Garden Experiments
For the love of gardening and wildlife habitat
Trees and shrubs add shade, structure, nesting and roosting habitat, and beauty to your garden. Select your tree or shrub based on growing conditions, height, season of interest, and more. Some trees and shrubs are deciduous while others are evergreen. Selecting the perfect one for your garden depends on your overall garden design and purpose.
It’s springtime! The sun is shining, the flowers are starting to bloom, and pollen is coating everything, including our cars. Even the trees are getting in on the action. We have been finding all sort of tree seeds and tree reproductive parts laying on the ground around our neighborhood. From the brown stringy stuff to the tiny helicopters and …
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Nature produces some interesting shapes, which is true for the flower of the buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis). Common buttonbush (or buttonwillow) produces these crazy-looking little spiky ball-like blooms of compound florets. They’re pretty cool, actually, and both bees and butterflies agree. I recently caught this skipper butterfly …
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Updated: July 8, 2017 Leaving the base of the tree bare can often look unkempt or out of place since it's not easy to mow right up to the edge of a tree or to even weed-eat around it carefully. Plantings or mulching around the base of the tree trunk can not only help protect roots from the mower's blades, but also make your existing trees a part …
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Many of our Southeastern forests are dominated by oaks and pines, which don't have much color in the fall. If you want vivid fall color in your backyard, these are some of the trees that shine. 1. Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) With so many cultivars to choose from, you'll be able to find the right size, shape, and color for your backyard. …
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In late spring and early summer, scentless mock orange (Philadelphus inodorus) is covered with bright white, 4-petaled flowers with a yellow center. These deciduous shrubs make a great privacy screen and are easy to grow. They can reach a height of 12 feet, so prune them back in summer, just after the flowers are over. (The blooms are produced …
Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) is a favorite of native plant gardeners for many reasons. If you're looking for a shrub that is hardy, produces beautiful flowers, can grow in the shade, and has lovely fall colors, look no further. Here are just a few of the reasons why I love this shrub: #1 The large white flowers (in the …
Continue Reading about 3 Top Reasons to Love the Oakleaf Hydrangea Shrub
