Bloody cranesbill (Geranium sanguineum) – short 9-12 inches high clump forming groundcover that bears purple flowers in May-June. Its deeply cut foliage green leaves turn shades of red after first frost. (Zones 3-8). Red leaf mukdenia (Mukdenia rossii) – fanned, maple-like leaves emerge bright green in spring, age to bronze-green in summer, and finish green […]
Archive for the ‘Attracting birds’ Category
Perennials With Great Autumn Foliage
Posted by Hugh on August 21st, 2020
Posted in acidic soil, Amsonia (blue star), Attracting birds, Autumn fern (Dryopteris), Autumn flowering, Bees and other pollinators, Bin bluestem (Andropogon), Calamagrostis, compost, Disease resistant, Environmental Conservation, Fall Garden Interest, Ferns, Flower Arranging, Honey bees, Landscape ideas, Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium), mulching, Native Plant, Ornamental Grasses, Pennisetum spp., Perennials, Planting tips, Plumbago (Leadwort), Propagation (dividing), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Solomon's seal, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Switchgrass (Panicum), Wildlife attractant, winter hardiness 
Comments Off on Perennials With Great Autumn FoliageMarginal Plants For Wet Areas
Posted by Hugh on August 16th, 2020
Most perennials demand well-drained soil. They perform poorly or die out when in ground that is constantly wet and soggy. However, a small number of perennials tolerate and even thrive in moist soils. Most plants listed here are all hardy within zones 5-8, and grow best in moist, humus-rich, well-drained soil. Most are okay getting their feet (roots and crown) wet for […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Baneberry (Actaea), Bayberry (Myrica), Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Bin bluestem (Andropogon), Birch (Betula spp.), Brunnera 'Jack Frost', Butterflies, Calamagrostis, Canna lily, Carex (Sedges), Container garden, Cornus sanguinea, Cornus sericea, Dawn redwood (Metasequoia), Deciduous, Eupatorium 'Gateway', Eupatorium rugosum 'Chocolate', Farfugium, Ferns, Filipendula, Ground cover, Hakone grass, Hardy begonia (B. grandis), Hellebores, Hibiscus coccineus, Hibiscus moscheutos, Hosta, Hummingbird, Hydrangea arborescens, Ilex (hollies), Iris, Kerria, Landscape ideas, Lobelia (cardnial flower), Magnolia virginiana, Maidenhair fern (Adiantum), Milkweeds (Asclepias), Muhly grass, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Nepeta (catmint), Northern sea oats (Chasmanthium), Obedient plant (Physotegia), Ornamental Grasses, Papyrus, Perennials, Planting tips, Purchasing Plants, river birch, Rodgersia, Sedges (Carex), Shade Gardening, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Summersweet (Clethra), Switchgrass (Panicum), Toadlily (Tricyrtis), Tradescantia (Spiderwort), Trees & Shrubs, Virginia sweetspire, watering tips, Weigela, Winterberry holly Comments Off on Marginal Plants For Wet AreasSeven Late Summer Perennial Gems
Posted by Hugh on August 1st, 2020
The following seven (7) perennials provide gorgeous floral color in mixed perennial beds in late summer and into fall. Flowers attract pollinators, including lots of bees, butterflies, and an occasional hummingbird. ‘Blue Fortune’ Giant Hyssop (Agastache x ‘Blue Fortune’) offers lavender-blue flowers during a long hot summer extending into early fall. Leaves emit a minty-anise […]
Posted in acidic soil, Agastache (Hyssop), Aster, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Butterflies, Chrysanthemum, compost, Container garden, Culinary, deadheading, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fall Garden Interest, Fragrant, Ground cover, Heuchera (coralbells), Hummingbird, Landscape Construction, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Plumbago (Leadwort), Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Russian sage (Perovskia), Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Symphyotrichum (asster), Turtlehead (Chelone), watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Seven Late Summer Perennial GemsAttracting Hummingbirds
Posted by Hugh on July 6th, 2020
This time of year many gardeners are setting out bird feeders, including those filled with a sugar solution to encourage hummingbirds to visit your garden. Unfortunately, the sugary drink will also attracts numerous ants, bees, and wasps. When warm spring and summer weather arrives, the solution clouds up with bacteria which ferments or perhaps fatal […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Annuals, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Butterflies, Container garden, Daylilies, Disease resistant, Environmental issues, Fall Garden Interest, Foxglove (Digitalis), Honey bees, Honeysuckle (Lonicera), Landscape ideas, Lantana, Liatris, Lobelia (cardnial flower), Monarda (Beebalm), Native Plant, Native Plant, Native wildflowers, Nepeta (catmint), Penstemon, Perennials, Phlox, Purchasing Plants, Rhododendrons, Sage (Salvia), Salvia, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Summer phlox (P. paniculata), Trees & Shrubs, Vine, Weigela, Wildlife attractant Comments Off on Attracting HummingbirdsTorch Lilies (Kniphofia)
Posted by Hugh on July 1st, 2020
Torch lilies (Kniphofia spp.) are easy to grow long-lived perennials from South Africa that are remarkably (USDA hardiness zones 5-9). They go by a number of common names including red hot poker and tritoma. The colorful floral spikes (and a little imagination) resemble fiery torches or sizzling pokers, visited often by hummingbirds, bees and butterflies. […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, deadheading, Deciduous, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Flower Arranging, Flower arrangments, Hummingbird, Landscape ideas, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Red hot Poker (Kniphofia), Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Torch lily (red hot poker), watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Torch Lilies (Kniphofia)Compass Plant – Prairie Giant
Posted by Hugh on June 26th, 2020
Compass Plant (Silphium laciniatum) are impressive prairie plants that look like – but are not – sunflowers. Native to the central U.S. (USDA hardiness zones 3 to 8), these sturdy prairie giants grow upwards of 5-8 feet in height (1.5 – 3 feet wide) on stiff, hairy, resinous stems. The group (Silphiums) are also called […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Compass Plant (Silphium), Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Uncategorized, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Compass Plant – Prairie GiantGrowing Coneflowers
Posted by Hugh on May 6th, 2020
No question, coneflowers have changed greatly over the past quarter century. Varieties are now available in many color shades and plants demonstrate improved longevity. Current cultivars grow alot shorter. However, some hybrid forms have been disappointing, barely surviving 1-2 years. When choosing coneflowers, Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) is my #1 favorite for dependability (USDA hardiness […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Container garden, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (dividing), Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering iris, Wildflowers, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness Comments Off on Growing ConeflowersNew Weigelas Keep Coming
Posted by Hugh on April 16th, 2020
Native to Japan, Korea, and China, flowering weigelas (Weigela florida) are reliable old-fashioned shrubs bearing pink or rose colored blooms in mid-spring. This deciduous shrub has an arching branch habit. New weigelas are now appearing at local garden centers. Older cultivars, typically 6 to 9 feet in height, are being replaced with compact 2 – 5 feet […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, compact shrub, Container garden, Container growing, Deciduous, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Hummingbird, Landscape ideas, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Re-Bloomers, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Weigela, winter hardiness Comments Off on New Weigelas Keep ComingYellow Flowering Magnolias
Posted by Hugh on April 6th, 2020
Deciduous magnolias (Magnolia spp.) are popular landscape plants because of their bright cheery spring flowers. Breeding efforts back in the 1970’s created a new class of deciduous yellow-flowering magnolias. In 1978, the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens introduced the first, Magnolia ‘Elizabeth’ (creamy white). Yellow magnolias are hybrid crosses between M. acuminata, M. subcordata, M. denudata, among […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Balled and Burlapped (b&b), Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, compost, Deciduous, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Magnolia, Medium sized Tree, mulching, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation(grafting), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Yellow Flowering Magnolias‘Alleghany’ Viburnum – A Versatile Spring Flowering Shrub
Posted by Hugh on February 26th, 2020
Alleghany viburnum (Viburnum x rhytidophylloides ‘Alleghany’) is a hybrid cross between V. rhytidophyllum and V. lantana ‘Mohican’ (USDA hardiness zones 5-8). ‘Alleghany’ viburnum is rated a four season landscape shrub, with multiple year-round appeal including a durable semi-evergreen leathery foliage, dependable spring flowering, and showy fruits in fall and winter. This lovely spring flowering shrub grows 10-12 feet tall and […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Deciduous, Drought tolerant, Landscape ideas, mulching, Planting tips, Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Uncategorized, Viburnum 'Alleghany', Viburnums, winter hardiness Comments Off on ‘Alleghany’ Viburnum – A Versatile Spring Flowering Shrub
