Three important objectives of area gardeners are: 1. Inviting more pollinators, 2. Growing more natives, and 3. Reducing garden maintenance. Gomphrenas, aka Globe amaranths, are becoming more recognized as outstanding annual flowering plants for Tennessee/Virginia/North Carolina gardens. Gomphrenas are North American natives (Texas, New Mexico, and northeastern Mexico) and are blooming machines in the heat, the […]
Archive for the ‘Attracting Butterflies’ Category
Globe Amaranth (Gomphrena)
Posted by Hugh on April 1st, 2022
Posted in Annuals, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Container garden, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fall Garden Interest, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Flower arrangments, Flowers, Globe amaranth (Gomphrena), Heat Tolerance, Honey bees, Landscape ideas, Mites, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips 
Comments Off on Globe Amaranth (Gomphrena)2022 Perennial Plant of the Year® Announced
Posted by Hugh on March 31st, 2022
2Since 1990 The Perennial Plant Association (PPA) has showcased a perennial that is a standout among its competitors! Perennials chosen for this honor are suitable for a wide range of growing climates, require low maintenance, have multiple-season interest, and are relatively pest/disease-free. Each year PPA members look at four nominated perennials and vote for their […]
Posted in Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Deciduous, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Environmental Conservation, Fall Garden Interest, Fertilizing plants, Flower arrangments, Ground cover, Landscape Construction, Landscape ideas, Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium), Native Plant, Ornamental Grasses, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips Comments Off on 2022 Perennial Plant of the Year® AnnouncedConeflower Variety Trials At MT. Cuba Center
Posted by Hugh on March 26th, 2022
Coneflowers (Echinacea spp) are immensely popular native flowering perennials prized for their summer floral beauty. Nine species of Echinacea are native in North America and are found primarily in the central and southeastern U.S. Additionally, some populations of Echinacea angustifolia extend from the U.S. northwards into southcentral Canada. Since the 1990s, a boom in Echinacea breeding has resulted in large numbers of new […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Breeding Plants, Bumble bees, Butterflies, Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Container garden, deadheading, Deciduous, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Honey bees, Hummingbird, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Perennials, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, Wildflower, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness Comments Off on Coneflower Variety Trials At MT. Cuba CenterBigleaf Magnolia
Posted by Hugh on March 6th, 2022
Bigleaf magnolia (Magnolia macrophylla) is a deciduous, native tree that reaches 30-40 feet tall. This unusual pyramidal tree magnolia is rarely found in the wild, inhabiting a few rich wooded areas in river valleys in the southeastern U.S. (USDA hardiness zones 5-8). With age, the tree develops a spreading rounded crown. Bigleaf magnolia is a […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Bigleaf hydrangea (H. macrophylla), Deciduous, Disease resistant, Landscape ideas, Medium sized Tree, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Ornamental fruit, Planting tips, Propagation (layering), Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Staking, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Bigleaf MagnoliaSo Many Great Amsonias
Posted by Hugh on January 11th, 2022
Amsonias, commonly called blue star, are a group of easy-to-grow, long-lived native perennials. These highly dependable plants offer three-seasons of landscape interest: showy, long-lasting blooms in spring (mostly in May); threadlike green foliage in summer; and yellow foliage in fall. Amsonias are native primarily to North America and belong to the dogbane plant family (Apocynaceae). This clump-forming perennial has […]
Posted in acidic soil, Amsonia (blue star), Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, Container garden, Deciduous, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Flower Arranging, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on So Many Great Amsonias2022 Perennial Plant Of the Year – Little Bluestem
Posted by Hugh on January 3rd, 2022
2022 Perennial Plant Of the Year – Little Bluestem The Perennial Plant Association (PPA) has named its 2022 Perennial of the Year — Little Bluestem (Schizachrium scoparum) (USDA hardiness zones 3-9). This ornamental grass was chosen because it is suitable for a wide range of growing climates, is low maintenance, and offers multiple-season interest. This North […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Container garden, Deciduous, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fall Garden Interest, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, Little bluestem (Schizachrium), Little bluestem (Schizachrium), Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium), Native Plant, Native Plant, Perennials, Propagation (dividing), Purchasing Plants, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Wildlife attractant, winter hardiness Comments Off on 2022 Perennial Plant Of the Year – Little Bluestem2020 Evaluation of Russian Sages By CBG
Posted by Hugh on November 16th, 2021
Russian sage (Perovskia spp.) is a popular garden and landscape plant valued for its lavender-blue flowers and long bloom period. Leaves are silvery green leaves. Long cultivated as an herbaceous perennial, Russian sage is technically a subshrub, a plant with a woody base that produces herbaceous stems. Perovskia spp. has recently renamed Salvia yangii and is a member […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, Container garden, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fall Garden Interest, Fertilizing plants, Flower arrangments, Fragrant, Heat Tolerance, Honey bees, Landscape ideas, Non-native, Perennials, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (dividing), Purchasing Plants, Russian sage (Perovskia), Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, winter hardiness Comments Off on 2020 Evaluation of Russian Sages By CBGPlants That Attract Birds To Your Property
Posted by Hugh on November 6th, 2021
Birds visit trees, shrubs, vines and perennials for five things: fruits (berries), sweet nectar (flowers), insects (particularly caterpillars), nuts and seeds, and shelter. This list is a compilation from the North Carolina and Tennessee chapters of the Audubon Society of ornamental plants common in the Southern Appalachian region. Trees and Shrubs Maples (Acer spp.) Downy […]
Posted in American Beech (F. grandifolia), Appalachian dogwood series, Arrowwood (V. dentatum), Ash (Fraxinus), Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Basswood (linden), Bee Favorite, Beech (Fagus spp.), Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Blackhaw viburnum (V. prunifolium), Bur oak (Q. macrocarpa), Columbine (Aquilegia), Container garden, Coreopsis, Coreopsis 'Gold Standard, Cotoneaster, Crabapple, Deciduous holly, Dogwood (Cornus), European beech (F. sylvatica), Goldenrod (Solidago), Hawthorn (Crataegus), Hemlock (Tsuga), Ilex (hollies), Inkberry Holly (Ilex), Juniper, Landscape ideas, Linden (Tilia), Lobelia (cardnial flower), Magnolia virginiana, Monarda (Beebalm), Mountain ash (Sorbus), Native Plant, Ornamental cherry (Prunus), Ornamental fruit, Penstemon, Possum haw (Ilex decidua), Purchasing Plants, Pyracantha (firethorn), Red oak (Quercus), Rudbeckia 'Herbstonne', Sage (Salvia), Sedum (Shrub type), Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer phlox (P. paniculata), Symphyotrichum (asster), Vine, White Wood Aster (Eurybia), Wildlife attractant, Willows (Salix), Winter Garden Interest, Witherod (Viburnum nudum, Yarrow (Achillea) Comments Off on Plants That Attract Birds To Your PropertyCoral honeysuckle
Posted by Hugh on October 6th, 2021
Coral honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens), aka trumpet honeysuckle, is a vigorous twining flowering vine that is primarily native to the southeastern U.S. (USDA hardiness zones 4 -8). Cultivars are available in shades of red, orange. and yellow. The colorful flowers appear in spring and summer, and colorful berries decorate in late summer and autumn. Invite hummingbirds […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Coral honeysuckle (Lonicera), Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Flower arrangments, Ground cover, Honeysuckle (Lonicera), Hummingbird, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Planting tips, Powdery mildew, Privacy Screen, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Shade Gardening, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Staking, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Vine, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Coral honeysuckleFuzzy Bolivian Sage
Posted by Hugh on September 27th, 2021
The large and bright fuzzy blossoms of Bolivian Spearhead Sage (Salvia oxyphora), aka Fuzzy Bolivian Sage, should catch your eye in late summer and early autumn. Equally attractive is the plant’s lush tropical-like glossy green foliage. This sage inhabits the edges of moist forests in the foothills of the Andes. It is grown as an annual in full sun in Northern […]
Posted in acidic soil, Annuals, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, deadheading, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Downy mildew, Fall Garden Interest, Fertilizing plants, Landscape ideas, mulching, Non-native, Planting tips, Powdery mildew, Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Salvia, Salvia oxyphora, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips Comments Off on Fuzzy Bolivian Sage
