We are in the midst of an Echinacea revolution. Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) is a popular 5-6 foot tall native perennial commonly planted in meadow and butterfly gardens. Kim Hawkes, former owner of Niche Gardens Nursery in Chapel Hill, N.C. introduced compact growing ‘Kim’s Knee High’ a decade ago. It is still one of the finest cultivars. ‘Kim’s Knee High’ […]
Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
‘Kim’s Knee High’ Coneflower For Small Gardens
Posted by Hugh on August 11th, 2011
Posted in Attracting birds, Bee Favorite, Butterflies, Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), deadheading, Fertilizing plants, Hummingbird, Perennials, plant nutrition, Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Uncategorized, Winter Garden Interest 
Comments Off on ‘Kim’s Knee High’ Coneflower For Small GardensExplode Your Plant Roots
Posted by Hugh on August 9th, 2011
One of my gardening frustrations is watching a new plant linger and not grow. I dig a proper hole, deep and wide enough. I pour gallons of water on the plant to keep it alive during a dry hot summer. Four months later, the plant is the same size as last spring or it […]
Posted in Garden Problems, Purchasing Plants, Southern Appalachian Region, Transplant problem, Uncategorized Comments Off on Explode Your Plant Roots‘Morning Calm’ Trumpet Vine
Posted by Hugh on August 5th, 2011
Our native trumpet vine, aka trumpet creeper (Campis radicans), may instill fear in gardeners. A wild vine may climb a utility pole, 30- 40 feet in one year. The late horticulturist Dr. J. C. Raulston at NC State University in Raleigh recommended its tamer Chinese cousin (C. grandiflora) and the cultivar ‘Morning Calm’. Trumpetvine climbs and […]
Posted in Campsis grandifolia 'Morning Calm', plant nutrition, Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Vine, winter hardiness Comments Off on ‘Morning Calm’ Trumpet VineA Canna Lily Revival
Posted by Hugh on July 30th, 2011
Depending on where you garden, Canna lily (Canna spp.) is a tropical-looking, herbaceous annual or perennial. Its colorful foliage and long blooming time leaves a huge visual impact. Canna is not reliably winter hardy in the Southern Appalachian region (USDA hardiness zones 6 and 7). […]
Posted in Canna lily, Canna lily, Fertilizing plants, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Uncategorized, Virus diseases, water garden maintenance, watering tips, winter hardiness, winter injury Comments Off on A Canna Lily RevivalNative Plumleaf Azalea Blooms In The Heat Of Summer
Posted by Hugh on July 28th, 2011
Plumleaf Azalea (Rhododendron prunifolium) From my garden here is a look today (July 28th) at plumleaf azalea (Rhododendron prunifolium). Plumleaf is an Alabama native, and its orangey red flowers has been growing in my east Tennessee garden for the past 15+ years. It is hardy to zone 5-b (- 15°F) which includes most of the mid-Atlantic and southern New England states. Plumleaf handles Southern […]
Posted in acidic soil, Azalea (deciduous), compost, Deciduous Azaleas, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Hummingbird, Native Plant, Plumleaf azalea, Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs Comments Off on Native Plumleaf Azalea Blooms In The Heat Of SummerMove Over AJ, Here Comes T-Rex
Posted by Hugh on July 26th, 2011
For nearly half a century, ‘Autumn Joy’ has been the leading “stonecrop” or “live forever” sedum cultivar planted. More than once I’ve heard this saying: “if Autumn Joy won’t grow in your garden, you should try another hobby. ‘T-Rex’ is a terrific new hybrid and ‘Autumn Joy’ is one of its parents. ‘T Rex’ has […]
Torch Lily Has Long Bloom Life
Posted by Hugh on July 23rd, 2011
Torch lily (Kniphofia spp.), aka “red hot poker”, is an easy to grow long-lived perennial from South Africa. Its colorful floral spike (and a little imagination) resembles a fiery torch or sizzling poker, visited often by hummingbirds, bees and butterflies. New cultivars are mostly hybrids and vary in plant height and flower color. Starting in […]
Posted in Attracting birds, Bee Favorite, Butterflies, deadheading, Disease resistant, Hummingbird, Perennials, Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Torch lily (red hot poker), Uncategorized, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Torch Lily Has Long Bloom LifeGalinsoga -The Gardener’s Weed
Posted by Hugh on July 13th, 2011
Thirty plus years ago a gardening friend passed along this tidbit: “galinsoga (Galinsoga parviflora) is the gardener’s weed”. Galinsoga grows only in cultivated soils such as in your vegetable and/or flower garden from part shade to full sun. It prefers moist soil but grows almost anywhere, even between cracks in a sidewalk. Its thin leaves may wilt […]
Posted in Broadleaf weeds, Flowers, Fruits & Vegetables, Herbicide management, mulching, Pests, Southern Appalachian Region, Uncategorized, Weeds Comments Off on Galinsoga -The Gardener’s WeedInvite Sonata Cosmos Into Flower Beds
Posted by Hugh on July 7th, 2011
Over the past few years a flower bed containing cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus) has become a rare sight across the Southern Appalachian region (USDA zones 6 and 7). Not so, at the recently visited BuGa National Gardening Show 2011 in Koblenz, Germany. Called by some “Mexican asters”, cosmos produces big 3- inch wide red, white, pink […]
Posted in Disease resistant, Flowers, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips Comments Off on Invite Sonata Cosmos Into Flower BedsRosebay Rhododendron for Cool Shady Landscapes
Posted by Hugh on June 24th, 2011
Rosebay Rhododendron (Rhododendron maximum) grows in dense woodland shade along cool mountain streams and on moist, rocky slopes. This Southern Appalachian native is extremely winter hardy to -15° to -20° F. It is a late-season bloomer reaching its peak around late June. Rosebay grows large, 15 to 20 feet in height. On some sites it […]
Posted in acidic soil, acidify soil, Attracting birds, compost, mulching, Rhododendrons, Shade Gardening, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, watering evergreens Comments Off on Rosebay Rhododendron for Cool Shady Landscapes
