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 […]
Archive for the ‘Beneficial insects’ Category
Plant Late For Fall Pollinators
Posted by Hugh on September 3rd, 2017
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 PollinatorsSee Your Perennials Blooming Again
Posted by Hugh on June 4th, 2017
Deadheading is the removal of old spent flowers and stems of many perennials. Many (not all) perennials will respond and bloom a second and even a third time. Deadheading also refreshes the plant’s appearance and reduces or eliminates the threat of seed dispersal. It redirects the plant’s energy away from seed production toward root and vegetative growth. […]
Posted in Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Blanket flower (Gaillardia), Butterflies, Butterfly weed (Asclepias), Columbine (Aquilegia), Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Container garden, Coreopsis, Culver's Root (veronicastrum), Delphinium, Dianthus (Pinks), Fertilizing plants, Flowers, Gaura, Heat Tolerance, Helenium, Heliopsis (False sunflower), Hummingbird, Indian pink (Spigelia), Lavender (Lavandula), Milkweeds (Asclepias), Monarda (Beebalm), mulching, Native Plant, Perennials, Phlox, plant nutrition, Planting tips, Platycodon (Balloon flower), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Re-Bloomers, Red hot Poker (Kniphofia), Russian sage (Perovskia), Sage (Salvia), Sanitation, Shasta daisy (Leucanthemum), Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Stokesia, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Summer phlox (P. paniculata), Sunflower (Helianthus), Torch lily (red hot poker), Tradescantia (Spiderwort), Veronica (speedwells), watering tips, Weed control, Yarrow (Achillea) Comments Off on See Your Perennials Blooming AgainFall In Love With Haas’ Halo® Hydrangea
Posted by Hugh on June 1st, 2017
Anyone walking through your garden will stop to see Haas Halo®) hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens Haas Halo®). This native smooth hydrangea has intense blue-green, leathery foliage and huge pure white wide lace cap blooms (USDA hardiness zones 3-9). Flowers stand tall on stout sturdy stems. Shrub branching is upright. This new hydrangea was found by Frederick H. Ray, […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Butterflies, compact shrub, Container growing, container shrub, deadheading, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Flowering, Hydrangea arborescens, Hydrangeas, mulching, Native Plant, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Re-Bloomers, Shade Gardening, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering hydrangeas, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Fall In Love With Haas’ Halo® HydrangeaStop The “Crape Murder”
Posted by Hugh on January 28th, 2017
In Tennessee (where I live) and in the Southeastern U.S., bad crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia x) pruning continues to be done by professional landscapers and homeowners (USDA hardiness zones 6-9). This practice, also called “topping”, reduces tree (or shrub) height. Over 25 years, Southern Living magazine called this “crape murder”. Crape murder is not going away. More crape […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Butterflies, Cercopora leaf spot, compact tree, Container growing, container shrub, Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia), Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Downy mildew, Drought tolerant, Flowers, Heat Tolerance, Messy Fruits, mulching, Planting tips, Powdery mildew, Privacy Screen, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Root suckering, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Weak wooded, Winter bark, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness Comments Off on Stop The “Crape Murder”50+ Flowering Pollen/Nectar Plants For Bumblebees
Posted by Hugh on January 24th, 2017
Here are three key points in planning your pollination garden. To attract U.S. native bumblebees: First, add both early(*), mid-summer, and late(**) flowers in the mix for a three seasons long garden. Second, mass together many of the same kinds of flowers, not just one or two plants, so that bees will spot them easier and to visit the planting frequently. […]
Posted in Alliums (onion), Alyssum (annual), Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Beneficial Insects, Bleeding Hearts (Dicentra), Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Cosmos, Cranesbill (Geranium), Crocus, Culver's Root (veronicastrum), Flowers, Heather (Calluna), Hollyhock (Alcea), Liatris, Monarda (Beebalm), Native Plant, Nepeta (catmint), Pentas (Egyptian star flower), Perennials, Pollination needs, Rosemary, Russian sage (Perovskia), Sage (Salvia), Salvia, Sedum (Groundcover types), Snapdragons, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Stokesia, Stonecrop sedums, Summer flowering, Sunflowers, Verbena, Zinnia Comments Off on 50+ Flowering Pollen/Nectar Plants For BumblebeesOur Native Bumblebees In Trouble
Posted by Hugh on January 22nd, 2017
Recently, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recognized ten more animal species as Endangered Species, providing them protections under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. These 10 species include 7 species of bees. Endangered status will afford the rusty-patched bumblebee protection under federal law. Bumblebees build their nests in the ground (and other places). Honeybees, however, […]
Posted in Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Bumble bees, Container garden, Dahlia, Environmental issues, Flowers, Herbs, Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Pollination needs, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Trees & Shrubs, Wildflower, Winter flowering Comments Off on Our Native Bumblebees In TroubleLandscape Trees With Winter Interest
Posted by Hugh on December 22nd, 2016
Does your winter landscape look a bit shabby? This coming spring take some action by planting trees that should perk up its appearance. New tree choices should ratchet up seasonal interest, attract more bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds in the spring-summer and hungry fruit feeding birds in fall-winter. Making smart tree choices can add four-seasons of interest to your yard. […]
Posted in Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Birch (Betula spp.), Butterflies, Chinese (kousa) dogwood, Cornus officinalis, Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia), Dogwood (Cornus), Edible fruits, Ginkgo biloba, Hummingbird, Kwanzan cherry, Landscape ideas, Native Plant, Ornamental fruit, Paperbark maple, Parrotia (Persian ironwood), Purchasing Plants, river birch, Southern Appalachian Region, Stewartia pseudocamellia, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Winter bark, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness, Winterberry holly Comments Off on Landscape Trees With Winter InterestFascinated By Praying Mantis
Posted by Hugh on October 15th, 2016
Carolina Praying Mantis (often written “mantid”, referring to family Mantidae) (Stagmomantis carolina) is the only species of praying mantis native to the U.S. However, about 20 species are found in the U.S. Most ubiquitous here is the European mantis (M. religiosa). Chinese Praying Mantid (Tenodera aridifolia) is the largest species by size in the U.S., measuring […]
Posted in Beneficial insects, Container garden, Hybrid teas, Insect (Pest) Problems, Landscape ideas, multi-flora rose, Native Plant, Perennials, Pests, Praying mantid, Praying Mantis (Mantid), Rose insects, Roses, Southern Appalachian Region, Trees & Shrubs, Uncategorized Comments Off on Fascinated By Praying MantisCulver’s Root (Veronicastrum)
Posted by Hugh on June 28th, 2010
Midwest native Culver’s root (Veronicastrum virginicum) starts the summer flowering season in my perennial garden. It naturally grows in open woods and meadows and thrives in fertile to moist soils. However, this deep rooted plant hasn’t complain about the current dry period in the Southern Appalachian region (USDA zones 6-7). Be aware that culver’s root […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aggressive grower, alkaline soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Butterflies, Culver's Root (veronicastrum), deadheading, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Goldenrod (Solidago), Heat Tolerance, mulching, Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (dividing), Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Culver’s Root (Veronicastrum)
