Prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepsis) is one of the finest warm season grasses native to the Western U.S. (USDA hardiness zones 3 to 9). Initially, this clump-forming perennial grass grows at a slow to medium rate. By early summer its fine textured deep green leaves form an arching fountain habit. Prairie dropseed inhabits prairies, meadows, open […]
Archive for the ‘Fragrant’ Category
Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus) – A Durable Ornamental Grass
Posted by Hugh on August 20th, 2017
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Attracting birds, Bees and other pollinators, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Environmental Conservation, Fertilizing plants, Fragrant, Ground cover, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, Mowing, Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Prairie dropseed (Sporobolus), Propagation (dividing), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, Wildlife attractant, winter hardiness 
Comments Off on Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus) – A Durable Ornamental GrassSun Or Shade –These Six Shrubs Don’t Care
Posted by Hugh on August 10th, 2017
A surprising number of flowering shrubs perform beautifully in either sun or shade, making them quite versatile where planning a landscape. All can be utilize around outdoor living areas such as decks and patios. Several good candidates are these six: Japanese pieris, aka lily of the valley shrub (Pieris japonica) is a versatile shrub for […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, compact shrub, Container garden, container shrub, Daphne odora, Deer resistant, Evergreen, Flower Arranging, Fragrant, Heat Tolerance, Hydrangeas, Kerria, Landscape ideas, Mahonia, mulching, Native Plant, Oakleaf hydrangea (H. quercifolia), Pieris japonica, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Uncategorized, watering evergreens, Winter flowering, winter hardiness 1 Comment »Flowering Shrubs of Summer
Posted by Hugh on August 7th, 2017
In several areas of the U.S. (USDA hardiness zones 6-9), summer landscapes along the east and west coast and Southern U.S. are filled with these botanical beauties: Panicle hydrangeas (Hydrangea paniculata) – so many great choices of these hydrangeas, mostly with lime white flowers starting in July into August. Most popular cultivars are ‘Limelight’, ‘Little Lime, […]
Posted in Abelia, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bigleaf hydrangea (H. macrophylla), Blue mist (Caryopteris), Buddleia (Butterfly bush), Butterflies, compact shrub, Container growing, container shrub, Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia), Disease resistant, Flowering, Fragrant, Ground cover, Hibiscus syriacus, Hummingbird, Hydrangeas, Landscape ideas, Panicle hydrangea, Plumleaf azalea, Purchasing Plants, Rhododendrons, Southern Appalachian Region, Summersweet (Clethra), Trees & Shrubs, Vitex (Chaste tree) Comments Off on Flowering Shrubs of SummerGround Cover Types Of Flowering Abelias
Posted by Hugh on July 4th, 2017
Flowering abelias (Abelia x grandiflora) come in all shapes and sizes (USDA hardiness zones 6-9). Over the past decade the ground cover types have become very popular. They’re also utilized as accent plants in large containers. In zones 7 -8, they are evergreen. The term “ground cover” is used here to emphasize cultivars that grow low, mostly […]
Posted in Abelia, acidic soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Autumn flowering, Autumn foliage color, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, compact shrub, Container growing, container shrub, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Evergreen, Fertilizing plants, Fragrant, Ground cover, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Trees & Shrubs, winter hardiness Comments Off on Ground Cover Types Of Flowering AbeliasLess Invasive Butterfly Bush Identified
Posted by Hugh on June 20th, 2017
Butterfly bush (Buddleia) is a popular garden shrub in many areas of the U.S. Buddleia invasiveness is a serious issue in the Pacific Northwest. The Oregon Dept of Agriculture, Plant Division, has approved for sale these buddleia cultivars in the state. The approved varieties produce 2% or less viable seed, meeting Oregon’s standards for sterility. The […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Buddleia (Butterfly bush), Butterflies, compact shrub, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Flowering, Fragrant, Hummingbird, Invasive plant, mulching, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Trees & Shrubs, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on Less Invasive Butterfly Bush IdentifiedSpring – Summer Care of Herbaceous Peonies After Flowering
Posted by Hugh on May 26th, 2017
Summer weather can be tough on the foliage of tree and herbaceous peonies tree (P. lactiflora). Here are some tips to ensure your peony plants will prosper for many years to come. Keep foliage disease-free and prune off all badly infected with mildew or black spotted. Some varieties naturally shed their leaves (go dormant) early. Itoh hybrids and most […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bees and other pollinators, Botrytis disease, Container growing, deadheading, Fertilizing plants, Fragrant, mulching, Overcrowding, Peony, Perennials, Powdery Mildew, Propagation (dividing), Pruning, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Staking, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips Comments Off on Spring – Summer Care of Herbaceous Peonies After FloweringChinese Fringetree Is Versatile Landscape Tree
Posted by Hugh on May 8th, 2017
Chinese fringetree (Chionanthus retusus) is native to China, Korea and Japan (Zone: 6 to 9a). Related to native U.S. species (C. virginicus), fringetrees are noted for their profuse spring bloom of fragrant white flowers. It is most often seen in cultivation as a large, multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub growing to 15 – 20 feet tall with a […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Borers, compact shrub, compact tree, Container growing, container shrub, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fragrant, Fringetree (Chionanthus), Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, Mites, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Scale, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness Comments Off on Chinese Fringetree Is Versatile Landscape TreeBigroot Geranium
Posted by Hugh on May 3rd, 2017
Bigroot geranium (Geranium macrorrhizum), aka “cranesbill”, is a clump-forming perennial ground cover from Southern Europe (USDA Zones 3–8). It is one of the easiest geraniums to grow. Plants spread by thick rhizomes to form a dense ground cover. Individual plants grow 12 to 18 inches high and 18-24 inches spread. The 1-inch wide, 5-petaled dark […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Cranesbill (Geranium), deadheading, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Fragrant, Ground cover, Perennials, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (dividing), Pruning, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, winter hardiness Comments Off on Bigroot GeraniumGardenias Continue To Disappoint In The Mid-South
Posted by Hugh on April 24th, 2017
The lure of fragrant white flowers have mid-South gardeners (zones 6 and 7) wanting to grow gardenias (Gardenia jasminoides). New cultivars, supposedly hardier than previous ones, hit garden centers every spring. Unfortunately, zones 6 and 7 winters usually prove them wrong. Recent purchases of new cultivars ‘Frostproof’ and Pinwheel® and older selection ‘Kleim’s Hardy’ have […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aphids, applying sulfur, Bacterial diseases, Botrytis disease, compact shrub, compost, Container garden, Container growing, container shrub, Environmental issues, Evergreen, Fertilizing plants, Flowering house plant, Flowers, Fragrant, Gardenia, Insect (Pest) Problems, Insect suseptible, Interior (house) Plants, Leaf diseases, Mites, Planting tips, Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Sanitation, Shade Gardening, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Thrips, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, White flies, Wind protection, winter hardiness, Winter Protection 1 Comment »Virginia Sweetspire — A Standout Native Shrub
Posted by Hugh on April 12th, 2017
Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica) is a native shrub that touts showy white raceme flowers in late spring and brilliant reddish purple foliage in fall (USDA hardiness zones 5-9). Flowers are very fragrant and attracts hundreds of bees and other pollinators. VA sweetspire excels in moist, humus-rich, mildly acidic soils (pH 5.2-6.5). In its native habitat, […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, Container garden, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Fragrant, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Virginia sweetspire, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Virginia Sweetspire — A Standout Native Shrub
