Panicle, PeeGee or PG hydrangeas (Hydrangea panculata) brighten up your July-August garden. They hail from China and Japan and grow almost anywhere in the U.S. (USDA hardiness zones 3 – 8). PG hydrangeas are far more reliable in northern areas (zones 3-5), than mophead hydrangeas (H. macrophylla). They flower at their best in full to partial day sunlight (6 hours […]
Archive for the ‘Purchasing Plants’ Category
Panicle Hydrangeas For Small Gardens And Containers
Posted by Hugh on June 13th, 2017
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, compact shrub, compost, Container garden, Container growing, deadheading, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Hydrangeas, Landscape ideas, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, winter hardiness 
Comments Off on Panicle Hydrangeas For Small Gardens And ContainersSee Your Perennials Blooming Again
Posted by Hugh on June 4th, 2017
Deadheading is the removal of old spent flowers and stems of many perennials. Many (not all) perennials will respond and bloom a second and even a third time. Deadheading also refreshes the plant’s appearance and reduces or eliminates the threat of seed dispersal. It redirects the plant’s energy away from seed production toward root and vegetative growth. […]
Posted in Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Blanket flower (Gaillardia), Butterflies, Butterfly weed (Asclepias), Columbine (Aquilegia), Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Container garden, Coreopsis, Culver's Root (veronicastrum), Delphinium, Dianthus (Pinks), Fertilizing plants, Flowers, Gaura, Heat Tolerance, Helenium, Heliopsis (False sunflower), Hummingbird, Indian pink (Spigelia), Lavender (Lavandula), Milkweeds (Asclepias), Monarda (Beebalm), mulching, Native Plant, Perennials, Phlox, plant nutrition, Planting tips, Platycodon (Balloon flower), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Re-Bloomers, Red hot Poker (Kniphofia), Russian sage (Perovskia), Sage (Salvia), Sanitation, Shasta daisy (Leucanthemum), Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Stokesia, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Summer phlox (P. paniculata), Sunflower (Helianthus), Torch lily (red hot poker), Tradescantia (Spiderwort), Veronica (speedwells), watering tips, Weed control, Yarrow (Achillea) Comments Off on See Your Perennials Blooming AgainFall In Love With Haas’ Halo® Hydrangea
Posted by Hugh on June 1st, 2017
Anyone walking through your garden will stop to see Haas Halo®) hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens Haas Halo®). This native smooth hydrangea has intense blue-green, leathery foliage and huge pure white wide lace cap blooms (USDA hardiness zones 3-9). Flowers stand tall on stout sturdy stems. Shrub branching is upright. This new hydrangea was found by Frederick H. Ray, […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Butterflies, compact shrub, Container growing, container shrub, deadheading, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Flowering, Hydrangea arborescens, Hydrangeas, mulching, Native Plant, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Re-Bloomers, Shade Gardening, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering hydrangeas, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Fall In Love With Haas’ Halo® HydrangeaFive Perennial Staples For Your Summer Garden
Posted by Hugh on May 23rd, 2017
If you are designing a new perennial garden, here are five proven perennials to start out with. All varieties are standout garden performers known for their long blooming period and showy flowers. Coreopsis and veronica are often utilized for edging along a sunny border. All can be planted in mixed containers. ‘Pow Wow Wild Berry’ coneflower (Echinacea […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, compost, Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Container garden, Coreopsis, deadheading, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Hummingbird, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Shasta daisy (Leucanthemum), Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Veronica (speedwells), watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Five Perennial Staples For Your Summer GardenHow Drought Affects Our Landscape Trees*
Posted by Hugh on May 20th, 2017
Long term drought can be devastating on landscape and woodland trees. An environmentally stressed tree must expend additional energy to survive. Extremes of drought leads to decreases in trunk diameter and height growth, declining resistance to pests and diseases, less food production via photosynthesis, and in flower and fruit production. Symptoms of drought stress include wilted […]
Posted in American Beech (F. grandifolia), Ash (Fraxinus), Bald cypress (Taxodium), Bur oak (Q. macrocarpa), Disease prone, Disease resistant, Dogwood (Cornus), Drought tolerant, Environmental issues, Evergreens, Firs (Abies), Garden Maintenance, Heat Tolerance, Hickory (Carya spp.), Hophornbeam (Ostrya), Hornbeam (Carpinus), Landscape ideas, Leaf retention, Linden (Tilia), Magnolia grandiflora, Maples (Acer), mulching, Native Plant, Oaks (Quercus spp.), Pests, pin oak, Pines (Pinus spp.), Planting tips, Poplar (Populus spp.), Purchasing Plants, Redbud, root injury, Small landscape tree, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Sweetgum (Liquidambar), Sycamore (Platanus), Transplant problem, Trees & Shrubs, Tulip tree (Liriodendron), watering tips, Willow oak (Quercus), Winter Protection Comments Off on How Drought Affects Our Landscape Trees*Chinese Fringetree Is Versatile Landscape Tree
Posted by Hugh on May 8th, 2017
Chinese fringetree (Chionanthus retusus) is native to China, Korea and Japan (Zone: 6 to 9a). Related to native U.S. species (C. virginicus), fringetrees are noted for their profuse spring bloom of fragrant white flowers. It is most often seen in cultivation as a large, multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub growing to 15 – 20 feet tall with a […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Borers, compact shrub, compact tree, Container growing, container shrub, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fragrant, Fringetree (Chionanthus), Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, Mites, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Scale, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness Comments Off on Chinese Fringetree Is Versatile Landscape TreeU.S. Native Bleeding Hearts Dazzle In Woodland Garden
Posted by Hugh on May 5th, 2017
One of nature’s delights in the late spring – early summer garden is the wonder of bleeding hearts (Dicentra spp.) in bloom (USDA hardiness zones 3-9). Fringed bleeding heart (D. exima) is a U.S. native to the Appalachian Mountains. Fringed bleeding heart exhibits deeply-cut, fern-like, grayish-green foliage on 10-15 inch tall plants. Dangling bright pink pendant (or heart) flowers […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Aphids, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bleeding Hearts (Dicentra), compost, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Hummingbird, mulching, Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Slugs, Snails, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, Wildflowers, winter hardiness Comments Off on U.S. Native Bleeding Hearts Dazzle In Woodland GardenKorean Maple Substitute For Fullmoon Japanese Maple
Posted by Hugh on April 30th, 2017
At first sight Korean maple (Acer pseudosieboldianum), aka Korean fullmoon maple, is very similar in appearance to fullmoon Japanese maples (A. japonicum var. Acontifolium). If you live in a northern U.S. such as the upper Midwest, growing Japanese maples will likely become an unfulfilled wish. Korean maple is a hardier choice for northern locales (USDA hardiness zones 4-8). […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aphids, Borers, compact tree, compost, Container growing, container shrub, Disease resistant, Korean maple, Mites, mulching, plant nutrition, Planting tips, Propagation(grafting), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Scale, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips Comments Off on Korean Maple Substitute For Fullmoon Japanese MapleSummer Heat And Drought Tolerant Annuals
Posted by Hugh on April 27th, 2017
Annuals (bedding plants) provide many more weeks of colorful flowers and/or foliage than perennials and woody landscape plants. Planting a fabulous flower garden does involve lots of initial preparation, including adding lots of organic matter (compost) to the ground and tilling it in. First, plan your summer flower garden before you plant. Choose those that […]
Posted in acidic soil, Angelonias, Bees and other pollinators, Begonia, compost, Container garden, Cupheas, Drought tolerant, Euphorbias, Fan flower (Scaevola), Fertilizing plants, Flowers, Globe amaranth (Gomphrena), Heat Tolerance, Hummingbird, Landscape ideas, Marigold, Mexican sunflower (Tithonia), Million Bells (Calibrachoa), Moss rose (Portulaca), mulching, Native Plant, Pentas (Egyptian star flower), Periwinkle (annual vinca), Petunias, Planting tips, Purchasing Plants, Salvia, Scaevola, Sedum, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spider flower (Cleome), Spring flowering, Star zinnia, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Uncategorized, watering tips, Zinnia Comments Off on Summer Heat And Drought Tolerant AnnualsGardenias Continue To Disappoint In The Mid-South
Posted by Hugh on April 24th, 2017
The lure of fragrant white flowers have mid-South gardeners (zones 6 and 7) wanting to grow gardenias (Gardenia jasminoides). New cultivars, supposedly hardier than previous ones, hit garden centers every spring. Unfortunately, zones 6 and 7 winters usually prove them wrong. Recent purchases of new cultivars ‘Frostproof’ and Pinwheel® and older selection ‘Kleim’s Hardy’ have […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aphids, applying sulfur, Bacterial diseases, Botrytis disease, compact shrub, compost, Container garden, Container growing, container shrub, Environmental issues, Evergreen, Fertilizing plants, Flowering house plant, Flowers, Fragrant, Gardenia, Insect (Pest) Problems, Insect suseptible, Interior (house) Plants, Leaf diseases, Mites, Planting tips, Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Sanitation, Shade Gardening, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Thrips, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, White flies, Wind protection, winter hardiness, Winter Protection 1 Comment »
