Fall is the perfect time to plant peonies either from bare-root plants or from pre-potted plants at garden centers. Fall planted peonies will adapt to their new garden spot over the winter and usually will bloom in the spring. There are three types of peonies: herbaceous, tree, and intersectional (hybrids of herbaceous and tree types). […]
Archive for the ‘Fragrant’ Category
Calamint: Tough Reliable Perennial Ground Cover
Calamint (Calamintha nepeta subsp. nepeta) is low mounding subshrub or perennial native to southern Europe; its primary use is as a low growing ground cover (USDA hardiness zones 4 to 8). It is a member of the Lamiaceae family. Foliage grows only 15-18 inches tall. The subspecies, var. nepeta, is the preferred choice because it produces more flowers per inflorescence. Calamint tolerates most soil […]
Enjoy Summer Fragrance Of Oriental Lilies
Oriental lilies (Lilium x orientale) grace summer gardens with brightly colored fragrant blooms (USDA hardiness zones 4-9). Long tubular (trumpet) flowers measure 6-8 inches across and come in a limited color choices. From one year to the next, flower numbers increase. Oriental lilies prefer a compost-rich, well-drained soil where they will delight over several summers and in […]
My Search Continues For A Hardy Gardenia
The longer you garden, many plant species keep improving, including their winter hardiness. A few years ago, growing gardenias (Gardenia jasminoides) in a U.S. zone 6 garden was a dream. Today, hardy gardenias are a safe bet in zone 7 or in zone 6 in a protected area of […]
Swamp Azalea Deserves More Garden Space
Swamp Azalea (Rhododendron viscosum, formerly R. serrulatum) is very different among deciduous azaleas. Most rhododendrons (azaleas) do not care for soppy, poorly drained soils. This U.S. native is an exception, indigenous to swamps, bogs, stream edges and wet lowlands from southern Maine to northeastern Ohio south to Florida and […]
Fill Flower Gardens & Containers With Sweet Alyssums
Sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima) is one of the easiest annuals to grow. A member of the mustard family (Brassicaeae), it is native in the Mediterranean region and the Canary and Azores Islands (AHS heat zones 3-8). Modern day cultivars possess exceptional heat, humidity, and drought tolerance in summer months once fully established. Alyssums may be utilized in mixed […]
Chinese Fringetree Gains In Popularity And Availability
Chinese fringetree (Chionanthus retusus) When in bloom in mid-spring (May), the fringetrees (Chionanthus spp.) definitely will catch your eye. Chinese fringetree (C. retusus), is one of the finest small to medium sized flowering trees, not to be confused with the U.S. native fringetree (C. virginicus) (USDA hardiness zones 5-9). Both produce spectacular white lacy flowers […]
American Fringetree – A Spring Flowering Treasure
American fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus) is one of the finest spring flowering trees (USDA hardiness zones 4-9). Individual flower heads are large and billowy, snowy white, and very fragrant in the early evening hours. Flower panicles peak through the large leaves, and are large and showy compared to Chinese fringetree (which I also like). Leaf sizes […]
Many New Beebalm Cultivars Continue to Roll Out
Bee balms, aka bergamots or Oswego tea (Monarda spp.) are native to eastern North America (USDA hardiness zones 4-9). Plants are easy to grow, bloom beautifully, and multiply rapidly. They are treasured for their raging colored flowers and medicinal properties. Numerous bee pollinators as well as butterflies and hummingbirds favor the summer blooms. The native […]