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.
You'll see beautiful, tall southern magnolias anywhere you go in my state. They are nearly ubiquitous in front of antebellum homes in the South, which is a testament to their popularity during that time in our history. I love the sweet, gentle lemon scent of the blooms and the large white petals. It's a bonus that the trees are evergreen, so …
Continue Reading about Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora)
Holly bushes are notoriously difficult to remove. If you leave even a piece of a root in the ground, it may re-sprout and soon you’ll have new holly bushes and potentially even more growth in different places than you started with. Short of digging the entire root system up and pulling up the stump, is there an easier way to get rid of a holly …
Forsythia (Forsythia x intermedia) is a non-native, deciduous, woody ornamental shrub. It provides only a little wildlife benefit, but it is suitable for soil retention and a privacy barrier and is a fast grower. It is an early spring bloomer and provides bright yellow to the landscape when there isn’t much other color. Flowers are profuse and …
Continue Reading about Forsythia: A Shrub for Early Spring Color
If you want to add some color to your winter garden and provide food and shelter for songbirds and other wildlife simultaneously, American Holly (Ilex opaca) is a good choice. The berries form in October and persist throughout the winter when many other food sources are gone. Its leaves are evergreen and form a dense canopy. The bright red …
Continue Reading about Plant American Holly for Winter Color and Wildlife Food
Look no further if you're looking for a shrub that will attract hummingbirds and butterflies and produce very sweet-smelling, attractive flowers. Butterfly bush lives up to its name. When it is blooming, I see butterflies on it frequently. Hummingbirds seem to enjoy the nectar as well. Where to Plant a Butterfly Bush Butterfly bushes are …
Continue Reading about Butterfly Bush – Buddleia spp. (Buddleja)
American beautyberry is a perennial, native shrub found throughout the southeast that is deer-resistant and an excellent food source for birds and pollinators. The rich purple color of the berries adds brilliant color to the shady areas of your garden. When planted in groupings, the color of the berries is a showstopper. American beautyberry is …
Continue Reading about How to Grow American Beautyberry Bush (Callicarpa americana)
