‘Fireworks’ gomphrena was a sensation in the University of Tennessee Gardens at both the Knoxville and Jackson locations in 2009. Gomphrena (globe amaranth) is a great summer annual that asks for very little care. It is heat, humidity and drought tolerant. Gomphrena hold up to the wind, blooming from day of planting in May (after […]
Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Try ‘Fireworks’ Gomphrena in Your Garden
Posted by Hugh on April 16th, 2010
Posted in acidic soil, Bee Favorite, Butterflies, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Flowers, Globe amaranth (Gomphrena), Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips 
Comments Off on Try ‘Fireworks’ Gomphrena in Your GardenWhen to Prune Flowering Shrubs
Posted by Hugh on March 26th, 2010
Prune spring flowering shrubs and trees immediately within one month after flowering. These plants set their flower buds on last summer’s woody shoots. Common shrub examples include forsythia, lilac, weigela, mockorange, loropetalum, honeysuckle, and many viburnum species. Summer-flowering plants set their flower buds on spring wood (this year) when they bloom. They are pruned in […]
Lo and Behold ‘Blue Chip’ Buddleia Is Late Summer Gem
Posted by Hugh on March 21st, 2010
photo taken at JC Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh, NC in June 2009 Lo & Behold® ‘Blue Chip’ is a very dwarf butterfly bush (buddleia) for the summer garden. Its compact 3 x 4 foot height and width is an excellent choice planted in a garden bed or in a container on a sunny patio deck or patio. […]
Posted in acidic soil, Autumn flowering, Buddleia (Butterfly bush), Butterflies, compact shrub, Container growing, container shrub, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Fragrant, mulching, Planting tips, Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs Comments Off on Lo and Behold ‘Blue Chip’ Buddleia Is Late Summer Gem‘Bosque’ Lacebark Elm – a Better Choice
Posted by Hugh on February 20th, 2010
Recent storm damage has caused a re-evaluation, whether to continue to plant the cultivar Allee®, also called ‘Emerald Vase’. Urban foresters around the state of Tennessee report that limb breakage and clean up around Allee elms is greater than around other cultivars. Bosque seemed to fare much better. Lacebark elm (Ulmus parvifolia) is a beautiful […]
Posted in Certified Arborist, Landscape ideas, Medium sized Tree, Native Plant, Purchasing Plants, Southern Appalachian Region, Trees & Shrubs Comments Off on ‘Bosque’ Lacebark Elm – a Better ChoiceU.S. Native Viburnums And Viburnum Beetle Susceptibility
Posted by Hugh on February 16th, 2010
photo -Arrowwood viburnum in late summer A trip to Carolina Native Plants Nursery in Burnsville, NC gave me this idea to list those viburnums which are U.S. natives (USDA Hardiness zones 6 and 7). All are worthy for planting in your landscape in full sun except where noted. All attract birds and other wildlife to […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Insect (Pest) Problems, Native Plant, Ornamental fruit, Pesticide recommendations, Privacy Screen, Rabbit/deer Protection, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Trees & Shrubs, Viburnum beetles, Viburnums Comments Off on U.S. Native Viburnums And Viburnum Beetle SusceptibilityPrivacy Screening – Avoid Using Leyland Cypress
Posted by Hugh on February 11th, 2010
‘Green Giant’ arborvitae and Cryptomeria (Japanese cedar) have proven more dependable over the years than Leyland cypress across Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Leyland cypress is susceptible to three serious foliar diseases. Some people love the faster growth of Leyland cypress. Leyland cypress may be weak-wooded, as reported by some gardeners this current […]
Posted in acidic soil, Arborvitae (Thuja spp.), Bagworms, Disease prone, Evergreen, Evergreens, Ilex (hollies), Landscape ideas, Leyland cypress, Privacy Screen, Southern Appalachian Region, Viburnums, watering tips Comments Off on Privacy Screening – Avoid Using Leyland CypressWinter Flowering Bulbs
Posted by Hugh on January 7th, 2010
These bulbs are the early birds. Give them a week of warm weather in the 50’s, nights slightly above freezing, and little to no snow cover. A beautiful flowering patch of winter aconite (Eranthis), snowdrops (Galanthus), glory of the snow (Chionodoxa), or early crocus appears in January and February in USDA zone 6 and 7. […]
‘Sky Pencil Holly vs ‘Dee Runk’ Boxwood
Posted by Hugh on December 28th, 2009
Boxwoods and hollies are mainline evergreen shrubs, utilized for low hedging, privacy barriers. Single shrubs are planted solely for their architectural accent. Both hollies and boxwoods grow best in moist, well-drained soils and in full sun to partial shade. Both prefer soils with a pH of slightly acidic to slightly alkaline. Boxwoods tend to be more shade tolerant than […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bees and other pollinators, Boxwood (Buxus), Container garden, container shrub, Drought tolerant, Evergreen, Evergreens, Fertilizing plants, Ilex (hollies), Landscape ideas, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Weak branching, Wind protection, winter hardiness Comments Off on ‘Sky Pencil Holly vs ‘Dee Runk’ BoxwoodPlanting Leyland Cypress May Be Big Mistake
Posted by Hugh on December 23rd, 2009
If you live in USDA Plant Zone 6-b – 7, planting leyland cypress (x Cupressocyparis leylandii) could eventually turn into a maintenance diseaster in your landscape. Leyland cypress is a green behemoth, too fast and aggressive for most folks to handle. Ask yourself, “do you really need a 60-70 foot evergreen privacy screen around your […]
Keep Your Pansy Faces Smiling
Posted by Hugh on December 18th, 2009
Success in blooming pansies and violas in the winter season depends on two key factors: date of fall planting and soil nutrition. If you live in USDA plant zone 6, pansies must be planted on or before October 15th, two weeks earlier in northerly zone 5, or two weeks later in zone 7. Early fall planting […]
Posted in Autumn flowering, Container garden, Flowering, Flowers, Landscape ideas, Pansies, Purchasing Plants, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Violas, Winter flowering Comments Off on Keep Your Pansy Faces Smiling
