Archive for the ‘Failure to Bloom’ Category

Growing Crinum Lilies

Crinum Lilies, aka “River lilies”, “Cape Coast lilies”, and “Creole lilies”, are native to Southeast Asia. Crinum lilies are more akin to Amaryllis (Hippeastrum) than true lilies (Lilium). Considered to be an old staple in Southern gardens, crinum lilies are seen growing around old cemeteries, old farmsteads, and in ditches (zones 7-10). Over time long-lasting […]

Siberian Wallflowers – Tough Winter Annuals

In areas of the U.S. where winters are mild, Siberian Wallflower (Erysimum cheiri), (formerly Cheiranthus cheiri), is  an early flowering favorite in the late winter garden. The species hails from Southern Europe (USDA hardiness zones 7-9). Many books list them as biennials and a few as “tempermental perennials”. Wallflower is a woody-based herbaceous perennial subshrub in the mustard […]

Re-blooming Poinsettia This Fall

The winter holidays may be over, but your poinsettia plant is likely still looking pretty.  If you opt to grow and re-bloom your plant next Christmas, follow this growing schedule. Keep the soil evenly moist and set the plant in bright daylight. Feed bi-monthly with a house plant fertilizer. Inspect and rid your plants of all […]

Growing Morning Glories

Morning glory vines (Ipomoea tricolor) add a dash of old fashion charm to today’s gardens. YES! these aggressive vines demand a high degree of attention. Their funnel or tubular-shaped flowers open in the morning and close late in the afternoon. In a single growing season, vines may grow 6 to 12 feet and more (depending on variety). Morning […]

Tidy Up These Perennials After Blooming Is Finished

Deadheading, the practice of removing the old spent flowers from perennials, is a way to improve a garden’s appearance and reduce overcrowding. Secondarily, many (not all) will rebloom after deadheading. Not all perennials respond to deadheading by reblooming. Most daylilies (Hemerocallis x.), coralbells (Heuchera spp.), and hostas (Hosta spp.) are prime examples of perennials that do not […]

Growing Trilliums

                Trilliums (Trillium spp.) are the beloved native wildflower around the world. Many species are native to the U.S. Five popular U.S. species are great white trillium (T. grandiflorum), yellow trillium (T. luteum), prairie trillium (T. recurvatum), drooping trillium (T. flexipes), and sweet Betsy trillium (T. cuneatum). For 8 months and more, trilliums are […]

List Of Dioecious Trees And Shrubs

              Some tree species are dioecious, that is produce single sex flowers (either male and female). Male flowers produce pollen and no fruits. Female flowers bear seeds or fruits.  You may purchase male clones to avoid picking up messy seed pods or capsules in the fall. If you are allergic to certain tree pollens, avoid […]

American Yellowwood Deserves To Be Planted More

    American yellowwood (Cladrastis kentukea) is a beautiful native tree which  is rarely planted in U.S. landscapes (USDA hardiness zones 4-8). Yellowwood is a tree for all seasons. It is both a lovely shade and flowering specimen. Long white wisteria-like flowers appear in mid- to late-May. It eventually matures into a lovely 35 to […]

Cosmos For Sunny Gardens

Cosmos, indigenous to Mexico and South America, are one of the easiest-to-grow flowering annuals. They start blooming in early summer and are at their best in late summer and early autumn. Two most popular species are Cosmos sulphureus and C. bipinnatus. Flower heads are composed of disc and ray flowers. Cosmos is a member of the aster […]

Why Mophead Hydrangeas Do Not Bloom

      The introduction of Endless Summer® hydrangeas in the 1990’s got gardeners excited about growing mophead hydrangeas  (Hydrangea macrophylla) again. Mophead hydrangeas bloom both on old wood in the spring and again on new wood in mid-summer. Flowers have either a blue/pink color depending on the pH of the soil. Endless Summer hydrangeas bloomed […]