Archive for December, 2009

Princess Lilies — Hardy in Zone 6

Not all alstroemerias are alike. I have been enjoying my Princess lilies (alstroemeria hybrids from Holland) over the past 6 years. They have been surprisingly winter hardy in zone 6-b where I garden. Further south in zones 7 and 8, Princess lilies prefer part sun to partial shade. I grow’em on the east side of […]

‘Sky Pencil Holly vs ‘Dee Runk’ Boxwood

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 […]

Planting Leyland Cypress May Be Big Mistake

If you live in USDA Plant Zone 6-b – 7, planting leyland cypress (x Cupressocyparis leylandii) could eventually turn into a maintenance diseaster in your landscape. Leyland cypress is a green behemoth, too fast and aggressive for most folks to handle. Ask yourself, “do you really need a 60-70 foot evergreen privacy screen around your […]

Beware of Storm Damaged Trees

This past weekend Northeast Tennessee as well as most of the coastal eastern U.S. was hit by heavy snow, 7 inches and more of heavy, wet clinging snow. Many of my neighbors lost electric power, telephone and cable. A driveby survey of tree damage around the neighborhood found that the following tree species suffered the […]

Keep Your Pansy Faces Smiling

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 […]

Baptisia – 2010 Perennial Plant of the Year

Blue false indigo(Baptisia australis) is a beautiful, long-lived, drought tolerant perennial with a robust growth habit and attractive steel blue foliage. In late May, the violet-blue flower spikes rise tall above sturdy 3-4 feet tall plants with steel bluish-green foliage. Baptisias grow best in full sun and in moist, well-drained soils. Feed or fertilize baptisias sparingly to prevent plants from flopping […]

Surprise lily (Lycorus)

Surprise lily or resurrection flower (Lycorus radiata) should be ordered in January because of limited available supply. Divisions are shipped fresh dug in June for immediate planting. Flowers emerge in late July and August. Lycorus is long-lived garden perennials, hardy in USDA hardiness zones 6-b thru 9. In the past I have ordered mine from […]

Dogwoods for Spring

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. […]

Poet’s laurel-great shade garden shrub

Alexandrian laurel or poet’s laurel (Danae racemosa) is a lovely 2-4 foot, low arching, evergreen shrub. It thrives in shady areas of the garden, spreading slowly from root suckers. Poet’s laurel stays in its intended place and does not overwhelm other plants around it. Tiny greenish-white flowers appear in late spring and are often overlooked. […]