Wintersweet (Chimonanthus praecox) is a landscape shrub offers four seasons of landscape interest. Also called Japanese allspice, this deciduous mid-sized shrub typically grows 10-15 feet tall and 8-12 feet wide and blooms during winter (USDA zones 7-9). You can also risk planting wintersweet in a protected courtyard garden in Zones 6 to minimize freeze injury […]
Archive for the ‘Flower Arranging’ Category
Winter-blooming Wintersweet
Posted by Hugh on February 6th, 2021
Posted in acidic soil, Bees and other pollinators, Deciduous, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Fragrant, mulching, Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, winter hardiness, Wintersweet (Chimonanthus) 
Comments Off on Winter-blooming WintersweetSeven Shrubs That Bloom In February
Posted by Hugh on February 1st, 2021
If you have ever dreamt of creating a year-round landscape garden, here are seven fine shrubs to start with. These shrubs bloom in late winter and are also important to early insect pollinators — native ground bees, bumble bees, and butterflies. In USDA hardiness zones 7-9, winter temperatures begin to moderate and some shrubs burst into floral […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Chinese witchhazel, container shrub, Daphne odora, Deciduous, Disease resistant, Edgeworthia, Environmental Conservation, Evergreen, Evergreens, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Flowering shrub, Fragrant, Honeysuckle (Lonicera), Jessamine (Gelsemium), Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Planting tips, Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Sweetbox (Sarcococca), Trees & Shrubs, Winter flowering, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness, Wintersweet (Chimonanthus), Witchhazel (Hamamelis) Comments Off on Seven Shrubs That Bloom In FebruaryNew Landscape Roses With Exceptional Fragrance
Posted by Hugh on January 15th, 2021
Over a century of rose breeding has rewarded gardeners with so many gorgeous garden roses: hybrid tea, grandiflora, floribunda and shrub types. Rose breeders have concentrated on plant vigor, flower color, disease resistance, and greater numbers of flowers over the growing season. Over the years, floral fragrance has been mostly ignored. In the past two […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Breeding Plants, compact shrub, Container growing, container shrub, Deciduous, Disease resistant, Flower Arranging, Flowers, Fragrant, mulching, Planting tips, Powdery mildew, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Roses, Roses (Shrub type), shrub roses, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Uncategorized, watering tips Comments Off on New Landscape Roses With Exceptional FragrancePlant Awards Of 2021
Posted by Hugh on January 10th, 2021
For 2021, the National Garden Bureau (NGB), the non-profit organization promoting gardening in North America, has announced the five (5) plant classes that will be featured in the 2021 “Year of the” program. Annual: Year of the Sunflower Vegetable/edible: Year of the Garden Bean Perennial: Year of the Monarda Bulb: Year of the Hyacinth Flowering Shrub: Year of the Hardy […]
Posted in acidic soil, Annuals, Attracting birds, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Bulb Crops, Butterflies, Calamint, Container garden, Deciduous, Disease resistant, Ferns, Flower Arranging, Flower arrangments, Flowering house plant, Foliage plant, Fruits & Vegetables, Green Beans, Herbs, Hibiscus acetosella, Hosta, Hummingbird, Hyacinth, Landscape ideas, Monarda (Beebalm), Native Plant, Native Plant, Nepeta (catmint), Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Sunflowers, Uncategorized, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Plant Awards Of 2021Anthuriums Thrive in Low Light
Posted by Hugh on December 16th, 2020
Anthuriums are easy to grow houseplants. They have become wonderful plant gifts around the holidays and birthdays. First and foremost, anthuriums are low light tropical plants. They grow best in bright, indirect light, but produce fewer flowers in low light. Anthuriums sport long-lasting glossy, deep-green leaves and sturdy flowering bract-like blooms. The flowers of an […]
Posted in acidic soil, Anthurium, Aphids, Evergreen, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Mealy bugs, Mites, Planting tips, Potting Mix, Propagation (dividing), Scale, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Sun scald, Tropical Plants (non-hardy), watering tips Comments Off on Anthuriums Thrive in Low LightStandout Ornamental Grasses Inflorescences
Posted by Hugh on November 6th, 2020
Ornamental grasses standout in the landscape most of the year. These six ornamental grasses showoff spectacular seed heads (inflorescences) in late summer or fall. These grasses are also beautiful and effective landscape screens. PAMPAS GRASS (Cortaderia selloana) – are seen planted at the beach, city parks or in your neighbor’s yard. The big feathery plumes […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Attracting birds, Autumn flowering, Bees and other pollinators, Calamagrostis, Deciduous, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, Miscanthus grass, mulching, Native Plant, Pampas Grasss (Cortaderia), Pennisetum spp., Perennials, Propagation (dividing), Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Switchgrass (Panicum), winter hardiness Comments Off on Standout Ornamental Grasses InflorescencesDeciduous Holly For The Fall/Winter Landscape
Posted by Hugh on October 22nd, 2020
While deciduous hollies (Ilex spp.) are well known among home gardeners, surprisingly few plant them (USDA hardiness zones 3-9 variable by species). In the fall, their branches and twigs are covered in bright red berries. Orange and yellow berried varieties are additional choices. Birds love them, too. Deciduous hollies do not have prickly leaves like […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Bees and other pollinators, Breeding Plants, Container growing, container shrub, Deciduous, Deciduous holly, Dioecious, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Environmental Conservation, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Flower arrangments, Heat Tolerance, Ilex (hollies), Inconspicious, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Ornamental fruit, Planting tips, Privacy Screen, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Wildlife attractant, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness, Winterberry holly Comments Off on Deciduous Holly For The Fall/Winter LandscapeFall Color Of Ornamental Grasses
Posted by Hugh on September 21st, 2020
Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergeri capillaris) grows 3-4 feet with blemish-free green foliage all summer long. By early fall, its bright colored floral seed heads (inflorescenses) are showing up, which gives Muhly its decorative look. ‘Pink Muhly’ tends to grow floppy and struts pink-hued inflorescenses that shimmer in a breeze. ‘White Cloud’ is a white flowering form […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Bin bluestem (Andropogon), Calamagrostis, Container garden, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Flower arrangments, Fountain Grass (Pennisetum), Landscape ideas, Muhly grass, Native Plant, Ornamental Grasses, Pennisetum spp., Perennials, Planting tips, Prairie dropseed (Sporobolus), Propagation (dividing), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Switchgrass (Panicum) Comments Off on Fall Color Of Ornamental GrassesPerennials With Great Autumn Foliage
Posted by Hugh on August 21st, 2020
Bloody cranesbill (Geranium sanguineum) – short 9-12 inches high clump forming groundcover that bears purple flowers in May-June. Its deeply cut foliage green leaves turn shades of red after first frost. (Zones 3-8). Red leaf mukdenia (Mukdenia rossii) – fanned, maple-like leaves emerge bright green in spring, age to bronze-green in summer, and finish green […]
Posted in acidic soil, Amsonia (blue star), Attracting birds, Autumn fern (Dryopteris), Autumn flowering, Bees and other pollinators, Bin bluestem (Andropogon), Calamagrostis, compost, Disease resistant, Environmental Conservation, Fall Garden Interest, Ferns, Flower Arranging, Honey bees, Landscape ideas, Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium), mulching, Native Plant, Ornamental Grasses, Pennisetum spp., Perennials, Planting tips, Plumbago (Leadwort), Propagation (dividing), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Solomon's seal, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Switchgrass (Panicum), Wildlife attractant, winter hardiness Comments Off on Perennials With Great Autumn FoliageTorch Lilies (Kniphofia)
Posted by Hugh on July 1st, 2020
Torch lilies (Kniphofia spp.) are easy to grow long-lived perennials from South Africa that are remarkably (USDA hardiness zones 5-9). They go by a number of common names including red hot poker and tritoma. The colorful floral spikes (and a little imagination) resemble fiery torches or sizzling pokers, visited often by hummingbirds, bees and butterflies. […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, deadheading, Deciduous, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Flower Arranging, Flower arrangments, Hummingbird, Landscape ideas, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Red hot Poker (Kniphofia), Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Torch lily (red hot poker), watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Torch Lilies (Kniphofia)
