22.03.2010
Uncategorized
Pruning is easily defined as the act of trimming a plant and to have a successfully landscape space, care must be taken to develop a plan for pruning plants, trees and shrubs within the space. When plants become overgrown and out of control, it disrupts the flow of the space and effects the overall appearance of the landscaped area.
While some might think it is easier to top a tree rather than prune it, the long-term benefits of pruning far outweigh the short-term ease of topping. Topping (also known as hatracking, heading-back or stubbing) might give a tree the nice, uniform shape that people are looking for immediately, but it is actually harming the tree in the long-run. The new growth and limbs will grow quickly the next year but will be weak and more prone to break off and cause damage during a storm. The tree will also be more likely to die sooner than a properly pruned tree. Some people are intimidated by the idea of pruning since they are worried about harming a living thing, but pruning is actually good for the plant if done properly.
Some tools that will help you in the pruning process are:
- Hand pruners
- Loppers
- Pruning Saws
- Pole Pruners
- Hedge Trimmers
Trees and shrubs that flower in summer or fall should be pruned during the dormant season while ones that flower in the spring should be pruned immediately after flowering. It is important to remember that dead branches on a tree can be removed at any time of the year.
03.03.2010
Uncategorized
Dictionary.com defines ground cover as 1. the herbaceous plants and low shrubs in a forest, considered as a whole, 2. any of a variety of low-growing or trailing plants used to cover the ground in areas where grass is difficult to grow, as in dense shade or on steep slopes.
There are several great ground covers that are available to help you landscape that always ‘too hard to landscape’ space in your yard!
Thyme (Thymus serpyllum)
If you love the smell of Thyme, this is a great, easy-to-grow ground cover for you! This will grow pink or white flowers in the spring or summer and grows best in full sun and well-drained soil. It will grow up to 10 inches tall.
Prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis)
This is a dense, slender, arching, glossy grass with green leaves that go from golden orange in the fall to copper-brown in the winter. The late summer to early fall flowers are silver panicles on 3 ft. tall stems. This grows best in full sun to light shade and handles drought and heat well.
Basket of Gold (Aurinia saxatilis)
This low-growing ground cover grows up to 8-10 inches tall. It requires good drainage and likes the conditions hot and dry. Great to go in your rock garden. Various types, all with yellow flowers and the foliage is bluish-grey.
Cheddar pinks (Dianthus gratianopolitanus)
This groundcover will get 9-12 inches tall, requires good drainage and is good with rock gardens and to use as edging. Has blue-grey foliage and with many cultivars, flowering in pink and white.
Bishop’s weed or Goutweed (Aegopodium podagraria)
This low-maintenance groundcover grows up to 10 inches is good for the woodland shade garden. It is good for mass planting and it flowers in white.
Canadian Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense)
Good groundcover for a woodland shade garden. Grows about 4-8 inches and after 3 years it will spread well by rhizome. It flowers in brownish-red.
Epimedium or Barrenwort (Epimedium)
This groundcover is good for woodland shade gardens. There are various sizes, colors and cultivars. Non-aggressive.
Yellow Archangel (Lamiastrum galeobdolon)
This non-aggressive groundcover is good for the dry shade. Many varieties flowering in yellow and can have variegated foliage.
Spotted Nettle or Dead Nettles (Lamium maculatum)
Another groundcover for the shade, this flowers in white, pink or purple. It has many varieties of foliage may be variegated.
Mazus (Mazus reptans)
Very low-growing groundcover is stepable and can be walked on by light foot traffic. This is for part-sun, part-shade and prefers a moist soil. It flowers in lavender or white, grows up to 3 inches tall and spreads well.
Ground Clematis (Clematis recta)
This groundcover does well in the St. Louis area and flowers in white. Grows about 2-3 feet tall.
Solitary Clematis (Clematis integrifolia)
Another good groundcover clematis is very hearty and flowers in blue or white.
Tube Clematis (Clematis heracleifolia)
This groundcover can grow in the shade and will grow anywhere from 2-4 feet tall. It flowers in various shades of blue, depending on the variety.
Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia)
This is a rapidly-spreading groundcover that will take moist or dry soil for the sun. It flowers in yellow.
28.01.2010
Uncategorized
There are several types of gardens that you can implement in your yard. Below are some ideas, along with perennials that would work well in them.
Butterfly Garden
This type is located in a sunny location and is filled with plants with flowers that are attractive to butterflies, including:
- Butterfly Bush
- Spirea
- Yarrow
- Speedwell
- Gayfeather
- Rudbeckia
- Coreopsis
Heirloom Garden
Think your Grandma’s garden. This is an old-fashioned garden that features perennials that have withstood the test of time, some of which include:
- Creeping Phlox
- Jupiter’s Beard
- Gaura
- Bearded Iris
- Peony
- Oriental Poppy
- Stokes’ Aster
- Lily of the Valley
- Hollyhock
- Bellflower
- Globe Thistle
- Blackberry Lily
- Garden Phlox
- Bleeding Heart
- Foxglove
- Purple Coneflower
- Cardinal Flower
- Beardtongue
- Forget-me-not
- Japanese Iris
- Shasta Daisy
- Gayfeather
- Jacob’s Ladder
Rock Garden
This garden is filled with plants that are tough enough to grow in and around rocks and can stand the heat and sun, including:
- Candytuft
- Basket of Gold
- Cheddar Pinks
- Common Pasque Flower
- Gaura
- Lavender
- Russian Sage
Woodland Shade Garden
This type of garden is located in a shady area and is surrounded by larger trees. Some perennials that work well with this garden are:
- Hellebore
- Virginia Bluebells
- Wood Poppy
- Bleeding Heart
- Bishop’s Weed
- Canadian Wild Ginger
- Epimedium
- Ligularia
- Azalea
- Rhododendron
24.01.2010
Uncategorized
It can be overwhelming to try to figure out what plants will work best in your yard since there are so many to choose from. But it’s important to know what is native to your state so you can take advantage of the climate and natural weather conditions in your area. Below is a list of some perennials that are native to Missouri, along with some information about them.
Rue Anemone (Anemonella thlictroides)
White flower
Grows best in shade
Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica)
Pink then lavender flower
Grows best in shade
Wood Poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum)
Yellow flower
Grows best in shade
Common Pussytoes (Antennaria dioca)
White flower
Grows best in sun
Prairie Smoke (Geum triflorum)
Mauve flower
Grows best in sun
Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)
Yellow sepals and red spurs flower
Grows best in shade
Canadian Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense)
Brownish red flower
Grows best in shade
Blue-eyed Mary (Collinsia verna)
White and blue flower
Grows best in shade
Dutchman’s Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria)
White flower
Grows best in shade
Dog-tooth Violet (Erythronium albidum)
White flower
Grows best in shade
Yellow Dog-tooth Violet (Erthronium americanum)
Yellow and orange flower
Grows best in shade
Wild Sweet William (Phlox divaricata)
Blue flower
Grows best in shade
Small Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum biflorum)
Greenish white flower
Grows best in shade
Great Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum cummutatum)
White greenish flower
Grows best in shade
Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)
White flower
Grows best in shade
Trillium (Trillium cuneatum)
Maroon flower
Grows best in shade
Great White Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum)
White flower
Grows best in shade
Wake Robin (Trillum recurvatum)
Maroon flower
Grows best in shade
Sessile Trillium (Trillum sessile)
Brown-purple, maroon flower
Grows best in shade
Blue Star, Amsonia (Amsonia tabernaemontana)
Sky blue flower
Grows best in sun
Pairie Bluestar (Amsonia illustris)
Steel bluw flower
Grows best in sun
Rose Verbena (Glandularia canadensis)
Rose blue purple flower
Grows best in sun
Wild, Spotted Geranium (Geranium maculatum)
Pink flower
Grows best in shade
American Alumroot, Coralbells (Heuchera americana)
Greenish or red flower
Grows best in shade
Dwarf Crested Iris (Iris cristata)
Blue yellow flower
Grows best in shade
May Apple (Podophllum peltatum)
White flower
Grows best in shade
Purple Poppy Mallow (Callirhoe involucrate)
Purple flower
Grows best in sun
Lance Coreopsis, Tickseed (Coreopsis grandiflora)
Yellow flower
Grows best in sun
Purple Pairie Clover (Dalea purpureum)
Purple flower
Grows best in sun
Queen-of-the-Prairie (Filipendula rubra)
Pink flower
Grows best in sun
Missouri Evening Primrose (Oenothera macrocarpa)
Canary yellow flower
Grows best in sun
Showy Evening Primrose (Oenothera speciosa)
White flower
Grows best in sun
Smooth White Penstemon (Penstemon digitalis)
White flower
Grows best in sun
Cutleaf Coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata)
Yellow green flower
Grows best in sun
Snakeroot, Cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa)
White flower
Grows best in shade
Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)
Orange flower
Grows best in sun
Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)
Rose pink flower
Grows best in sun
Blackberry Lily (Belamcanda chinensis)
Orange red flower
Grows best in sun
Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccifolium)
White flower
Grows best in sun
Snakeroot (Eupatorium rugosum)
White flower
Grows best in sun
Joe-Pye Weed (Eupatorium purpureum)
Purple flower
Grows best in sun
Pale Purple Coneflower (Echinacea pallida)
Pale purple flower
Grows best in sun
Yellow Coneflower (Echinacea paradoxa)
Bright yellow flower
Grows best in sun
Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Purple flower
Grows best in sun
Tennessee Coneflower (Echinacea tennesseensis)
Dark mauve flower
Grows best in sun
Sunflower, Heliopsis (Heliopsis helianthoides)
Yellow flower
Grows best in sun
Kansas Gayfeather (Liatrus pycnostachya)
Mauve flower
Grows best in sun
Obedient Plant (Physostegia virginiana)
Rose purple or white flower
Grows best in sun
Compass Plant (Silphium laciniata)
Yellow flower
Grows best in sun
Cup Plant (Silphium perfoliatum)
Yellow flower
Grows best in sun
Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)
Red flower
Grows best in shade
Spiderwort (Tradescantia virginiana)
Purple, white, pink, red flower
Grows best in Shade
New England Aster (Aster novae-angliae)
Violet-purple flower
Grows best in sun
Aromatic Aster (Aster oblongifolius)
Blue purple flower
Grows best in sun
Big Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica)
Blue flower
Grows best in shade
