You do not need to cut perennials back in the fall, but many gardeners do so as part of the garden cleanup. Don’t rush the job. Leaves of many perennial plants continue to produce and store carbohydrates in crowns and roots until they go fully dormant. Wait until after the first hard frost or until […]
Archive for the ‘Bees and other pollinators’ Category
Fall Trimming Of Perennials
Posted by Hugh on October 23rd, 2017
Posted in acidic soil, Artemisia, Aster, Attracting birds, Bees and other pollinators, Black eyed Susan (Rudbeckia), Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), deadheading, Drought tolerant, Echinops (Globe thistles), Fall Garden Interest, Hellebores, Landscape ideas, Lavender (Lavandula), Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium), mulching, Ornamental fruit, Ornamental Grasses, Perennials, Planting tips, Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Russian sage (Perovskia), Sedum (Groundcover types), Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Stonecrop sedums, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, winter hardiness 
Comments Off on Fall Trimming Of PerennialsPlant American Beautyberry For A Fall Show
Posted by Hugh on October 20th, 2017
American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) is a loose open growing shrub valued for its spectacular fruits in the fall (USDA hardiness zones 6-10). The growth rate of this native shrub is rapid, eventually reaching 4-7 feet in height and 4-6 feet in spread within 5 years after planting. Beautyberry thrives in a moist, humus-rich, mildly acidic, well-drained soil […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Beautyberry (Callicarpa spp.), Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, Container garden, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Environmental Conservation, Fertilizing plants, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Ornamental fruit, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Rabbit/deer Protection, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Wildlife attractant, winter hardiness Comments Off on Plant American Beautyberry For A Fall ShowComparing Heritage® Vs Duraheat® River Birch
Posted by Hugh on October 6th, 2017
In general, most species of our native birches (Betula spp.) grow best in cool, northern areas of the U.S. They are found growing along the sides of rivers, lakes, streams, and mountainous areas (USDA Zones 4-9). Most birches (not all) are recognized for their distinctive gray to white bark. Birch species with the whitest of bark […]
Posted in Attracting birds, Bees and other pollinators, Birch (Betula spp.), Chlorosis (yellowing), Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, Medium sized Tree, mulching, Native Plant, Planting tips, Propagation(grafting), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, river birch, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Winter bark, winter flowering tree, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness Comments Off on Comparing Heritage® Vs Duraheat® River BirchHalloween Pumpkins And Gourds
Posted by Hugh on October 3rd, 2017
It’s Pumpkin Time!…celebration of Halloween across America. A local pumpkin farm had over 60 kinds of pumpkins to choose from. According to the Missouri Botanical Gardens website: “the term pumpkin really has no botanical meaning”. Pumpkins and gourds are classified as squashes in the Cucurbitaceae family along with cucumbers and melons. If you want to grow […]
Posted in acidic soil, Anthracnose, Aphids, Bees and other pollinators, Borers, Cucumbers, Disease prone, Downy mildew, Fertilizing plants, Fruits & Vegetables, Gourd, Melons, mulching, Ornamental vegetables, Pesticide recommendations, plant nutrition, Planting tips, Powdery mildew, Propagation (Seed), Squash, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, Weed control, Wildlife attractant Comments Off on Halloween Pumpkins And GourdsEliminating Messy Fruits From Large Landscape Trees
Posted by Hugh on September 21st, 2017
Messy fruit from yard trees are dreaded by property owners as well as park and city employees. Some notorious culprits are sweetgums, sycamores (planetrees), oaks, mulberries, persimmons, and (female) ginkgoes. Fruits include hundreds of hard nuts or pulpy, smelly, and potentially hazardous covering sidewalks, driveways, and parking lots. Foliar sprays are available to reduce or eliminate […]
Posted in Ash (Fraxinus), Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Black locust (Robinia), Crabapple, Environmental Conservation, Fringetree (Chionanthus), Fruit thinning, Garden ecology, Ginkgo biloba, Hickory (Carya spp.), Honeylocust (Gleditsia), Ilex (hollies), Kentucky coffeetree, Kwanzan cherry, Landscape ideas, Large Shade trees, Mulberry (Morus), Native Plant, Oaks (Quercus spp.), Ornamental fruit, Persimmon (Diospyros), Pesticide recommendations, pin oak, Pollination needs, Purchasing Plants, Redbud, Southern Appalachian Region, Sweetgum (Liquidambar), Sycamore (Platanus), Trees & Shrubs Comments Off on Eliminating Messy Fruits From Large Landscape TreesRobb’s Spurge (Euphorbia)
Posted by Hugh on September 15th, 2017
I always been a fan of spurges, but some have not perform well in my garden. One that does not disappoint is Robb’s spurge (Euphorbia amygdaloides var. robbiae), aka “Mrs. Robb’s Bonnet”. This evergreen spurge grows equally well in either sun or shade, including dry shade (USDA hardiness zones 6-8). This carefree slowly spreading groundcover displays shiny, dark green, […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aggressive grower, alkaline soil, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Container garden, container shrub, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Garden paths, Ground cover, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, mulching, Perennials, Planting tips, Poisonous or toxic, Poisonous plant, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (dividing), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Spurge (Euphorbia), Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, Winter flowering, winter hardiness Comments Off on Robb’s Spurge (Euphorbia)Multi-Purpose Lavender Spur Flowers Sparkle In The Cool Fall Air
Posted by Hugh on September 6th, 2017
Lavender Spur Flower (Plectranthus Mona Lavender™) is a fast growing flowering annuial that is full of lavender blue flowers from late summer to autumn frost (USDA hardiness zones 9-11). Flowers can usually cope with light frosts of 25 – 30° F in early autumn. Plants grow 2 to 2.5 feet tall and wide forming […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Autumn flowering, Bees and other pollinators, compost, Container garden, Disease resistant, Fall Garden Interest, Fertilizing plants, Flowers, Heat Tolerance, Hummingbird, Landscape ideas, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Spur Flower (Plectranthus), Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Multi-Purpose Lavender Spur Flowers Sparkle In The Cool Fall AirPlant Late For Fall Pollinators
Posted by Hugh on September 3rd, 2017
Don’t give up gardening in the fall. Many beneficial insects depend on the terrific job that you are doing. The following is a sample listing of annuals and perennials that can employ to support pollinators in the fall. Included are many fall-blooming annuals and perennials. When designing a pollinator-friendly landscapes, include an adequate number of these fall-blooming plants […]
Posted in acidic soil, Anemone, Angelonias, Aster, Attracting Butterflies, Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Black eyed Susan (Rudbeckia), Blanket flower (Gaillardia), Butterflies, Calibrachoa (Million bells), Canna lily, Canna lily, Chrysanthemum, Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Container garden, Coreopsis, Coreopsis 'Flower Tower', Coreopsis 'Gold Standard, Coreopsis 'Last Dance', Cosmos, Dahlia, Diascias, Fall Garden Interest, Fall sunflower (Helianthus spp.), Flowers, Globe amaranth (Gomphrena), Ironweed (Vernonia), Landscape ideas, Native Plant, Ornamental Grasses, Perennials, Petunias, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Salvia, Sedum, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Sunflower (Helianthus), Sunflowers, Texas Sage (Salvia), Toadlily (Tricyrtis), Turtlehead (Chelone), watering tips Comments Off on Plant Late For Fall PollinatorsCrown Of Thorns Is A Versatile Plant
Posted by Hugh on August 30th, 2017
Crown of Thorns plant (Euphorbia milii) is a thorny slow growing succulent native to Madagascar (USDA hardiness zones 9-11). In colder regions of the U.S., it is an easy- care flowering houseplant that seems to thrive on neglect. It blooms almost year-round. Outside, in a garden setting, it blooms nonstop from spring thru mid-fall here in the Mid-South […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bees and other pollinators, Container garden, Crown of Thorns (Euphorbia), Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Flowering house plant, Heat Tolerance, Interior (house) Plants, Landscape ideas, Planting tips, Potting Mix, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Tropical Plants (non-hardy), watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Crown Of Thorns Is A Versatile PlantMussaenda: A Stunning Tropical For Summer Gardens
Posted by Hugh on August 27th, 2017
Mussaenda (Mussaenda spp.) is a small tropical tree or large shrub. It’s a spectacular bloomer that grows to 10-15 feet tall in tropical zones (USDA zones 10-12). It is sometimes called “tropical dogwood” or “Buddah’s lamp”. In large containers it will reach 1-3 feet tall. Mussaenda blooms from late spring to mid-fall in mild-winter areas. Bloom […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aphids, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, Container garden, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, Mealy bugs, Mites, mulching, Mussaenda, Planting tips, Potting Mix, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on Mussaenda: A Stunning Tropical For Summer Gardens
