Category Archives: Horticulture Tips

The dialogue will be about how to grow plants and make them healthier.

Flowering Dogwoods

Preparing for Spring

Pink Dogwood Enhanced

One can gain knowledge of what spring-flowering dogwood trees will be like from looking at what is occurring in the fall. In the late summer tree Dogwoods or (Cornus florida) or (Cornus rubrum) types start their groundwork for a grand spring flower show. This requires both proper water and temperatures. Several years ago when we had hot temperatures in August and with little or no rain there were little or no spring dogwood blooms the next spring. Supplementary watering should have been given early to mid-August in order to offset the dry summer. This also will intensify the brilliant fall red colors of the dogwood leaves. As seen in this picture the buds are set for a spectacular show next spring.

Native dogwoods grow at the edge of the forest and in clearings. In urban settings placed into too much shade, the tree will be thin and blooms will be meager. Yet in the full sun they tend to struggle, this is also the situation is enhanced by poor soils. One solution is using more mulch around the tree roots as this holds moisture and keeps the roots cool like as on a native forest floor.

Flowering Tree Dogwoods come in a number of common types and varieties (Cornus florida) or (Cornus rubrum)

WHITE; (Cornus Florida), (Cornus Florida Appalachian Mist), (Cornus Florida Cherokee Princess), (Cornus Florida Cloud Nine), (Cornus Florida Cherokee Daybreak with variegated leaves), (Cornus Florida Holman Gold), (Cornus Florida Pendula), (Cornus Florida Prairie Splendor).

RED; (Cornus florida Cherokee Brave), (Cornus Florida Cherokee Chief), (Cornus Florida Cherokee Sunset with variegated leaves.

PINK: (Cornus rubrum).

©Ken Wilson & Gardening Whisperer 2014

FALL PRESCRIPTIONS FOR LAWN

Four Late Fall Prescriptions

Four late Fall Prescriptions that will lead to great lawn 2015. If you want a great lawn you need to start this fall. If you follow these four items in the closing months of the year you can accomplished a greater and greener lawn in 2015. Cool season grasses will continue to grow especially with the moisture that we have had this fall. If you have warm season grasses then they are about to turn brown to come back next summer. Continue reading →

Patience

I believe the most significant value that was passed on to me by my Grandfather and my mother was patience. This virtue is but only one of the many lessons that have helped me in so many ways in life. In this rush, rush life we live in sometimes it pays off to slow down and let problems resolve themselves. In gardening waiting for the anticipated garden to grow or the lovely rose to bloom, patients are a must as Mother Nature has her own schedule and you cannot rush her in any way.

This spring has been a great example of being patient, the extremely cold and long winter made many warm weather plants late in appearing in our gardens. Crepe Myrtles, Milkweeds, Hibiscus, are some plants that need some warm weather to get them to show themselves. I have told many eager gardeners to wait before the cut-down and pull out the dead in their Crape Myrtles that in time will show they still may be alive.

Over this last weekend, two people have told me that as they were approaching their Crepe Myrtles with their removal equipment only to find green was coming from the limbs and sprouting up from the bottom of the plant. So, patients have spared them much loved Southern Crepe Myrtles, from being removed and something else put in the place with less summer beauty.

Normally cleaning and removing dead limbs are usually done in early spring when you first get into the garden but on some warm weather items, waiting is best. Gardening is not a fast or hurried up adventure, it moves at its own pace and patients bring to your immense rewards. Working every day in your yard or garden can bring pleasure to everyone that comes by your garden. It is one of those pass times that is well worth passing on to the next generations.