If you are designing a new perennial garden, here are five proven perennials to start out with. All varieties are standout garden performers known for their long blooming period and showy flowers. Coreopsis and veronica are often utilized for edging along a sunny border. All can be planted in mixed containers. ‘Pow Wow Wild Berry’ coneflower (Echinacea […]
Archive for the ‘Attracting Butterflies’ Category
Five Perennial Staples For Your Summer Garden
Posted by Hugh on May 23rd, 2017
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, compost, Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Container garden, Coreopsis, deadheading, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Hummingbird, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Shasta daisy (Leucanthemum), Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Veronica (speedwells), watering tips, winter hardiness 
Comments Off on Five Perennial Staples For Your Summer GardenFive Reliable Summer – Early Fall Flowering Perennials
Posted by Hugh on May 18th, 2017
Planning a new perennial garden this summer?Include these five very dependable flowering perennials. All are low maintenance and are U.S. natives (USDA Zones 4–8). ‘Zagreb’ (Coreopsis verticillata) has a very uniform plant habit and finely dissected foliage. Plant grows only about 20 -24 inches tall, and is blanketed with bright yellow (gold) flowers coupled with […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aster, Attracting Butterflies, Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, compost, Container garden, Coreopsis, deadheading, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Goldenrod (Solidago), Heat Tolerance, Heliopsis (False sunflower), Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Perennials, Phlox, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (dividing), Pruning, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Five Reliable Summer – Early Fall Flowering PerennialsChinese Fringetree Is Versatile Landscape Tree
Posted by Hugh on May 8th, 2017
Chinese fringetree (Chionanthus retusus) is native to China, Korea and Japan (Zone: 6 to 9a). Related to native U.S. species (C. virginicus), fringetrees are noted for their profuse spring bloom of fragrant white flowers. It is most often seen in cultivation as a large, multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub growing to 15 – 20 feet tall with a […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Borers, compact shrub, compact tree, Container growing, container shrub, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fragrant, Fringetree (Chionanthus), Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, Mites, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Scale, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness Comments Off on Chinese Fringetree Is Versatile Landscape TreeU.S. Native Bleeding Hearts Dazzle In Woodland Garden
Posted by Hugh on May 5th, 2017
One of nature’s delights in the late spring – early summer garden is the wonder of bleeding hearts (Dicentra spp.) in bloom (USDA hardiness zones 3-9). Fringed bleeding heart (D. exima) is a U.S. native to the Appalachian Mountains. Fringed bleeding heart exhibits deeply-cut, fern-like, grayish-green foliage on 10-15 inch tall plants. Dangling bright pink pendant (or heart) flowers […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Aphids, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bleeding Hearts (Dicentra), compost, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Hummingbird, mulching, Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Slugs, Snails, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, Wildflowers, winter hardiness Comments Off on U.S. Native Bleeding Hearts Dazzle In Woodland GardenBigroot Geranium
Posted by Hugh on May 3rd, 2017
Bigroot geranium (Geranium macrorrhizum), aka “cranesbill”, is a clump-forming perennial ground cover from Southern Europe (USDA Zones 3–8). It is one of the easiest geraniums to grow. Plants spread by thick rhizomes to form a dense ground cover. Individual plants grow 12 to 18 inches high and 18-24 inches spread. The 1-inch wide, 5-petaled dark […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Cranesbill (Geranium), deadheading, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Fragrant, Ground cover, Perennials, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (dividing), Pruning, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, winter hardiness Comments Off on Bigroot GeraniumVirginia Sweetspire — A Standout Native Shrub
Posted by Hugh on April 12th, 2017
Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica) is a native shrub that touts showy white raceme flowers in late spring and brilliant reddish purple foliage in fall (USDA hardiness zones 5-9). Flowers are very fragrant and attracts hundreds of bees and other pollinators. VA sweetspire excels in moist, humus-rich, mildly acidic soils (pH 5.2-6.5). In its native habitat, […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, Container garden, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Fragrant, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Virginia sweetspire, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Virginia Sweetspire — A Standout Native ShrubAnnual Flowering Vines
Posted by Hugh on March 17th, 2017
This spring try vertical gardening. There are a number of annual flowering vines that grow in either the ground or in a large container. Some offer cooling shade on a deck or patio. Vines are highly ornamental with attractive flowers, foliage, and/or fruits. Annual vines grow quickly after planting. Plant seeds of these vines at the base of […]
Posted in Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, Hummingbird, Hyacinth Bean, Poisonous or toxic, Purchasing Plants, Spanish flag, Sweet pea vine (Lathyrus odoratus) Comments Off on Annual Flowering VinesGetting A Sourwood Tree Going
Posted by Hugh on February 26th, 2017
Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum) is one of our most beautiful U.S. native trees. Trees often grow multi-stemmed or shrub-like to 20-30 feet or in tree form to 35-40 feet high and narrow in spread. Trying to establish a new tree can be challenging. In the wild sourwoods are often found growing in shallow soils on steep […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, mulching, Native Plant, Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Sourwood (Oxydendrum), Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Transplant problem, Trees & Shrubs, winter hardiness Comments Off on Getting A Sourwood Tree GoingFour Very Different Annuals You Should Try
Posted by Hugh on February 23rd, 2017
I asked three regional horticulturists to identify an under-planted drought tolerant annual. Here are four (4) that they recommended: Drumstick flower or “Billy Buttons” (Craspedia globosa) produces a golden-yellow display of spherical flowers that often reach the size of golf balls (USDA plant hardiness zones 8-11). The silvery-gray foliage reaches about 2 feet tall and wide, […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, Container garden, Drought tolerant, Drumstick flw. (Craspedia), Evolvulus, Fertilizing plants, Flowers, Ground cover, Heat Tolerance, Hummingbird, mulching, Planting tips, Plectranthus, Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Salvia, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Four Very Different Annuals You Should TryExceptionally Hardy ‘Margarita’ Carolina Yellow Jessamine
Posted by Hugh on February 21st, 2017
Carolina yellow jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens) is a lovely ignored native vine. It is native from Virginia to Texas to Florida, easily spotted growing in a sunny location growing on trees (USDA zones 6-9). It is the state flower of South Carolina. Grow it as a trellised vine or as a low shrub-like mound (ground cover). Flowers often serve as an early call […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aggressive grower, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Evergreen, Fertilizing plants, Fragrant, Ground cover, Jessamine (Gelsemium), Native Plant, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Staking, Summer flowering, Trees & Shrubs, Vine, winter hardiness, Winter Protection 
Tags: Vines Comments Off on Exceptionally Hardy ‘Margarita’ Carolina Yellow Jessamine
