Archive for February, 2010

‘Cassata’ -Not Your Typical Daffodil

photo by Susan C. Morgan, Horticultural Manager at the Dallas Arboretum I found this among my daughter Susan’s Facebook photos: Narcissus ‘Cassata’. Cassata is her favorite daffodil -bar none. The creamy white flower of ‘Cassata’ is a unique bright yellow split corona (cup) which matures to white. The reflexed “petals” from the split cup are […]

‘Bosque’ Lacebark Elm – a Better Choice

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 […]

Tips on Planting an Apple Orchard

Apples are easy to grow with a little planning. Select the varieties based on what you like to munch on. Visit the local supermarket and buy several to sample. Some apples taste better in pies and in sauce. Some varieties have a short shelf life and must be consumed within a few weeks after picking […]

U.S. Native Viburnums And Viburnum Beetle Susceptibility

photo -Arrowwood viburnum in late summer A trip to Carolina Native Plants Nursery in Burnsville, NC gave me this idea to list those viburnums which are U.S. natives (USDA Hardiness zones 6 and 7). All are worthy for planting in your landscape in full sun except where noted. All attract birds and other wildlife to […]

Fragrant Wintersweet in Bloom Now

It’s mid-February and you may have already missed seeing the fragrant yellow blossoms of wintersweet (Chimonanthus praecox). Its tiny flowers, 3/4 to 1 inch across, open in the coldest period of the winter season. Blooms are weather-proof, rarely injured when nighttime temps dip below freezing in zones 6 and 7. Bloom injury likely occurs as […]

Thermotropism in Plants

How cold is it outside this morning? Look out the window….perhaps your rhododendron is telling you. On very cold winter mornings some broadleaf evergreen shrubs, like rhododendron and daphniphyllum in my landscape, droop down and/or curl up. (see photo). This is a specific response by some plants to sub-freezing temperatures, called “thermotropism”.Scientists do not fully […]

Privacy Screening – Avoid Using Leyland Cypress

‘Green Giant’ arborvitae and Cryptomeria (Japanese cedar) have proven more dependable over the years than Leyland cypress across Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Leyland cypress is susceptible to three serious foliar diseases. Some people love the faster growth of Leyland cypress. Leyland cypress may be weak-wooded, as reported by some gardeners this current […]

New Dogwoods for Mildew Resistance

‘Joy’ ‘Mist’ ‘Snow’ ‘Blush’ Powdery mildew has become more of a problem across the southeastern U.S. over the past ten years on flowering dogwood (Cornus florida). University of Tennessee plant scientists have developed a series of mildew resistant dogwoods (pictured above). Each cultivar is sold under the Appalachian series of dogwoods. In cool spring climates, […]

‘Bosque’ Lacebark Elm — a Better Choice

(New planting of Allee elm pictured) 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 […]

‘Clothed in Glory’ daylily

(Photo courtesy of The Daylily Nursery) Browsing through several garden catalogs on this snowy February day, I spotted a new daylily gem called ‘Clothed in Glory’ from The Daylily Nursery, a mail order emporium in Rock Island, TN. Tim Hitchcock, nursery owner, describes ‘Clothed in Glory’ as an 18- inch tall lavender beauty possessing regal […]