Alliums are a members of the lily family, containing 1100 species, including the edible kinds that you add to your burgers and salads. In the ornamental flower world include spring- blooming bulbs, culinary herbs and durable foliage and bountiful summer flowers. Whether your summer garden is located in a challenging part of the U.S. such […]
Archive for the ‘Bees and other pollinators’ Category
Rhizomatous Alliums
Posted by Hugh on July 1st, 2022
Posted in acidic soil, Alliums (onion), Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, Container garden, Culinary, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Flower arrangments, Herbs, Landscape ideas, mulching, Non-native, Perennials, Propagation (dividing), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant 
Comments Off on Rhizomatous AlliumsGrowing Healthy Blackberries in Your Garden
Posted by Hugh on June 19th, 2022
Yummy blackberries from the garden excel in flavor compared to store-bought. To get the most out of a blackberry planting, select a full sun location with well-drained organically rich loamy soils. The site should be close to a water supply to get the planting off to a good start and to maximize berry size and […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aggressive grower, Attracting birds, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Blackberries, compost, Deciduous, Disease resistant, Edible fruits, Fertilizing plants, Fruits & Vegetables, Harvest Time, Landscape ideas, mulching, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (layering), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Root suckering, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Virus diseases, watering tips, Weed control, Weeds, Wildlife attractant, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on Growing Healthy Blackberries in Your GardenTen Native Flowering Vines
Posted by Hugh on June 13th, 2022
Trees and shrubs are not the only woody landscape plants to invite into your landscape. Check out these ten native vines. But first do some homework. Some of these vines grow aggressively which can mean more maintenance work for you. Vines are a part of the vertical landscaping trend. They are also space-savers. Native flowering […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Balled and Burlapped (b&b), Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Butterflies, Clematis glaucophylla, Clematis spp., compost, Coral honeysuckle (L. sempervirens), Deciduous, Disease resistant, Flower arrangments, Fragrant, Ground cover, Hummingbird, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Passionflower (Passiflora), Pipevine (Aristolochia), Planting tips, Privacy Screen, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Trumpet Creeper (Campsis), Trumpet vine (Campsis), Vine, Virginia creeper, Wisteria Comments Off on Ten Native Flowering VinesPassionflower Vine
Posted by Hugh on June 7th, 2022
Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) is a fast-growing, trailing vine that climbs via axillary tendrils. It is woody where winter climes are warm. In zone 5, the foliage dies back to the ground in cold winters. This summer-flowering vine is native to the southeastern U.S. where you see it growing habitat in sandy soils along stream banks, roadsides, woodland edges, […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, Deciduous, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Ground cover, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Passionflower (Passiflora), Planting tips, Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Vine, Vine, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Passionflower VineCinnamon Clethra
Posted by Hugh on May 27th, 2022
Japanese clethra (Clethra barbinervis) is a large, upright, deciduous shrub or small tree (USDA 5-8). As a small tree it generally grows 10-20 feet tall and features horizontally drooping, terminal racemes (4-6 inches long); the white flowers are pleasantly fragrant. Its bloom period continues over several weeks from mid to late summer. In autumn, its […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Clethra, Deciduous, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Flowering, Flowering shrub, Landscape ideas, mulching, Non-native, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness Comments Off on Cinnamon ClethraAdding Compact Summer Flowering Shrubs
Posted by Hugh on May 24th, 2022
Yes, to reduce annual garden maintenance some gardeners are switching to space-saving flowering shrubs. Patio gardeners are popping compact shrubs into containers such as spireas, hydrangeas, crape myrtles, chaste tree, weigelias, and buddleias. They’re looking to add color and reduce their maintenance workload. Numerous new [rose] varieties have been created that are relatively resistant to the […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Buddleia (Butterfly bush), Container garden, container shrub, Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia), Deciduous, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Hummingbird, Hydrangeas, Landscape ideas, mulching, Non-native, Planting tips, Purchasing Plants, Roses, Roses (Shrub type), Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spirea (Spiraea), Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Vitex (Chaste tree), Weigela Comments Off on Adding Compact Summer Flowering ShrubsWhale’s Tongue Agave
Posted by Hugh on May 21st, 2022
Whale’s Tongue Agave Over the past 10-15 years, interest in growing agaves has really caught fire, whale’s tongue agave (Agave ovatifolia) in particular. It grows to 3 to 4 feet tall and 4 to 6 feet wide in 5 to 8 years, especially with summer water. Like many agaves, whale’s tongue blooms after 15-20 years, […]
Posted in acidic soil, Agave, alkaline soil, Bees and other pollinators, Cold tolerance, Container garden, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Evergreen, Fertilizing plants, Landscape ideas, Perennials, Planting tips, Purchasing Plants, Repotting plants, Soil drainage, Summer flowering, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on Whale’s Tongue AgaveSilk Tassel Sedge
Posted by Hugh on May 17th, 2022
‘Silk Tassel’ Japanese sedge is an outstanding Japanese sedge cultivar of Carex morrowii temnolepis. It is ornamentally grown in shade areas for its narrow (1/8 inch wide) variegated foliage (USDA hardiness zones 5 to 9). This dense, grass-like clump grows 12 inches high and 1 to 1 ½ feet spread. Let’s start with an old […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bees and other pollinators, Carex (Sedges), compost, Container garden, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Evergreen, Fall Garden Interest, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Ground cover, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, mulching, Non-native, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Silk Tassel SedgeLion’s Tail
Posted by Hugh on May 11th, 2022
Lion’s tail (Leonotis leonurus) is a tropical plant native to south Africa (USDA hardiness zones 8-11). I have seen used as a late summer – fall blooming annual in public gardens. Lion’s tail’s bright burnt orange flowers are standouts and receive great notice. The common name “Lion’s Ear” comes from the flowers resembling the color […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Autumn flowering, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, Deciduous, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Flowers, Heat Tolerance, Hummingbird, Landscape ideas, Lion's Tail (Leonotis), mulching, Non-native, Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, winter hardiness Comments Off on Lion’s TailChinese Fringetree
Posted by Hugh on May 6th, 2022
Chinese fringetree (Chionanthus retusus) is native to China, Korea and Japan (USDA hardiness zones 5-9). As with the native U.S. species (C. virginicus), this plant is noted for its fragrant white flowers. Gardeners first fall in love with this large, multi-stemmed, deciduous large multi-branched shrub. Some nurseries are also offering the Chinese form as a […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, compact tree, Deciduous, Deer resistant, Dioecious, Disease resistant, Fall Garden Interest, Flowering, Fringetree (Chionanthus), Landscape ideas, Medium sized Tree, mulching, Non-native, Planting tips, Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Shade tree, Small landscape tree, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness Comments Off on Chinese Fringetree
