Perennial Of The Day

Aster novae-angliae 'Alma Potschke'

New England Aster

Type Perennial

Hardy range 4A to 9A

Height 36" to 4' / 90cm to 1.20m

Spread 18" to 24" / 45cm to 60cm

Growth rate Average

Form Upright or erect

Exposure Full sun

Bloom Color Pink

Bloom Time Summer and Fall

The flowers are suitable for cut flowers and suitable for dried flowers.

Environment This plant tolerates occasional wetness.
This plant will grow in dry to wet soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy.
The pH preference is a neutral soil.

Leaf Color Green

Culture Notes Tolerates wet soils. The larger plants may require staking to maintain their form. If pinched until mid July, the plants will be heavier blooming and probably will not need staking. The deep pink blossoms of 'Alma Potschke' continue well into the fall months. Spring cut dead foliage only; after blooming, deadhead spent flowers. It's best to fall cut this plant to 12". It can be cut back by 1/2 to 1/3 in early to mid June, however, to improve the overall shape of the plant. Plants serve as butterfly nectar sources.

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Deciduous Shrub Of The Day

Aronia arbutifolia 'Brilliantissima'

Red Chokeberry

Type Shrub, woody plant

Hardy range 4B to 9A

Height 6' to 8' / 1.80m to 2.40m

Spread 36" to 4' / 90cm to 1.20m

Growth rate Average

Form Oval

Exposure Partial shade or partial sun to full sun

Persistence Deciduous

Bloom Color White

Bloom Time Spring

Environment This plant tolerates some drought.
This plant will grow in dry soil.
Suitable soil is sandy or clay.
The pH preference is an acidic to slightly alkaline (less than 6.8 to 7.7) soil.

Leaf Color Green
Fall Color Red
This plant has attractive fall colors.

Culture Notes 'Brilliantissima' received a Gold Medal from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society for 2000. Spreading by seeds and suckers, Chokeberry transplants well, has a moderate growth rate and is very hardy. Attractive in borders and clumps, Chokeberry thrives in moist soil but will tolerate dry soils in sun or partial shade, also growing in coastal areas. Chokeberry is much prized for natural landscapes due to its easy care and the popularity of the berries to wildlife. Can tolerate wet soil along ditch banks and other tough spots. Plants serve as hosts for butterfly larvae.

Planting and establishing shrubsThe 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.

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Evergreen Annual Of The Day

Tropaeolum majus

Nasturtium, Indian Cress

Type Annual

Height 18" to 30" / 45cm to 75cm

Growth rate Fast

Form Rounded and spreading or horizontal

Exposure Full sun

Persistence Evergreen

Bloom Color Orange and yellow

Bloom Time Summer and Fall

The flowers are fragrant and suitable for cut flowers.

Environment This plant tolerates some 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 Green, variegated and yellow
This plant has attractive foliage.

Culture Notes Habit of this plant can be either mounding or trailing. Nasturtium is easily grown, prefers full sun, tolerates poor soil and dry conditions. Propagate by seeds directly sown or by sowing under glass in early spring. Will bloom throughout summer in cooler areas only. The foliage stays fresh looking provided the plants receive some afternoon shade, and looks best when provided with occasional irrigation when the weather gets dry.

Nasturtium has several interesting benefits. Because it attracts aphids, it could prove beneficial in the garden, planted next to weaker plants, to protect them from these troublesome pests. It also has several culinary and purported medicinal uses. For example, fresh or dried Nasturtium leaves can be used as a peppery flavoring (although it's quite strong) in sandwiches and salads. Many believe this plant also helps prevent colds, relieves itching and soothes the scalp.


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Evergreen Shrub Of The Day

Nerium oleander

Oleander, Rose Bay

Type Shrub, woody plant

Hardy range 9A to 11

Height 10' to 15' / 3.00m to 4.60m

Spread 10' to 15' / 3.00m to 4.60m

Growth rate Fast

Form Rounded and vase shaped

Exposure Full sun

Persistence Evergreen

Bloom Color Orange, pink, red, white and yellow

Bloom Time Year 'round

The flowers are fragrant and very showy.

Environment This plant tolerates drought and some salt.
This plant will grow in very dry soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy, sandy or clay.
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 Oleander tolerates poor soil and drought well and is often planted near the coast. It can even grow in slightly brackish water but needs all day full sun for best growth, form and flowering. Plants in containers tolerate moderately-high soil salt solutions up to about 6 mmhos/cm according to the saturated media extract method. However, the plant is poisonous.

There are probably more than 400 cultivars available at various places.
Tolerance to urban conditions makes it well suited for planting in highway medians where it can be planted and forgotten - probably best for this usage. It grows vigorously following wet weather, slowing down in drought, but always seems to look good even in very dry soil. Oleander is one of the easiest shrubs to care for, getting by with one or two fertilizations each year and only needing irrigation to become established in the eastern part of the US. Occasional irrigation in the western US helps plants pull through the hot, dry summer periods.

Sometimes suckers produced at the base of the plant will siphon off too much energy and flowering will be inhibited. These suckers should be pulled to remove them when they are young and succulent. Plants can be grown as shrubs, standards or trees, and flowers come in a variety of colors. Oleander caterpillars can be very troublesome. All parts of the plant are extremely poisonous if ingested. Prevent children from ingesting this plant.

Use as a street tree This plant can be grown as a multi-trunk tree for use in highway median strips and in landscapes, or can be used as a street tree where there is not a need for tall-vehicle clearance beneath the crown. The small stature and low, spreading, branching habit makes pruning for vehicular clearance difficult unless it is properly trained from an early age to develop one main trunk. The effort required initially to train this tree for street tree use, however, may be offset by its advantages.

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.

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Evergreen Shrub Of The Day

Lantana camara

Yellow Sage, Lantana, Shrub Verbena

Type Shrub, woody plant

Hardy range 8B to 11

Height 4' to 6' / 1.20m to 1.80m

Spread 36" to 6' / 90cm to 1.80m

Growth rate Fast

Form Irregular or sprawling and rounded

Exposure Partial shade or partial sun to full sun

Persistence Evergreen

Bloom Color Orange, pink, red, salmon, white and yellow

Bloom Time Year 'round

The flowers are fragrant and very showy.

Environment This plant tolerates drought and salt well.
This plant will grow in very dry soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy, sandy or clay.
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

This plant has attractive foliage and fragrant foliage.

Culture Notes Surviving on poor soil and hot, dry, sunny locations, Lantana may produce fewer blooms if given too much water and fertilizer. Plants should be pruned in spring or late winter to remove dead wood. No other maintenance is required. Plants will grow back from the roots in the spring in USDA hardiness zone 8b and south. Plants do not die back in climates that stay above freezing temperatures. Plants attract butterflies and hummingbirds.

These plants have invaded citrus groves and other agricultural and roadside landscapes throughout Florida. All parts of the plant are poisonous if ingested. There are more than 40 cultivars listed. They are distinct in their flower colors.

Planting and establishing shrubsThe 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 receive all of your thoughts.



Thank You