Coral honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens), aka trumpet honeysuckle, is a vigorous twining flowering vine that is primarily native to the southeastern U.S. (USDA hardiness zones 4 -8). Cultivars are available in shades of red, orange. and yellow. The colorful flowers appear in spring and summer, and colorful berries decorate in late summer and autumn. Invite hummingbirds […]
Archive for the ‘Hummingbird’ Category
Coral honeysuckle
Posted by Hugh on October 6th, 2021
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Coral honeysuckle (Lonicera), Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Flower arrangments, Ground cover, Honeysuckle (Lonicera), Hummingbird, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Planting tips, Powdery mildew, Privacy Screen, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Shade Gardening, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Staking, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Vine, watering tips, winter hardiness 
Comments Off on Coral honeysuckleMexican Bush Sage
Posted by Hugh on August 6th, 2021
Mexican bush sage (Salvia leucantha), aka velvet sage, is a perennial that lights up the late summer / fall garden (USDA hardiness zone 7b-10). Indigenous to Central America and Mexico, it can be grown as an annual that grows to about 3-4 feet tall. In the U.S., bush sage is only hardy from the lower […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Annuals, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Deciduous, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Heat Tolerance, Hummingbird, Landscape ideas, mulching, Non-native, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Salvia, Salvia leucantha, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on Mexican Bush SageAttracting Hummingbirds
Posted by Hugh on June 16th, 2021
In early spring many area gardeners rush to set out hummingbird feeders filled with a sugary solution to encourage these feathery critters to visit. However, the sugary drink also attracts ants, bees, and wasps. The solution does not furnish vitamins, minerals, and carotenoids that hummingbirds pick up from pollinating flowers and eating insects. In addition, […]
Posted in acidic soil, Agastache (Hyssop), Annuals, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Campsis grandifolia 'Morning Calm', Canna lily, Climbing honeysuckle (Lonicera), Container growing, container shrub, Cupheas, Daylilies, Environmental Conservation, Flowering, Foxglove (Digitalis), Hibiscus syriacus, Hummingbird, Impatiens, Landscape ideas, Lantana, Lobelia (cardnial flower), Monarda (Beebalm), Morning glory (Ipomoea), Native Plant, Native Plant, Nepeta (catmint), Penstemon, Pentas (Egyptian star flower), Perennials, Phlox, Purchasing Plants, Rhododendrons, Sage (Salvia), Salvia leucantha, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Summersweet (Clethra), Trees & Shrubs, Trumpet vine (Campsis), Weigela, Wildlife attractant, Zinnia Comments Off on Attracting HummingbirdsAnnuals To Plant In 2021
Posted by Hugh on April 21st, 2021
I spend spring, summer, and fall months visiting public gardens mostly in the eastern and southeast U.S. (Ohio/Pennsylvania south to Florida with camera in hand). I get ideas of new flowers to plant in my garden next year. Here are five flowering annuals that caught my attention. Begonia ‘Canary Wing’ – this golden leaf plant […]
Posted in acidic soil, Annuals, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, Catharanthus (Vinca), Coleus, Container garden, Deciduous, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fall Garden Interest, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Flowers, Fragrant, Globe amaranth (Gomphrena), Hummingbird, Landscape ideas, mulching, organic gardening, Periwinkle (annual vinca), Planting tips, Plectranthus, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Re-Bloomers, Salvia, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, Winter Protection Comments Off on Annuals To Plant In 2021Twenty Highly Dependable Small Landscape Trees
Posted by Hugh on February 15th, 2021
In small landscapes, where growing space is limited, a number of outstanding trees may be planted. Several are also examples of great spring or summer flowering trees. U.S. native species are designated N. Additional landscape traits include: Grow under 30 feet in height and underneath power lines). Winter hardiness across the U.S. (USDA hardiness zones […]
Posted in American hornbeam, Appalachian dogwood series, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Cold tolerance, compact tree, Container garden, Container growing, Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia), Deciduous, Dioecious, Disease resistant, Dogwood (Cornus), Fringetree (Chionanthus), Fullmoon maple, Hawthorn (Crataegus), Hummingbird, Landscape ideas, Lilac (Syringa), Magnolia grandiflora, Native Plant, Native Plant, Okame cherry (Prunus), Ornamental cherry (Prunus), Ornamental fruit, Paperbark maple, Purchasing Plants, Redbud, Serviceberry (Amelanchier), Silverbell (Halesia), Small landscape tree, Southern Appalachian Region, Street tree, Trees & Shrubs, Yoshino cherry (Prunus) Comments Off on Twenty Highly Dependable Small Landscape TreesPlant 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 2021Marginal Plants For Wet Areas
Posted by Hugh on August 16th, 2020
Most perennials demand well-drained soil. They perform poorly or die out when in ground that is constantly wet and soggy. However, a small number of perennials tolerate and even thrive in moist soils. Most plants listed here are all hardy within zones 5-8, and grow best in moist, humus-rich, well-drained soil. Most are okay getting their feet (roots and crown) wet for […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Baneberry (Actaea), Bayberry (Myrica), Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Bin bluestem (Andropogon), Birch (Betula spp.), Brunnera 'Jack Frost', Butterflies, Calamagrostis, Canna lily, Carex (Sedges), Container garden, Cornus sanguinea, Cornus sericea, Dawn redwood (Metasequoia), Deciduous, Eupatorium 'Gateway', Eupatorium rugosum 'Chocolate', Farfugium, Ferns, Filipendula, Ground cover, Hakone grass, Hardy begonia (B. grandis), Hellebores, Hibiscus coccineus, Hibiscus moscheutos, Hosta, Hummingbird, Hydrangea arborescens, Ilex (hollies), Iris, Kerria, Landscape ideas, Lobelia (cardnial flower), Magnolia virginiana, Maidenhair fern (Adiantum), Milkweeds (Asclepias), Muhly grass, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Nepeta (catmint), Northern sea oats (Chasmanthium), Obedient plant (Physotegia), Ornamental Grasses, Papyrus, Perennials, Planting tips, Purchasing Plants, river birch, Rodgersia, Sedges (Carex), Shade Gardening, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Summersweet (Clethra), Switchgrass (Panicum), Toadlily (Tricyrtis), Tradescantia (Spiderwort), Trees & Shrubs, Virginia sweetspire, watering tips, Weigela, Winterberry holly Comments Off on Marginal Plants For Wet AreasCelebrate Summerific® Rose Mallow (Hibiscus) Week
Posted by Hugh on August 6th, 2020
Perennial hibiscus (Hibiscus moscheutos) is commonly known as rose mallow or dinner plate size hibiscus. Blooms measure a huge 7-9 inches across. Plants are exceptionally hardy, and can withstand winters as cold as zone 4 (-20°F to -30°F) in Minnesota (zone 4) and the heat of zone 9 (20°F -30°F) in Florida. Each flower lasts […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Breeding Plants, Container garden, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Hibiscus (mallow) sawfly, Hibiscus moscheutos, Hummingbird, Japanese beetles, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Celebrate Summerific® Rose Mallow (Hibiscus) WeekSeven Late Summer Perennial Gems
Posted by Hugh on August 1st, 2020
The following seven (7) perennials provide gorgeous floral color in mixed perennial beds in late summer and into fall. Flowers attract pollinators, including lots of bees, butterflies, and an occasional hummingbird. ‘Blue Fortune’ Giant Hyssop (Agastache x ‘Blue Fortune’) offers lavender-blue flowers during a long hot summer extending into early fall. Leaves emit a minty-anise […]
Posted in acidic soil, Agastache (Hyssop), Aster, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Butterflies, Chrysanthemum, compost, Container garden, Culinary, deadheading, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fall Garden Interest, Fragrant, Ground cover, Heuchera (coralbells), Hummingbird, Landscape Construction, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Plumbago (Leadwort), Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Russian sage (Perovskia), Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Symphyotrichum (asster), Turtlehead (Chelone), watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Seven Late Summer Perennial GemsBeebalm (Monarda) Varieties Attract Hummingbirds, Butterflies And Moths
Posted by Hugh on July 16th, 2020
In 2016 Mt. Cuba Center in Greenville DE enlisted a team of trained volunteers to monitor the visitation of hummingbirds, moths, and butterflies in the 40 cultivar beebalm (Monarda) trial. Their goal was to systematically observe and note the cultivars that were most frequently visited by these pollinators. Below is a listing of the five […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, compost, Container garden, deadheading, Deciduous, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Downy mildew, Flower arrangments, Heat Tolerance, Hummingbird, Landscape ideas, Monarda (Beebalm), mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Powdery mildew, Purchasing Plants, Re-Bloomers, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering Comments Off on Beebalm (Monarda) Varieties Attract Hummingbirds, Butterflies And Moths
