followed, Yoshino […]
Posted in acidic soil, compact tree, Flowering, Fragrant, mulching, Pruning, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Winter bark, winter hardiness, Yoshino cherry (Prunus) Comments Off on Yoshino Flowering Cherry Is Southern FavoriteHypearls® St. John’s Wort Worth The Hype
Posted by Hugh on March 15th, 2014
St. John’s Wort’s (Hypericum spp.) are terrific landscape shrubs and ground covers with bright yellow flowers in late spring and colorful berry fruits starting in late summer (USDA hardiness zones 5-9). Bees and birds are attracted to flowers and fruits respectively. Hypearls® are a new series of hypericums. Cultivars are available in four compact growing […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Bee Favorite, compact shrub, Container growing, container shrub, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Heat Tolerance, Ornamental fruit, Southern Appalachian Region, St. John's Wort (Hypericum), Summer flowering, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips Comments Off on Hypearls® St. John’s Wort Worth The HypeStart Spring Out with Easy To Grow Japanese Pieris
Posted by Hugh on March 12th, 2014
Japanese pieris (Pieris japonica) offers a year-round show in a garden with evergreen foliage and showy bell-shaped blooms (USDA hardiness zones 5- 8). New spring foliage starts out bronze-colored and matures to dark green. Attractive, pendulous branches if ivory white flower appears in early spring. Remnants of the old seed heads generally persist into the […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bee Favorite, compact shrub, Evergreen, Flowering, Pieris japonica, Planting tips, Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Start Spring Out with Easy To Grow Japanese Pieris
