Don’t rake and send fallen leaves to urban landfills. In a recent poll, nearly one-third of weekly disposable materials are composed of yard waste, newspapers, and food waste. Many of your neighbors are sending bags of “nutrient gold” to landfills. Improve your gardening skills and save money. Adding fallen leaves back into the garden is […]
Archive for the ‘Purchasing Plants’ Category
Raked Leaves Improve Garden Soil
Posted by Hugh on December 9th, 2021
Posted in acidic soil, Bulb Crops, compost, Container garden, Disease resistant, Environmental issues, Fall Garden Interest, Fertilizing plants, Garden ecology, Green Recycling, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Non-native, Perennials, Planting tips, Purchasing Plants, Sanitation, Soil Conservation, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Spring flowering bulbs, Trees & Shrubs, Virginia bluebell (Mertensia), Wildflower 
Comments Off on Raked Leaves Improve Garden SoilEmpress Tree (Paulownia)
Posted by Hugh on November 26th, 2021
Empress tree (Paulownia tomentosa) is a fast-growing shade tree, in some years adding 4-5 feet of new growth, eventually to reach heights of 40-50 feet and width of 20-30 feet in less than 20 years. In the first 3-4 years, juvenile trees develop enormous size leaves. Once trees start producing flowers (adult stage), leaves are […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bees and other pollinators, Canker disease, Deciduous, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Heat Tolerance, Invasive plant, Invasive species, Landscape Construction, Landscape ideas, Medium sized Tree, Non-native, Paulownia (Empress tree), Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Shade tree, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Weak branching, Weak wooded, winter hardiness Comments Off on Empress Tree (Paulownia)Prepare For Storm Damage
Posted by Hugh on November 22nd, 2021
A snow/ ice storm is both a beautiful and horrific scene in a landscape. Costly tree/shrub breakage, downed power lines, and subsequent utility shutoffs may be staggering results. Don’t feel powerless! Prepare and take action. During the storm, do nothing / “hands off”. Working near an active electrical line is deadly. After the storm you should immediately […]
Posted in Borers, Bradford Pear, Certified Arborist, Cold tolerance, Deciduous, Disease resistant, Fall Garden Interest, Firewood, Landscape ideas, Large Shade trees, Leyland cypress, Magnolia grandiflora, Pine (Pinus spp.), Poplar (Populus spp.), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Shade tree, Silver maple (Acer saccharinum), Southern Appalachian Region, Sycamore (Platanus), Termites, Tree topping, Trees & Shrubs, Willows (Salix), Wind protection, Winter Protection Comments Off on Prepare For Storm Damage2020 Evaluation of Russian Sages By CBG
Posted by Hugh on November 16th, 2021
Russian sage (Perovskia spp.) is a popular garden and landscape plant valued for its lavender-blue flowers and long bloom period. Leaves are silvery green leaves. Long cultivated as an herbaceous perennial, Russian sage is technically a subshrub, a plant with a woody base that produces herbaceous stems. Perovskia spp. has recently renamed Salvia yangii and is a member […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, Container garden, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fall Garden Interest, Fertilizing plants, Flower arrangments, Fragrant, Heat Tolerance, Honey bees, Landscape ideas, Non-native, Perennials, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (dividing), Purchasing Plants, Russian sage (Perovskia), Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, winter hardiness Comments Off on 2020 Evaluation of Russian Sages By CBGEnormous Leaves On Sapling Trees
Posted by Hugh on November 11th, 2021
Some fast-growing trees like Royal Empress tree (Paulownia tomentosum) smoketree (Cotinus coggygria), and basswood linden (Tilia americana). There are lots more arboreal candidates. Keep the young tree saplings vegetative by practicing “Renewal Pruning”. To create an accent tree, single or multi-stemmed, wait until the plant has been in the ground for a few years, then begin […]
Posted in Basswood (linden), Flower Arranging, Landscape ideas, Linden (Tilia), Magnolia, Magnolia macrophylla, Native Plant, Paulownia (Empress tree), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Redbud, Smoketree (Cotinus), Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Trees & Shrubs Comments Off on Enormous Leaves On Sapling TreesPlants That Attract Birds To Your Property
Posted by Hugh on November 6th, 2021
Birds visit trees, shrubs, vines and perennials for five things: fruits (berries), sweet nectar (flowers), insects (particularly caterpillars), nuts and seeds, and shelter. This list is a compilation from the North Carolina and Tennessee chapters of the Audubon Society of ornamental plants common in the Southern Appalachian region. Trees and Shrubs Maples (Acer spp.) Downy […]
Posted in American Beech (F. grandifolia), Appalachian dogwood series, Arrowwood (V. dentatum), Ash (Fraxinus), Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Basswood (linden), Bee Favorite, Beech (Fagus spp.), Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Blackhaw viburnum (V. prunifolium), Bur oak (Q. macrocarpa), Columbine (Aquilegia), Container garden, Coreopsis, Coreopsis 'Gold Standard, Cotoneaster, Crabapple, Deciduous holly, Dogwood (Cornus), European beech (F. sylvatica), Goldenrod (Solidago), Hawthorn (Crataegus), Hemlock (Tsuga), Ilex (hollies), Inkberry Holly (Ilex), Juniper, Landscape ideas, Linden (Tilia), Lobelia (cardnial flower), Magnolia virginiana, Monarda (Beebalm), Mountain ash (Sorbus), Native Plant, Ornamental cherry (Prunus), Ornamental fruit, Penstemon, Possum haw (Ilex decidua), Purchasing Plants, Pyracantha (firethorn), Red oak (Quercus), Rudbeckia 'Herbstonne', Sage (Salvia), Sedum (Shrub type), Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer phlox (P. paniculata), Symphyotrichum (asster), Vine, White Wood Aster (Eurybia), Wildlife attractant, Willows (Salix), Winter Garden Interest, Witherod (Viburnum nudum, Yarrow (Achillea) Comments Off on Plants That Attract Birds To Your PropertyPerennials With Great Autumn Leaf Color
Posted by Hugh on October 27th, 2021
In addition to foliage changes seen in landscape trees and shrubs, a select number of perennials contribute to the autumnal leaf colors. Here is a select list of popular perennials endeared for their autumnal foliage hues. Arkansas bluestar (Amsonia hubrichtii) – stunning golden foliage beginning in late September. Bloody cranesbill (Geranium sanguineum) – geranium ground […]
Posted in Amsonia (blue star), Aralia 'Sun King', Autumn fern (Dryopteris), Container garden, Deciduous, Ground cover, Landscape ideas, Muhly grass, mulching, Native Plant, Perennials, Purchasing Plants, Rodgersia, Sedges (Carex), Sedum, Sedum (Groundcover types), Soil drainage, Spanish bluebells, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Switchgrass (Panicum), Uvularia (bellwort), Variegated Solomon Seal, winter hardiness Comments Off on Perennials With Great Autumn Leaf ColorForms of Western Arborvitae
Posted by Hugh on October 16th, 2021
Here is a partial listing of cultivars of Western arborvitae (Thuja plicata), as found in the U.S. nursery industry. Several are good choices for dwarf conifer collectors, in rock gardens, and in large containers. Winter hardiness of some cultivars is variable. Note: some are dwarf forms of ‘Green Giant’ arborvitae (Thuja standishii x plicata) which […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, compact shrub, compost, Container garden, container shrub, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Evergreen, Evergreens, Fragrant, Hedges, Landscape ideas, Medium sized Tree, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Non-native, Planting tips, Privacy Screen, Propagation (Cuttings), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Western arborvitae (Thuja plicata), Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness Comments Off on Forms of Western ArborvitaePossum Haw Holly
Posted by Hugh on October 11th, 2021
Possum haw (Ilex decidua) is a deciduous holly, grown as a large shrub or small tree. Its colorful winter berries brighten woodlands along creeks and rivers in the Midwest and Southeastern U.S. (USDA hardiness zones 5 -9). It is known by a number of common names, including bearberry, winterberry, deciduous holly, among others. Its popular […]
Posted in Attracting birds, Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Deciduous, Deciduous holly, Dioecious, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Environmental Conservation, Fertilizing plants, Fragrant, Garden ecology, Honey bees, Ilex (hollies), Landscape ideas, Large shrub, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Ornamental fruit, Planting tips, Possum haw (Ilex decidua), Praying Mantis (Mantid), Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Wildlife attractant, winter hardiness Comments Off on Possum Haw HollyCoral honeysuckle
Posted by Hugh on October 6th, 2021
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 […]
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 honeysuckle
