Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Disease-free Shrub Rose Trial–The Winners Are…

Blushing Knockout™ Over the past 10 years, the world of roses has witnessed a revolution with the popularity of the Knockout™ series of roses in gardens across the U.S. Over the past 5 years the University of Tennessee has been testing shrub roses in Poplarville, MS and two Tennessee locations. Dr. Mark Windham and his research team have […]

Re-Blooming Your Poinsettia: Winter thru Summer Care

Part III:  By late January your poinsettia plant may look droopy and the leaves pale green. Some flowers (colorful bracts) and leaves may have dropped. To revive the plant and to program it to flower again next winter requires additional care from you starting now. Move the plant to an east or south exposure window, […]

Planting Trees for Future Generations

Oaks, beeches, hickories, ginkgoes, bald cypresses, redwoods, chestnuts and others are trees that future generations inherit from previous generations. In human terms, it takes a lifetime to grow an acorn into a mighty oak. Many tree species live hundreds of years, often asking little and contributing much beauty, summer cooling shade, winter heating comfort as windbreaks, and a […]

Winter King Hawthorn – A Winter Fruit Attraction

bright red fruit in winter season ‘Winter King’ is an outstanding cultivar of our native green hawthorn (Crataegus viridis) and is at home here in the Southern Appalachian region (USDA zones 6 and 7). Over the winter season few deciduous trees present a colorful fruiting display much better than Winter King. Winter King hawthorn is a small landscape tree, maturing to 25-30 […]

Ice Storm- Keep Hands Off

An ice storm is both a beautiful and horrific scene in a garden. The potential for major tree/shrub breakage is staggering. If you feel powerless, this is good thing.  During the storm, do nothing / “hands off”. Most actions will likely cause more damage than what nature may have intended. After the storm assess the landscape areas which seem most vulnerable, or that […]

Try Microbiota Instead of Ground Junipers

  Summer Foliage of Microbiota Microbiota (Microbiota decussata) goes by numerous names including Russian arborvitae and Siberian cypress. This tough customer hails from Siberia, and quite cold hardy to -40 F. In the northern U.S. its lacy evergreen foliage turns brown in the dead of winter. Here in the Southern Appalachian region, microbiota prospers in cooler parts of zone 6 […]

Care of Your Poinsettia in the Home

‘Pink Shimmer’ poinsettia You’ve purchased a beautiful poinsettia and want to give it a proper home for the holidays. Room light, temperature and soil moisture  are the key environmental concerns. Place your poinsettia either in a bright sunlit room or one receiving an indirect lighting source.  Keep the plant away from heating vents and drafty windows. In general, poinsettias grow trouble free […]

Purchasing The Perfect Poinsettia

One of three posts on poinsettia care:  Poinsettias delight the eye at this holiday season with their bright red (and many other color choices) leaf-like bracts. The true flowers are the small multiple buds at the base of the bracts. To select a top quality plant, closely inspect the development of the small flowers. Buds should tightly closed or barely […]

Lacebark pine- an investment in the future

Many rare and unusual garden plants are introduced into a garden as a thoughtful gift. Lacebark pine (Pinus bungeana) is an arboreal aristocrat which a few gardeners are privileged to own. Lacebark is a lovely 3- needle pine with exquisite exfoliating bark which becomes more attractive each succeeding year. The lacebark feature begins after 8-10 years, but it’s […]

Hydrangea Invincibelle Spirit ®

Hydrangea Invincibelle® Spirit ranks as one of the finest new plant introductions in 2010.  This hydrangea comes from a good bloodline. Invincibelle® Spirit is a pink flowering clone originating from Annabelle. The cultivar ‘Annabelle’ (Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’) has been a star in Southern Appalachian gardens (USDA hardiness zones 6 and 7) for the past quarter century.   Invincibelle® […]