Archive for the ‘Attracting birds’ Category

2025 Perennial Plant Of The Year – Clustered Mountainmint

Clustered mountain mint (Pycnanthemum muticum), aka “blunt mountain mint” or “short-toothed mountain mint”, is a tough and adaptable perennial native to meadows and open woodlands across much of the eastern U.S. west to Texas. (USDA Hardiness Zones 4 – 8) (AHS Heat Zones 4 -10). It is not a true mint (Mentha spp.) but belongs to […]

Temple of Bloom® Seven Son Flower

Few woody plants can matched for year-round beauty of Seven son flower. Temple of Bloom® is an outstanding selection from Proven Winners™ (PW) is a beautiful, easy to grow this deciduous small tree or large shrub. It grows 10 -20 feet tall and 6-10 feet wide. In spring, the handsome leaves emerge, each sporting dramatically deep […]

American Beautyberry

American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana), also called French mulberry, is a fast-growing deciduous shrub native to the southeastern U.S. It grows 4-6 feet tall and has an open branching form with arching branches. The genus name Callicarpa comes from Greek words meaning “beautiful fruit”. Starting in July, the plant bears clusters of small, pale pink flowers […]

Harlequin Glorybower

Harlequin Glorybower (Clerodendron trichotomum) is a rambling 15-foot-tall rambling shrub which can be easily shaped into a multi-stemmed 10-to-20-foot small tree. Glorybower shines in the late summer and early fall landscape. Its sweetly scented, very showy flowers attract the attention of gardeners as well as hummingbirds and butterflies. (USDA hardiness zones 7-10). Where I garden in Northeast Tennessee […]

Summer – Fall Care Of Oakleaf Hydrangeas

Oakleaf hydrangea is an upright, multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub that is native in the Southeastern U.S. (USDA hardiness zones 5-9). Oakleaf hydrangea should be planted in a sheltered location and winter protection (e.g., mulch, burlap wrap) in northerly areas USDA Zone 5, particularly when not fully established. Oakleaf grows in moist, fertile, well-drained soil in sun […]

Ten Powerhouse Summer Flowering Perennials

For many years of floral beauty in your perennial garden, get off to a good start. Plant in an area in full or partial sun along with good air circulation to avoid mildew and leaf spot disease problems. Before planting, generously amend soil with compost and well-drained ground. Irrigate the first year to establish the landscape planting. […]

Mimosa Tree – A Different Option

Over the hot spring and summer months, weedy Mimosa trees (Albizia julibrissin) stand beautiful along U.S roadsides. During the rest of the year, people pay very little attention to this arboreal Asian beauty that inhabit a vast area from Iran to China (USDA hardiness zones 6-9). YES, this tree can be invasive. Read on. From […]

Some Summer Perennials Reach New Heights

Celebrate this 4th of July with three giant flowering perennials: Giant coneflower, Joe Pye weed and Queen Of The Prairie Filpendula. Giant / Large coneflower (Rudbeckia maxima) is an herbaceous perennial that is grows in average, moist, well-drained soils in mostly full-day sun (USDA hardiness zones 4-9). Also called “Dumbo’s Ears”, it tolerates light shade, […]

‘Sun King’ Aralia Glows In the Summer Heat

Plants with golden foliage can brighten up almost any drab garden patch. Sun King golden aralia (Aralia cordata ‘Sun King’) is no exception, hardy in USDA hardiness zones 3-9. It is also known as Japanese spikenard and mountain asparagus. Under ideal conditions this thornless, rhizomatous, herbaceous perennial grows rapidly to 3-5 feet tall and as […]

Indian Pinks

Indian Pinks (Spigelia marilandica) is a strikingly beautiful native wildflower throughout central and southeastern U.S. It is sometimes called “woodland pinkroot”. This perennial grows well in many parts of the U.S. (Zones (5b-9). Plants emerge in mid-spring. Sometime in June, depending on locality, their bright red tubular flowers flare open, crowned by five sharply pointed […]