shrubs

Elderberry Bush – Transplanting and Propagating

Elderberry Bush – Transplanting and Propagating

Over the years the side garden area of our yard has gradually grown into a small forest area. My kids call the area "the thicket." They play in the pathways I've cut through. Over time the sassafras trees have grown tall changing the hillside from just a grassy field to a small forest. Among the plants naturally growing in "the thicket" is a stand of elderberry bushes (Sambucus canadensis). I love the look of elderberries in the fall when they are loaded with berries and in the springtime when they bloom. Elderberries are easy plants to grow if put in the right place. Growing Elderberry Elderberry bushes like to grow in a full sun to part shade location. In our yard the elderberries function as an understory plant and are doing quite well on the edges of taller trees in forest areas. They like soil that gets moist but is…

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Fall Color 2017 from Growing The Home Garden

Fall Color 2017 from Growing The Home Garden

I'm a big fan of foliage! There is no better time of the year than autumn for those who love foliage, and naturally fall is one of my favorite times of the year. I thought I would share with you some photos I have taken over the last month of the foliage from my garden. Tennessee often has amazing fall color and this year was no exception. I hope you enjoy seeing some of the fall color from my garden! Fall Color 2017 While its surroundings are lacking in appeal blueberry bushes always have some beautiful fall foliage. They are worth planting for ornamental value in addition to the edible berries. Fothergilla is an amazing plant for fall color! This Japanese Maple is 'Germaine's Gyration'. I missed the peak color by a day! There are few trees that can rival the fall color of a maple! This self sown maple…

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Hydrangea Propagation (Natural Layering)

Hydrangea Propagation (Natural Layering)

Hydrangeas are fantastic garden plants! The flowers are beautiful but even when not in bloom hydrangeas can be a well formed shrub in the garden. Yesterday while walking through the garden I found a hydrangea that had rooted itself on the ground. This is called layering. Layering is a method of plant propagation where you can encourage roots roots to form. You can encourage layering but many plants will do this naturally on their own with a low hanging branch. Below is a little information on hydrangea propagation through layering. Hydrangea Propagation through Layering To layer a hydrangea branch simply take a low hanging branch and make sure a node makes contact with the soil. Then pin it with a rock or other heavy object. In a few weeks you can come back to check it and see if roots have emerged. Once they have take the hydrangea branch and…

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Oak Leaf Hydrangea – Garden Favorites

Over the years I have grown many plants. I have a bit of a collectors attitude toward my garden and pick out unique plants as much as possible. Some of those plants haven't done well for me, but other plants have simply been amazing. I thought it would be a good idea to go back and look at some of those plants that have been consistently good garden plants. Today I'm starting with the oak leaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia). The oak leaf hydrangea is an amazing plant that can tolerate shade to part sun here in Tennessee. The botanical name Hydrangea quercifolia when broken down describes the oak leaf hydrangea perfectly. The first word is obviously hydrangea which is classifying the plant in that family. "Quercus" is the oak family and "folia" means "leaf". Together they make quercifolia which would mean oak leaf and reflects the shape of the leaf.…

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Yew Propagation (Taxus x media ‘Densiformis’)

Yew Propagation (Taxus x media ‘Densiformis’)

Just recently I checked some cuttings of Densiformis Yew (Taxus x media; also Taxus cuspidata) and found roots! Densiformis Yew is also known as a spreading yew and is a common evergreen shrub in landscape plantings. It makes an attractive foundation planting with its dark green needles. If you have animals fond of chewing on plants avoid planting yews since they are very poisonous. How to Propagate Yew Several weeks ago I took five greenwood cuttings from the yews in the front sidewalk bed. I bought the yews in our first year here from the discount rack for $2 a piece. They had some browning branches at the time but a little trimming was all that was needed to correct that. Since then they've grown fairly rapidly providing me with plenty of good branches for propagating. I took greenwood cuttings about 5-6 inches long and treated them with rooting hormone…

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Japanese Dappled Willow (Salix integra) Revisited

Japanese Dappled Willow (Salix integra) Revisited

Several weeks ago I wrote a post about one of my favorite shrubs, the Japanese Dappled Willow 'Hakuro Nishiki' (Salix integra). It's a fast growing variegated willow that works well as a privacy screen and is hardy in zones 4-9. It's deciduous so it will be bare over the winter but the new growth in the spring time is fun to look at. It pops out with reddish tints on the tips of the leaves that eventually fade to a white and green "dappled" coloration. Propagating a Dappled Willow is Very Easy I have a row of these plants along one side of our property, but I didn't buy a single one. They all came from cuttings of the dappled willow in the picture above. My in-laws bought a few of these several years ago and this one at the edge of their patio has really enjoyed its location. With…

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