Camellias bloom at a time when most trees and shrubs are not flowering. Growing them is no longer a dream for gardeners who do not live in the deep South. A number of “designated zone 6 hardy” cultivars prosper in the Southern Appalachian region (USDA hardiness zones 6 and 7). ‘ShiShi Gashira’ camellia (Camellia hiemalis) […]
Archive for the ‘Evergreen’ Category
ShiShi Gashira Camellia So Far Holding Up to Zone 6-b Winters
Posted by Hugh on October 11th, 2013
Posted in acidic soil, acidify soil, Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Butterflies, Camellia, Disease resistant, Evergreen, Southern Appalachian Region, Trees & Shrubs, winter hardiness, winter injury, Winter Protection 
Comments Off on ShiShi Gashira Camellia So Far Holding Up to Zone 6-b WintersThree New Hardy Fall Blooming Camellias
Posted by Hugh on October 10th, 2013
Three Zone 6 winter hardy camellias are becoming more available. A recent visit to a local camellia grower found these three fall bloomers: ‘Long Island Pink’, ‘Londontowne Blush’, and ‘Sweet October’ in full floral regalia. The first two are reliably hardy in USDA zone 6 and a third nearly so. ‘Long Island Pink’ was found […]
Posted in acidic soil, Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Butterflies, Camellia, compact shrub, Container growing, Disease resistant, Evergreen, Fertilizing plants, Fragrant, mulching, Planting tips, Pruning, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Winter flowering, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on Three New Hardy Fall Blooming Camellias‘Silberlocke’ Korean fir Gets Lots of Favorable Comments
Posted by Hugh on June 16th, 2013
In any season visitors to your garden should immediately take notice of ‘Silberlocke’ korean fir. Korean fir (Abies koreana) is a densely branched pyramidal evergreen tree. Growth is slow in the beginning, eventually reaching 50 feet or more in mature height. The wide 3/4 inch long needles are dark green and glossy above and silvery […]
Posted in acidic soil, compact shrub, container shrub, Disease resistant, Evergreen, Evergreens, Fertilizing plants, Korean fir (Abies koreana), mulching, Planting tips, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Trees & Shrubs, Winter Protection Comments Off on ‘Silberlocke’ Korean fir Gets Lots of Favorable Comments‘Green Giant’ Arborvitae: A Terrific Green Privacy Screen
Posted by Hugh on February 23rd, 2013
Western arborvitae (Thuja plicata) is a large native evergreen tree from the Western U.S. (USDA hardiness zones 5-7). As many as 30 cultivars are available among dwarf, weeping, and variegated leaf forms. One of the most popular selections is ‘Green Giant,’ a hybrid between T. plicata and T. standishii, a Japanese arborvitae. In its native […]
Posted in acidic soil, Arborvitae (Thuja spp.), Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Evergreen, Evergreens, Native Plant, Privacy Screen, Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on ‘Green Giant’ Arborvitae: A Terrific Green Privacy ScreenMore Winter Hardy Encore Azaleas Now Available
Posted by Hugh on February 21st, 2013
For spring 2013, 22 of 32 Encore™ Azalea varieties are cold hardy in the Southern Appalachian region (USDA hardiness zones 6 and 7). Thirteen (13) varieties are reliably cold hardy throughout Zone 6-a&b. They are: Autumn Amethyst, Autumn Carnation, Autumn Cheer, Autumn Jewel , Autumn Lilac, Autumn Lily, Autumn Royalty, Autumn Ruby, Autumn Sangria, Autumn […]
Posted in acidic soil, acidify soil, Autumn flowering, Azaleas (evergreen), Evergreen, Flowers, mulching, Planting tips, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on More Winter Hardy Encore Azaleas Now Available‘Vanderwolf Pyramid’– Reliable Mid-sized Limber Pine
Posted by Hugh on February 6th, 2013
Limber pine (Pinus flexilis), native to the Rocky Mountain region, has proven to be a reliable landscape evergreen tree in the Midwest and is gaining new fans in mid-South gardens (USDA hardiness zone 7-a). ‘Vanderwolf Pyramid’(VP) is a beautiful dwarf pine being planted by conifer collectors. It is hardy in USDA zone 5, and displays […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Evergreen, Native Plant, Pine (Pinus spp.), Privacy Screen, Trees & Shrubs, watering evergreens, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on ‘Vanderwolf Pyramid’– Reliable Mid-sized Limber PineLeatherleaf Mahonia – Love It Or Don’t Plant It
Posted by Hugh on January 30th, 2013
Leatherleaf mahonia (Mahonia bealei), aka Beale’s barberry, is a holly-like evergreen shrub which appears in your garden uninvited. It is a member of the barberry family (Berberidaceae) (USDA hardiness zones 6-9). It has no sharp thorns on the stems, but leaf tips are sharply pointed. Leatherleaf mahonia is a princely evergreen shrub which blooms in […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Evergreen, Heat Tolerance, Mahonia, Privacy Screen, Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Winter flowering, winter hardiness Comments Off on Leatherleaf Mahonia – Love It Or Don’t Plant ItSkip (Schipka) Laurel Creates Dense Evergreen Privacy Screen
Posted by Hugh on January 14th, 2013
Schipka laurel (Prunus laurocerasus ‘Schipkaensis’) is a dense growing evergreen shrub with lustrous evergreen foliage and clusters of small white flowers in the spring. It is rated as one of the cold hardiest of cherry laurels (USDA hardiness zone 6-8). In the garden center it is often labeled ‘skip laurel”. Skip laurel grows 10 to […]
Pest Update – More Pesticide Options for Hemlock Adelgid Control
Posted by Hugh on January 3rd, 2013
Twenty years ago predictions of the demise of our native Canadian (Tsuga canadensis) and Carolina hemlocks (T. carolina) from home and commercial landscapes turned out to be incorrect. The key reason was the effectiveness of the insecticide Imidacloprid®. This product is licensed by Bayer AG, and is found in a number of lawn and garden […]
Posted in Evergreen, Hemlock (Tsuga), Hemlock adelgid, Insect (Pest) Problems, Native Plant, Pests, Southern Appalachian Region, Trees & Shrubs Comments Off on Pest Update – More Pesticide Options for Hemlock Adelgid ControlLong-Lived Cedar of Lebanon – A Record Of Human History
Posted by Hugh on January 1st, 2013
Cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus libani) is a tree aristocrat among conifers. Among the true evergreen cedars it is rated the cold hardiest (USDA zone 5). Its broad horizontal branching and dark green needles defines this tree. The bright green tufted needles are less than 1 inch long and not as showy as the more popular […]
Posted in Cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus), Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Evergreen, Evergreens, Heat Tolerance, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, winter hardiness Comments Off on Long-Lived Cedar of Lebanon – A Record Of Human History
