Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Airplane Plant, Perennial Of The Day

Crassula perfoliata var. falcata
Airplane Plant, Scarlet Paintbrush, Sickle Plant

Type Perennial, succulent
Hardy range 9A to 11
Height 24" to 30" / 60cm to 75cm
Growth rate Average
Form Upright or erect
Exposure Full sun
Persistence Evergreen

Bloom Color Red
Bloom Time Summer

The flowers are fragrant.

Environment This plant tolerates drought.
This plant will grow in dry to moist soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy or sandy.
The pH preference is a neutral soil.

Leaf Color Silvery
This plant has attractive foliage.

Culture Notes During winter months, water only to keep shoots from shriveling.

Please feel free to comment on any post at any time all feedback is welcome and we’d love to hear it.

Rose of Sharon, Deciduous Shrub Of The Day

Hibiscus syriacus 'Russian Violet'
Rose of Sharon, Althaea, Shrub Althea

Type Shrub, woody plant
Hardy range 5B to 9A
Height 10' to 15' / 3.00m to 4.60m
Spread 6' to 10' / 1.80m to 3.00m
Growth rate Slow
Form Rounded and upright or erect
Exposure Partial shade or partial sun to full sun
Persistence Deciduous

Bloom Color Pink, purple and red
Bloom Time Summer

The flowers are very showy.

Environment This plant tolerates some drought, occasional wetness and some salt.
This plant will grow in dry to occasionally wet soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy, sandy or clay.
The pH preference is an acidic to neutral (less than 6.8 to 7.2) soil.

Leaf Color Green
Fall Color No change in fall color

Culture Notes Easily grown, shrubs are usually planted in the perennial garden because of the abundance of colorful flowers. Too much or too little water or over fertilization will cause buds to drop from this plant. This plant is capable of self-sowing to the point of being a nuisance if the soil beneath is suitable for germinating. Flowers are produced on new growth so prune in late winter, if you wish to control its size. Pruning is not necessary for flower production. Shrubs are easy to transplant bare root or balled and burlapped. Plants in flower attract hummingbirds.

Plants sometimes have poor root systems which cause the plant to fall over as it grows taller. This often originates in the nursery when plants are held in containers too long. This can be avoided by choosing plants that are small for their container and slicing any roots that circle the outside of the container. Some growers also use alternate container designs specially designed to reduce the amount of circling roots.

Planting and establishing shrubs The most common cause of young plant failure is planting too deep. Plant the root ball no deeper than it was in the nursery. In most instances, the root flare zone (point where the top-most root in the root ball originates from the trunk) should be located just above the landscape soil surface. Sometimes plants come from the nursery with soil over the root flare. If there is soil over this area, scrape it off. The planting hole should be at least twice the width of the root ball, preferably wider. In all but exceptional circumstances where the soil is very poor, there is no need to incorporate anything into the backfill soil except the loosened soil that came out of the planting hole. Never place ANY soil over the root ball. If a row or grouping of plants is to be installed, excavating or loosening the soil in the entire bed and incorporating organic matter enhances root growth and establishment rate.

Weed suppression during establishment is essential. Apply a 3-inch thick layer of mulch around the plant to help control weed growth. Keep it at least 10 inches from the trunk. If you apply it over the root ball, apply only a one or two inch layer. This allows rainwater and air to easily enter the root ball and keeps the trunk dry. Placing mulch against the trunk or applying too thick a layer above the root ball can kill the plant by oxygen starvation, death of bark, stem and root diseases, prevention of hardening off for winter, vole and other rodent damage to the trunk, keeping soil too wet, or repelling water. Regular irrigation through the first growing season after planting encourages rapid root growth, which is essential for quick plant establishment.

Please feel free to comment on any post at any time all feedback is welcome and we’d love to hear it.

A BEECHWOOD LANDSCAPE CREATION


  














Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Spanish Bayonet, Evergreen Perennial, succulent of The Day



 
Yucca aloifolia
    Spanish Bayonet,  Dagger Plant,  Yucca

Type    Perennial, succulent
Hardy range    8A to 10A
Height    10' to 15' / 3.00m to 4.60m
Spread    36" to 6' / 90cm to 1.80m
Growth rate    Slow
Form    Upright or erect
Exposure    Partial shade or partial sun to full sun
Persistence    Evergreen

Bloom Color    White
Bloom Time    Spring and Summer

The flowers are fragrant and showy.

Environment
This plant tolerates drought and salt well.
This plant will grow in dry soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy or sandy.
The pH preference is an acidic to alkaline (less than 6.8 to more than 7.7) soil.

Leaf Color    Green
Fall Color    No change in fall color

Culture Notes
Spanish Dagger is often confused with Spanish Bayonet.  Leaf margins on Spanish Dagger (Y. gloriosa) are smooth, whereas those on Y. aloifolia (Spanish Bayonet) are rough.  The outer half of the leaves on Spanish Dagger also bend toward the ground, whereas those on Spanish Bayonet do not.  Growing in full sun or partial shade, Spanish Bayonet does well on any well-drained soil and should be watered sparingly, if at all.  Plants can also tolerate nearly full shade. This plant is considered mostly allergy free and causes little or no allergy problems in most people.

Spanish Bayonet makes a dramatic landscape statement, its dark green, stiff, dagger-like leaves projecting from thick, inclining trunks.  Spikes of bright white blossoms appear in springtime to late summer depending on the year in the center of the plant above the foliage.  With the sharp needled tips removed with shears, Spanish Bayonet makes a wonderful accent at entryways or in a shrub border.  Their striking textures adds an accent to any garden.  Plants eventually form attractive, multi-stemmed clumps.  High salt tolerance makes Spanish bayonet ideal for seaside plantings.

Planting and establishing shrubs

The most common cause of young plant failure is planting too deep.  Plant the root ball no deeper than it was in the nursery.  In most instances, the root flare zone (point where the top-most root in the root ball originates from the trunk) should be located just above the landscape soil surface. Sometimes plants come from the nursery with soil over the root flare. If there is soil over this area, scrape it off.  The planting hole should be at least twice the width of the root ball, preferably wider.  In all but exceptional circumstances where the soil is very poor, there is no need to incorporate anything into the backfill soil except the loosened soil that came out of the planting hole.  Never place ANY soil over the root ball. If a row or grouping of plants is to be installed, excavating or loosening the soil in the entire bed and incorporating organic matter enhances root growth and establishment rate.

Weed suppression during establishment is essential.  Apply a 3-inch thick layer of mulch around the plant to help control weed growth.  Keep it at least 10 inches from the trunk.  If you apply it over the root ball, apply only a one or two inch layer.   This allows rainwater and air to easily enter the root ball and keeps the trunk dry.  Placing mulch against the trunk or applying too thick a layer above the root ball can kill the plant by oxygen starvation, death of bark, stem and root diseases, prevention of hardening off for winter, vole and other rodent damage to the trunk, keeping soil too wet, or repelling water.  Regular irrigation through the first growing season after planting encourages rapid root growth, which is essential for quick plant establishment.



Garden Ageratum, Annual of The Day

Ageratum houstonianum 'Blue Danube'     syn. Ageratum mexicanum
    Garden Ageratum,  Floss Flower

Type    Annual
Height    6" to 12" / 15cm to 30cm
Growth rate    Average
Form    Rounded
Exposure    Partial shade or partial sun to full sun

Bloom Color    Blue
Bloom Time    Spring through Fall

The flowers are suitable for cut flowers.

Environment
This plant will grow in moist soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy or sandy.
The pH preference is  a neutral soil.

Leaf Color    Green

Culture Notes
In hot summer climates, plant Ageratum in partial shade.  This plant is easy to care for.