Crabapples (Malus spp.) get a bad rap! Many gardeners associated them with the old diseased and pest prone varieties planted a half-century ago. Modern cultivars make nice small ornamental trees. The new cultivars exhibit exceptional resistance to five serious diseases of crabapples: apple scab, fire blight, cedar-apple rust, leaf spot and powdery mildew. Three of […]
Archive for the ‘Disease resistant’ Category
Three Beautiful Ornamental Crabapples
Posted by Hugh on April 4th, 2014
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Bee Favorite, compact tree, Crabapple, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Ornamental fruit, Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Weeping habit, winter hardiness 
Comments Off on Three Beautiful Ornamental Crabapples‘Blackout’ Heuchera Exceptionally Vigorous Type
Posted by Hugh on March 18th, 2014
A floral bouquet full of tiny flowers stand tall above the high gloss ebony foliage of Blackout coralbells (Heuchera x ‘Blackout’) (USDA hardiness zones 4 to 8). The foliage holds its color and sheen most of the summer. The foliage is evergreen through the winter in zones 6 thru 8. Airy spikes of cream colored […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bee Favorite, Container garden, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Evergreen, Fertilizing plants, Ground cover, Heat Tolerance, Heuchera (coralbells), mulching, Native Plant, Perennials, Potting Mix, Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on ‘Blackout’ Heuchera Exceptionally Vigorous TypeSweetbox – Excellent Evergreen Shrub For Shady Areas
Posted by Hugh on February 28th, 2014
Few evergreen shrubs grow in the shade. Sweetbox (Sarcococca hookeriana var. humilis) is a compact dwarf evergreen shrub or ground cover which is easy to grow (USDA hardiness zone 5-b to 8). Foliage remains lustrous dark green year-round. Sweetbox grows in partial to full shade, 1 to 2 feet tall and 6 to 8 feet […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Evergreen, Ground cover, seeding lawn, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Sweetbox (Sarcococca), Trees & Shrubs, Winter flowering Comments Off on Sweetbox – Excellent Evergreen Shrub For Shady AreasNativars – New Cultivars Of Native Plants
Posted by Hugh on January 20th, 2014
Nativar is a new term coined by Dr. Allan Armitage, Professor Emeritus from the University of Georgia. It combines the words “native” and “cultivar”. Nativar refers to a cultivar of a native plant. It attempts to excite the horticultural marketplace about new cultivars of native perennial plants, such as blackeyed Susan (Rudbeckia spp.), purple coneflower […]
Posted in Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Dogwood (Cornus), Flowers, Native Plant, Perennials, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (dividing), Propagation (layering), Trees & Shrubs, Uncategorized, winter hardiness Comments Off on Nativars – New Cultivars Of Native Plants2014 Perennial Plant Of the Year: ‘Northwind’ Switchgrass
Posted by Hugh on December 29th, 2013
Northwind switchgrass (Panicum virgatum ‘Northwind’) is a 4 to 5 feet tall native prairie grass (USDA hardiness zones 4–9). There are many fine switchgrass varieties, but its Northwind’s vertical form and steel blue foliage that makes it a standout. Northwind switchgrass has been selected the 2014 Perennial Plant of the Year. By mid-summer its lacy soft pinkish […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Heat Tolerance, Native Plant, Ornamental Grasses, Perennials, Propagation (dividing), Pruning, Sand Dune Protection, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Switchgrass (Panicum), watering tips, Wildlife attractant, winter hardiness Comments Off on 2014 Perennial Plant Of the Year: ‘Northwind’ SwitchgrassLandscape Shrubs Rarely Damaged By Deer
Posted by Hugh on December 1st, 2013
Deer will eat or nibble on any landscape plant, particularly when they’re starving. Abnormally high deer populations, starved by a shortage of their favorite foods (mast), will feed or browse on almost any plant. This is a survival reaction. To truly protect plants when deer numbers are unusually high, a tall fence or reinforced netting […]
Posted in Abelia, Arborvitae (Thuja spp.), Aucuba, Bottlebrush buckeye, Boxwood (Buxus), Buddleia (Butterfly bush), Cherry Laurel (Prunus), common boxwood, Contorted filbert (Corylus), Cotoneaster, Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia), Cryptomeria (Japanese cedar), Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Doghobble (Leucothoe), Dogwood (Cornus), Enkianthus, Firethorn (Pyracantha), Flowering quince (Chaenomeles), Foster Holly (Ilex), Fringetree (Chionanthus), Heat Tolerance, Invasive plant, Juniper, Magnolia stellata, Mugo pine (Pinus mugo), Osmanthus 'Goshiki', Pieris japonica, Southern Appalachian Region, Spirea (Spiraea), St. John's Wort (Hypericum), Sumac (Rhus), Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Wildlife attractant Comments Off on Landscape Shrubs Rarely Damaged By DeerTop Conifers Picks By Southeast Reference Gardens
Posted by Hugh on November 28th, 2013
In 2011 poll conducted at the SE Region meeting in Athens, GA, the top favorite conifer picks from SE Reference Gardens. Georgia Lockerly Arboretum, Milledgeville Cryptomeria japonica ‘Elegans Nana’ Juniperus virginiana var. silicicola ‘Brodie’ Platycladus orientalis ‘Aurea Nana’ Thuja occidentalis ‘Rheingold’ Smith Gilbert Garden, Kennesaw Cedrus deodara ‘Gold Cone’ Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Verdon’ Platycladus orientalis ‘Morgan’ […]
Posted in Arborvitae (Thuja spp.), Chamaecyparis, compact tree, Cryptomeria (Japanese cedar), Disease resistant, Disease resistant, DWARF CONIFERS, Evergreen, Evergreens, Heat Tolerance, Hemlock (Tsuga), Juniper, Pine (Pinus spp.), Platycladus orientalis 'Morgan', Privacy Screen, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Thujopsis, Trees & Shrubs, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness Comments Off on Top Conifers Picks By Southeast Reference GardensRanking Four Popular Evergreens As Privacy Screens
Posted by Hugh on November 25th, 2013
If you are searching for a tall evergreen conifer as a privacy screen, the four most popular in the Southern Appalachian region (USDA hardiness zones 6 and 7) are: # 1 is Leyland cypress (x Cupressocyparis leylandii) which rapidly grows 40-50 feet tall and 20-25 feet wide in less than 25 years…if they live long […]
Posted in acidic soil, Arborvitae (Thuja spp.), Cryptomeria (Japanese cedar), Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Evergreens, Green Privacy Screen, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Ranking Four Popular Evergreens As Privacy ScreensChina Fir Deserves A Look
Posted by Hugh on November 9th, 2013
To begin, China fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) is not a true fir (genus: Abies). Branches are broadly pyramidal when young, and open up to become slightly pendulous as the tree ages. China fir grows broad at the base and spire-like on top. The tree often grows multi-stemmed to 75 feet in height and 20 to 30 […]
Posted in acidic soil, acidify soil, China fir (Cunninghamia), Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Evergreen, Planting tips, Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Winter bark, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on China Fir Deserves A LookThree New Spreading Junipers Waking Up Landscapes
Posted by Hugh on November 9th, 2013
In times past Chinese junipers (Juniperus chinensis) were popular foundation shrubs and ground cover (USDA hardiness zones 4-9). They were popular choices in sunny locations for erosion control and around seashore areas. Three exciting cultivars have arrived on the landscape scene and should bring junipers back in vogue. Angelica Blue Chinese juniper (J. chinensis ‘Angelica […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Bagworms, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Evergreen, Ground cover, Insect (Pest) Problems, Juniper, Planting tips, Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering evergreens, watering tips, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness Comments Off on Three New Spreading Junipers Waking Up Landscapes
