Many beneficial garden insects, such as ladybugs and ground beetles, struggle to find habitats in our manicured gardens. Consider creating an attractive wildlife wall to lure them in. Keep them happy and they will help reduce harmful pest populations. Dr. Douglas Tallamy, through his thoughtful book “Inviting Nature In” and other writings, have spurred gardeners to invite more beneficial […]
Archive for the ‘Bee Favorite’ Category
Building A Wildlife Wall In Your Garden
Posted by Hugh on April 1st, 2015
Posted in Bee Favorite, Garden ecology, Iceplant (Delasperma), Sempervivens, Southern Appalachian Region, Stonecrop sedums, Uncategorized 
Comments Off on Building A Wildlife Wall In Your GardenThe Forsythia Revolution
Posted by Hugh on March 29th, 2015
In most areas of the U.S., the golden yellow blossoms of forsythia (Forsythia x intermedia) signals that worst of winter weather is almost over (USDA hardiness zones 4 to 8). Over 2-3 weeks bright yellow flowers cover this easy to grow shrub. Priced at under $20, a good-sized forsythia […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aggressive grower, alkaline soil, Bee Favorite, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Forsythia, Green Privacy Screen, Planting tips, Privacy Screen, Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Winter flowering, winter hardiness Comments Off on The Forsythia RevolutionDouble Knockout® Roses
Posted by Hugh on March 9th, 2015
Knockout® roses continue to wow gardeners across the U.S. (USDA hardiness zones 5 to 9). The original Knock Out series grew 5 to 8 feet tall and 4 to 6 feet wide. Shorter growing Double Knockout® series make better fit in most urban gardens at 3 to 4 feet high and 3 to 4 feet wide. Double […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bee Favorite, Butterflies, container shrub, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Fragrant, mulching, Planting tips, Roses, shrub roses, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Double Knockout® RosesThe Winterhazels Bloom In Late March Garden
Posted by Hugh on March 6th, 2015
Winterhazels (Corylopsis spp.), native to China and Japan, represent a group of winter flowering shrubs of varying heights and widths (USDA hardiness zones 5 to 8). Few U.S. gardeners know them. Their bright yellow colored flowers are larger and showier than witchhazels (Hamamelis spp.). Flowering begins as the witchhazels (they’re […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bee Favorite, compact shrub, compost, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Flowering, Fragrant, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Winter flowering, winter hardiness, Winterhazels (Corylopsis) Comments Off on The Winterhazels Bloom In Late March GardenRose Care Starts With A Good Planting Site
Posted by Hugh on March 4th, 2015
Roses should be planted 4 feet apart on a garden site that receives 6 to 8 hours of sun. The garden soil must be well-drained and pH between 6.0 and 6.5. Prevent disease problems by providing good air movement between plants and not crowd them. Spring thru mid- summer is an ideal period to plant roses to allow […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bee Favorite, Butterflies, compost, container shrub, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Flowering, Flowers, Fragrant, mulching, plant nutrition, Planting tips, Pruning, Roses, shrub roses, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips Comments Off on Rose Care Starts With A Good Planting SiteSpicebush – The Native Plant And The Butterfly
Posted by Hugh on March 1st, 2015
U.S. native spicebush (Lindera benzoin) is a beautiful landscape plant (USDA hardiness zones 4-9) for an open or woodland garden. Spicebush matures into a 12-15 feet tall and wide large shrub or small tree over many years. Light green deciduous leaves, 3 to 5 inches long, are delightfully fragrant when-crushed. Leaves is the preferred food for the […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Bee Favorite, Butterflies, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Edible fruits, Fragrant, Native Plant, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (Seed), Southern Appalachian Region, Spicebush (Lindera benzoin), Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Wildlife attractant, winter hardiness Comments Off on Spicebush – The Native Plant And The ButterflyFairy Wings (Epimediums) Carefree Shady Groundcovers
Posted by Hugh on February 26th, 2015
Fairy wings, aka barrenwort (Epimedium spp.) thrive in shady spots. Fairy wings continue to be a plant collector’s dream. There are over 70 cultivars to choose and new hybrid selections coming along every year. No two cultivars are alike in flowering, foliage size and color. Species will vary from 6 to 20 inches in height […]
Posted in acidic soil, Barrenwort (Epimedium), Bee Favorite, Butterflies, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Ground cover, Heat Tolerance, Perennials, Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Fairy Wings (Epimediums) Carefree Shady GroundcoversGrowing Zone 6 Hardy Camellias 101
Posted by Hugh on February 13th, 2015
Drs. William L. Ackerman with the USDA (deceased) developed bred a series of interspecific crosses between C. oleifera and C. sasanqua, C. hiemalis, or C. vernalis selections. Many, not all, are identified as the Winter series because they bloom in the fall into very early winter. Dr. Clifford […]
Posted in acidic soil, Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Camellia, compost, Disease resistant, Evergreen, mulching, Planting tips, Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips Comments Off on Growing Zone 6 Hardy Camellias 101‘Biokova’ Cranesbill Dependable Year-Round Ground Cover
Posted by Hugh on February 5th, 2015
Biokova is not a new geranium, aka cranesbill (Geranium x cantebrigiense ‘Biokova’). Its exceptional landscape performance has earned the 2015 Perennial Plant of the Year designation. Cranesbills are highly dependable perennial ground cover for partial sun to partial shade landscape sites (USDA hardiness zones 5-8). Among the better choices of cranesbills, ‘Biokova’ has proven exceptionally reliable here […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bee Favorite, Butterflies, Cranesbill (Geranium), Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Ground cover, Perennials, Planting tips, Pruning, Shade Gardening, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness Comments Off on ‘Biokova’ Cranesbill Dependable Year-Round Ground CoverWinter Blooming Flowering Apricot
Posted by Hugh on January 28th, 2015
Flowering apricot (Prunus mume) is native to southeastern Asia(USDA hardiness zones 6-8). It is primarily grown for its mid to late winter bloom of pink flowers. This small 15-20 feet tall tree grows in average well-drained, acidic soils in full sun to partial shade. Avoid planting in heavy or wet soils. Most abundant flowering occurs in full sun. In the […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Bee Favorite, compact tree, Disease prone, Drought tolerant, Edible fruits, Flowering, Flw. apricot (Prunus mume), Fragrant, Harvest Time, Heat Tolerance, Planting tips, Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Rabbit/deer Protection, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Winter flowering, winter flowering tree, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on Winter Blooming Flowering Apricot
