A long-time Tennessee Gardener writer profiles his own garden Story and Photos by Huber P. Conlon The Conlon Garden in Johnson City was established 32 years ago. Our family (Hugh, Jane, and our three children) had moved from western Iowa to our new home on a ¼-acre residential lot. I (Hugh) was hired by UT …
Story and Photos by Hubert P. Conlon Visit his blog here: whatgrowsthere.com ‘Dawn’ viburnum is a multi-stemmed, 8-10-foot-tall shrub that blooms in late winter and deserves to be planted in more Tennessee gardens (USDA Hardiness Zones 5-9). It offers four seasons of landscape beauty. In the first warm days of March, the reddish buds swell …
Story and Photos by Norman Winter A deutzia renaissance is how my friend Dr. Gerald Klingaman, retired horticulturist with the University of Arkansas, wrote about the new love that for this fuzzy heirloom that has been around for ages. If you haven’t re-discovered the old-fashioned fuzzy deutzia then make it a priority, your landscape deserves …
A profile of ‘Soft Caress’ mahonia Story and Photos by Peggy Hill Many people make the mistake of designing their gardens around flowers. They concentrate on creating pleasing blends of colors and flower shapes. While blooms are important, your focus should be on exciting foliage combinations; the flowers that come and go are merely the …
‘Ruby Spice’ summersweet Story by Denise Pugh If you’re out in the garden sometime in July and smell a sweet aroma and see pink blooms that resemble miniature bottlebrushes, and a plethora of bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds attending these blossoms, you might be the owner of the award-winning Clethra alnifolia ‘Ruby Spice.’ This shrub …
Story by Denise Pugh February is the month of valentines and hearts, and a great month to add the native shrub hearts-a-bustin’ to your landscape. Hearts-a-bustin’ (Euonymus americanus) is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub native to the Southeast. This shrub is found growing naturally in light shade as a woodland understory plant. However, I have found …
Story and Photos by David Longron Perhaps nothing frames a home quite as well as pyramidal evergreen hollies gracing the corners or entranceway. The problem is that many popular varieties will eat the entire house if not pruned often and severely. Oakland holly, with its compact and naturally pyramidal growth habit, reduces pruning to a …
Story and Photos by David Longron Does a plant that needs very little care, is rarely is bothered by insects or diseases, and blooms profusely in spring sound good to you? If so, you might want to consider Weigela. Several varieties are available with colors ranging from white to deep red to tricolor. There are …
How to liven up your shade garden with a little color Story and Photos by Yvonne Lelong Bordelon In Louisiana, shade gardens are prized for the green coolness they offer on hot, humid summer days – places to sit and relax while sipping a cool drink. A garden in shade can be lovely when planted …
Story and Photos by Yvonne Lelong Bordelon There are several species of Callistemon that will grow in Louisiana, but in my opinion the eye-catching lemon bottlebrush is the most tolerant of temperature extremes and poor soil. The large, red, bottlebrush-shaped flowers attract bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and nectar-feeding songbirds such as orioles and prothonotary warblers. Bottlebrush …
