Gifts have been opened and a great dinner served. The holiday season may be waning, but your beautiful poinsettia plant (Euphorbia pulcherrima) will require some minimal care. Generally, the same weekly care that you provide your house plants will keep your poinsettia looking beautiful most of the winter. Here are some basic tips: Place poinsettia in bright natural light […]
Archive for the ‘Purchasing Plants’ Category
Holiday Poinsettia Requires Basic Care
Posted by Hugh on December 24th, 2014
Posted in acidic soil, Fertilizing plants, Interior (house) Plants, Landscape ideas, Poinsettia, Poinsettia, Purchasing Plants, Summer heat tolerant, Tropical Plants (non-hardy), watering tips 
Comments Off on Holiday Poinsettia Requires Basic CareDetermining A Plant’s Cold Hardiness
Posted by Hugh on December 21st, 2014
On-line nursery catalogs and plant labels at garden centers list the hardiness of the trees, shrubs, vines, and perennials that they sell. Many years ago the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) developed the hardiness rating scale based on geographic location from northern Canada to southern Mexico. Most U.S. gardeners live within Zones 3 to 11. Don’t know […]
Posted in Environmental issues, Landscape ideas, Perennials, Purchasing Plants, Southern Appalachian Region, Trees & Shrubs, Tropical Plants (non-hardy), winter hardiness, winter injury, Winter Protection Comments Off on Determining A Plant’s Cold HardinessNew Christmas Roses (Hellebores) Greatly Improved
Posted by Hugh on December 18th, 2014
Christmas roses (Helleborus niger) is a winter flowering perennial. It is native to central and southern Europe (USDA hardiness zones 4-8) and is not as winter hardy as lenten rose (Helleborus x orientalis). Christmas rose tends to flower 1 to 4 weeks earlier, around the Christmas holidays in southern climes (zones 7-8). New selections of H. niger are better […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Container garden, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Evergreen, Fertilizing plants, Hellebores, Perennials, Planting tips, Poisonous or toxic, Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Slugs, Slugs, Snails, Soil drainage, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, Winter flowering, winter hardiness Comments Off on New Christmas Roses (Hellebores) Greatly ImprovedProvide Space For Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar
Posted by Hugh on December 13th, 2014
Atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica) hails from the Atlas Mountains in northern Morocco and Algeria (USDA hardiness zone 6-9). ‘Glauca Pendula’ is a popular weeping form with blue green needle foliage. It is found in limited quantities at full service garden centers. Mature forms of weeping blue atlas cedars take up lots of space. When young its natural weeping form perform as a […]
Posted in acidic soil, Atlas cedar (Cedrus), Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Evergreen, Heat Tolerance, Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Southern Appalachian Region, Staking, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Winter bark, winter hardiness Comments Off on Provide Space For Weeping Blue Atlas CedarLacebark Pine Is An Arboreal Gem
Posted by Hugh on December 1st, 2014
Lacebark pine (Pinus bungeana) is an arboreal gem which few gardeners are privileged to own (USDA hardiness zones 4-8). Hopefully, this will change. Lacebark is a lovely 3-needle pine with exquisite exfoliating bark which becomes more attractive as it ages. Bark mottling begins after 8-10 years, that’s worth the wait if you’re a young patient […]
Posted in acidic soil, Evergreen, Evergreens, Fertilizing plants, Lacebark pine (P. bungeana), mulching trees, Pine (Pinus spp.), Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Winter bark, winter hardiness Comments Off on Lacebark Pine Is An Arboreal GemList of Zone 6 Hardy Camellias Grows Longer
Posted by Hugh on November 29th, 2014
If you live and garden in USDA hardiness zone 6, several camellia cultivars are winter hardy. The past decade has seen an increase in the list of hardy cultivars. These same cultivars are also reliable planted in zone 7. Here is a sampling of the best Zone […]
Posted in acidic soil, Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Camellia, compact shrub, compost, container shrub, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Evergreen, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Purchasing Plants, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Winter flowering, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on List of Zone 6 Hardy Camellias Grows LongerSpecies Tulips Thrive in Tough Spots
Posted by Hugh on November 27th, 2014
Species tulips (mini-tulips) are tough! In the wild they grow in the winter environs and dry soils of Central Asia, the Middle East, and China (USDA hardiness zones 3-7). In gardens they prosper for many years in full to partial sun and in average soil with good drainage. Over the centuries mini-tulips have been improved. […]
Posted in acidic soil, compost, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Flowers, Landscape ideas, mulching, Perennials, plant nutrition, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Tulips, Voles, Voles, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Species Tulips Thrive in Tough SpotsDragon Eye – Actually Four Different Pines
Posted by Hugh on November 19th, 2014
In U.S. nursery catalogs, at least four gold striped needle pines are designated “Dragon’s Eye Pine”. They are Japanese red pine (Pinus densiflora ‘Oculus Draconis’), Japanese black pine (P. thunbergi ‘Oculus Draconis’), Variegated Korean pine (P. koraiensis ‘Oculus Draconis’) and Variegated Himalayan pine (P. wallichiana ‘Zebrina’) (USDA hardiness […]
Posted in acidic soil, compact shrub, Deer resistant, Evergreens, Pine (Pinus spp.), Planting tips, Propagation(grafting), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Trees & Shrubs, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness Comments Off on Dragon Eye – Actually Four Different PinesBee Bee Tree (Tetradium) Rarely Seen In U.S. Landscapes
Posted by Hugh on November 3rd, 2014
Native to Korea and southwestern China, bee bee tree (Tetradium daniellii) is a deciduous tree with a spreading umbrella-shaped habit and rounded canopy (USDA hardiness zones 4-8). It was formerly named Evodia daniellii. Bee bee tree typically grows to 25-30 feet tall and wide. In July-August small […]
Posted in acidic soil, Autumn Fruiting, Bee Bee Tree (Tetradium), Bee Favorite, Butterflies, Disease resistant, Fragrant, Ornamental fruit, Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Winter bark, winter hardiness Comments Off on Bee Bee Tree (Tetradium) Rarely Seen In U.S. LandscapesTropical Looking Big Leaf Magnolia
Posted by Hugh on October 2nd, 2014
Bigleaf magnolia (Magnolia macrophylla) is native to the southeastern United States as far north to Ohio (USDA hardiness zones 5-8). A mature tree attains heights of 30 to 40 feet and develops an irregular pyramidal form. In the northern areas the tree is deciduous and semi-evergreen in the southeastern U.S. Its enormous size foliage makes […]
Posted in acidic soil, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Landscape ideas, Magnolia macrophylla, Native Plant, Ornamental fruit, Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, winter hardiness Comments Off on Tropical Looking Big Leaf Magnolia
