In Tennessee (where I live) and in the Southeastern U.S., bad crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia x) pruning continues to be done by professional landscapers and homeowners (USDA hardiness zones 6-9). This practice, also called “topping”, reduces tree (or shrub) height. Over 25 years, Southern Living magazine called this “crape murder”. Crape murder is not going away. More crape […]
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Stop The “Crape Murder”
Posted by Hugh on January 28th, 2017
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Butterflies, Cercopora leaf spot, compact tree, Container growing, container shrub, Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia), Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Downy mildew, Drought tolerant, Flowers, Heat Tolerance, Messy Fruits, mulching, Planting tips, Powdery mildew, Privacy Screen, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Root suckering, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Weak wooded, Winter bark, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness 
Comments Off on Stop The “Crape Murder”50+ Flowering Pollen/Nectar Plants For Bumblebees
Posted by Hugh on January 24th, 2017
Here are three key points in planning your pollination garden. To attract U.S. native bumblebees: First, add both early(*), mid-summer, and late(**) flowers in the mix for a three seasons long garden. Second, mass together many of the same kinds of flowers, not just one or two plants, so that bees will spot them easier and to visit the planting frequently. […]
Posted in Alliums (onion), Alyssum (annual), Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial Insects, Beneficial insects, Bleeding Hearts (Dicentra), Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Cosmos, Cranesbill (Geranium), Crocus, Culver's Root (veronicastrum), Flowers, Heather (Calluna), Hollyhock (Alcea), Liatris, Monarda (Beebalm), Native Plant, Nepeta (catmint), Pentas (Egyptian star flower), Perennials, Pollination needs, Rosemary, Russian sage (Perovskia), Sage (Salvia), Salvia, Sedum (Groundcover types), Snapdragons, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Stokesia, Stonecrop sedums, Summer flowering, Sunflowers, Verbena, Zinnia Comments Off on 50+ Flowering Pollen/Nectar Plants For BumblebeesOur Native Bumblebees In Trouble
Posted by Hugh on January 22nd, 2017
Recently, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recognized ten more animal species as Endangered Species, providing them protections under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. These 10 species include 7 species of bees. Endangered status will afford the rusty-patched bumblebee protection under federal law. Bumblebees build their nests in the ground (and other places). Honeybees, however, […]
Posted in Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Bumble bees, Container garden, Dahlia, Environmental issues, Flowers, Herbs, Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Pollination needs, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Trees & Shrubs, Wildflower, Winter flowering Comments Off on Our Native Bumblebees In TroubleComparing Western Red Cedar And ‘Green Giant’ Arborvitaes
Posted by Hugh on January 21st, 2017
Western red cedar or giant red cedar (Thuja plicata) is native to the Pacific Northwest. In the eastern U.S. it is called western arborvitae and landscapers typically do not plant it. Instead, they plant the hybrid cultivar ‘Green Giant’ arborvitae, a cross between western red cedar (T. plicata and Japanese arborvitae (T. standishii). Western arborvitae […]
Posted in acidic soil, Arborvitae (Thuja spp.), Bagworms, Container growing, container shrub, Cryptomeria (Japanese cedar), Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Evergreen, Fertilizing plants, Flowers, Fragrant, Green Privacy Screen, Inconspicious, Leyland cypress, mulching, Native Plant, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering evergreens, winter hardiness Comments Off on Comparing Western Red Cedar And ‘Green Giant’ ArborvitaesLandscaping Plantings Around A Garden Railroad
Posted by Hugh on January 18th, 2017
Garden railroad layouts are becoming more popular. A number of dwarf and compact growing plants play a major role in landscaping around the layout. Many miniature forms of taller varieties are available. Here are several great plant choices to add the your garden railroad: Trees and Shrubs – offer scale or tall canopy […]
Posted in acidic soil, Angelonias, Carex (Sedges), compact shrub, compact tree, Container growing, container shrub, deadheading, Drought tolerant, DWARF CONIFERS, Elms (Ulmus), Euphorbias, Evergreen, Fertilizing plants, Fullmoon maple, Ginkgo biloba, Globe amaranth (Gomphrena), Ground cover, Hemlock (Tsuga), Hosta, Ilex (hollies), Impatiens, Landscape ideas, Lantana, Moss rose (Portulaca), mulching, Perennials, Planting tips, Pruning, Salvia, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spruces (Picea spp.), Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, winter hardiness, Yews (Taxus spp.) Comments Off on Landscaping Plantings Around A Garden RailroadShopping Tips When Purchasing Plants
Posted by Hugh on January 4th, 2017
Spring and fall are excellent planting times and buying opportunities. A trips to a garden center can be very costly unless you go prepared. Here are some practical tips to make those shopping trips more enjoyable and a lot less expensive. Create your landscape plan first before buying plants. First, visit garden centers to pick up great landscaping ideas […]
Posted in Attracting Butterflies, Container growing, Disease resistant, Evergreen, Flowers, Foliage plant, Fruits & Vegetables, Garden Maintenance, Garden Problems, Ground cover, Interior (house) Plants, Landscape ideas, Native Plant, Ornamental fruit, Perennials, Pesticide recommendations, plant nutrition, Planting tips, Poisonous or toxic, Privacy Screen, Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Roses, Southern Appalachian Region, Trees & Shrubs, Vine, Water Gardens, watering tips, Winter Protection Comments Off on Shopping Tips When Purchasing PlantsSouthern Gardeners Should Use The AHS Heat Zone Map
Posted by Hugh on January 1st, 2017
The AHS Heat Zone Map isn’t new. The American Horticultural Society developed it in 1960 and updated it in 1990. It has become an important reference for knowing both the cold and heat tolerances of garden plants. Many perennials in southern U.S. gardens struggle in the extreme heat and humidity. The heat zone map developed by AHS is […]
Posted in Evergreen, Garden ecology, Heat Tolerance, Native Plant, Pests, Platycodon (Balloon flower), Purchasing Plants, Regional, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Sweetgum (Liquidambar), Trees & Shrubs, Uncategorized, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on Southern Gardeners Should Use The AHS Heat Zone MapAre Your Plants Deficient In Magnesium?
Posted by Hugh on December 28th, 2016
Magnesium (Mg) is the central element involved in chlorophyll synthesis, a crucial nutrient in photosynthesis, and in maintaining vibrant green leaves. Like calcium, magnesium is required by plants in large enough quantities. It is a “macro-nutrient”, as important as nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), the latter three adsorbed by plants in greater amounts. Magnesium […]
Posted in acidic soil, Edible fruits, Ferns, Fertilizing, Fertilizing plants, Flowering house plant, Foliage plant, Interior (house) Plants, Pepper, plant nutrition, Planting tips, Roses, Soil pH, Tomato, Uncategorized Comments Off on Are Your Plants Deficient In Magnesium?Little Goblin® Series Of Deciduous Hollies
Posted by Hugh on December 25th, 2016
Little Goblin® Red (Ilex verticillata ‘NCIV1’) is one of the new creation from plant breeder Dr. Tom Ranney, at the North Carolina Research And Extension Center in Mills River, NC. It is the first ever tetraploid winterberry. This dwarf variety is also exceptionally hardy and easy to care for. Little Goblin® Orange (‘NCIV2’) is extremely early flowering and […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Bees and other pollinators, Container growing, container shrub, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Evergreen, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Ilex (hollies), mulching, Native Plant, Ornamental fruit, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Little Goblin® Series Of Deciduous HolliesLandscape Trees With Winter Interest
Posted by Hugh on December 22nd, 2016
Does your winter landscape look a bit shabby? This coming spring take some action by planting trees that should perk up its appearance. New tree choices should ratchet up seasonal interest, attract more bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds in the spring-summer and hungry fruit feeding birds in fall-winter. Making smart tree choices can add four-seasons of interest to your yard. […]
Posted in Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Birch (Betula spp.), Butterflies, Chinese (kousa) dogwood, Cornus officinalis, Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia), Dogwood (Cornus), Edible fruits, Ginkgo biloba, Hummingbird, Kwanzan cherry, Landscape ideas, Native Plant, Ornamental fruit, Paperbark maple, Parrotia (Persian ironwood), Purchasing Plants, river birch, Southern Appalachian Region, Stewartia pseudocamellia, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Winter bark, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness, Winterberry holly Comments Off on Landscape Trees With Winter Interest
