For those of you tired of the monotony of Bradford pears, go shopping for ornamental crabapples (Malus spp.). Most crabapple cultivars mature into long-lived small flowering trees less than 20 feet in height at maturity. Most fit under utility lines. Worldwide, there are over 400 cultivars of crabapples in nursery commerce. Most are susceptibility to […]
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Crabapple Shopping List
Posted by Hugh on February 10th, 2011
Posted in Attracting birds, Bees and other pollinators, Crabapple, Disease resistant, Landscape ideas, Ornamental fruit, Propagation(grafting), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Sanitation, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Trees & Shrubs, Winter bark, Winter Garden Interest 
Comments Off on Crabapple Shopping ListGrowing Blueberries
Posted by Hugh on May 5th, 2010
Both the highbush and rabbiteye blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) are hardy in the Southern Appalachian region (zone 6-b to 7-a). A hot summer is a nemesis for highbush and an extremely cold winter limits where you can grow rabbiteye within zone 6-b. Blueberry bushes grow 8-15-feet tall, requiring annual pruning. Its dark green foliage turns brilliant […]
Posted in acidic soil, acidify soil, Bees and other pollinators, Blueberries, Container garden, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Fruits & Vegetables, Landscape ideas, Native Plant, Ornamental fruit, Purchasing Plants, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering Comments Off on Growing Blueberries‘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 Choice‘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’ BoxwoodKeep 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 SmilingDogwoods for Spring
Posted by Hugh on December 18th, 2009
Five disease resistant varieties of flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), released by the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, are available at local garden centers this spring. Supply should be better than in past years. Powdery mildew resistant varieties: ‘Appalachian Snow’ (pictured), ‘Appalachian Blush’ and ‘Appalachian Mist’. In addition, ‘Cherokee Brave’, with dark pink flowers, exhibits good mildew resistance. […]
Posted in Attracting birds, Bees and other pollinators, Dogwood (Cornus), Landscape ideas, Native Plant, Ornamental fruit, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Trees & Shrubs Comments Off on Dogwoods for SpringHardy Forms of Deodara Cedar
Posted by Hugh on October 3rd, 2009
I am surprised by the increasing numbers of deodara cedars (Cedrus deodara) that are prospering in Zones 6-b and 7 gardens. Apparently, deodara cedars are much hardier than once thought. The buzz at a recent American Conifer Regional meeting is these varieties list here are worthy of planting: Tree forms: ‘Karl Fuchs’ ‘Shalimar’ ‘Eisregen’ ‘Eiswinter’ ‘Polar […]
Posted in acidic soil, Deodara cedars (Cedrus), Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Evergreens, Landscape ideas, mulching, Propagation(grafting), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, watering tips, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on Hardy Forms of Deodara Cedar
