Beechwood Landscape Architecture and Construction

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Beechwood Landscape Creating Outdoor Spaces

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Old Fashioned Weigela, Deciduous Shrub Of The Day

Weigela florida 'Rumba'

Old Fashioned Weigela, Rose Weigela

Type Shrub, woody plant

Hardy range 3B to 8A

Height 30" to 36" / 75cm to 90cm

Spread 30" to 36" / 75cm to 90cm

Growth rate Slow

Form Rounded

Exposure Full sun

Persistence Deciduous
Bloom Color Red and salmon
Bloom Time Summer and Fall

Environment This plant tolerates some drought. This plant will grow in 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 and purple
Fall Color No change in fall color
The flowers are very showy.

Culture Notes Weigela grows best in a sunny location and moist soil. Shaded plants are straggly. Weigela also dislikes crowding. The growth rate is moderate and the shrub transplants well. Some annual dieback and winter injury make annual pruning necessary. Plants suffer in the deep south eastern part of the US. This is one of the Dance SeriesTM.

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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Monday, August 8, 2011

Small Globe Thistle, Perennial of The Day

Echinops ritro 'Taplow Blue'
Small Globe Thistle

Type    Perennial
Hardy range    4A to 9A
Height    36" to 4' / 90cm to 1.20m
Spread    24" to 36" / 60cm to 90cm
Growth rate    Fast
Form    Irregular or sprawling
Exposure    Full sun
Persistence    Deciduous

Bloom Color Blue
Bloom Time Summer and Fall

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

Environment
This plant tolerates drought.
This plant will grow in dry to moist soil.
Suitable soil is sandy.
The pH preference is a neutral to alkaline (6.8 to more than 7.7) soil.

Leaf Color Silvery

Culture Notes
Root cuttings can be made in the spring. Seeds can be collected late summer, but this plant notoriously self-sows and may take over gardens if the seed heads are not removed before ripe. The heavy textured leaf has a creamy white underside. The round steel blue flower contrasts well with other perennials, such as Rudbeckia, Kniphofia, Echinacea, and Heliopsis sp.