Trees


JULY 18 2012 FILED UNDER Plant of the Week Trees	The Mini Crepe Myrtle We are crazy for Crepe Myrtles this time of year, especially our littlest Crepe... the Orchid Cascade! Sometimes referred to as the mini Crepe Myrtle, the blooms on this unique crepe spill to the ground in a waterfall of color, and the size make is perfect for almost anywhere. Classified as a compact grower, the Cascade Orchid variety is more of a flowering shrub only growing 12 to 16 inches tall and spreading 3 to 4 feet wide. It will fit into almost any landscape due to the size and adds color all summer and fall. The orchid-lavender colored blooms pour down to the ground, bringing big color into small spaces! This variety will works well for formal and informal landscapes, and can also be planted for a low growing hedge. It is also great for planting in the front yard, as it will not get so large. Provide full sun for the best blooms but light shade will also be tolerated. Once established, this Crepe Myrtle is highly drought tolerant and only needs supplemental watering in times of prolonged drought.
JULY 6 2012 FILED UNDER Plant of the Week Trees	100 Days of Blooms One hundred days of exquisite summer blooms, attractive fall foliage, unique bark, good disease and insect resistance and drought-tolerance ~ what's not to like about Crepe Myrtles! One of our favorite varieties is the 'Natchez' Crepe Myrtle, ideal tree for either formal or informal landscapes, and has become one of summer's most beautiful ornamental trees, thanks to its large clusters of white blooms that last from June through September. This tree is perfect in beds, borders, for screening or simply as a focal point in the landscape. Natchez is a relatively fast growing tree ~ growing approximately three to five feet per year, and reaching approximately 20 to 30 feet at maturity! This sun-loving tree needs full sun to flourish and produce the largest number of blooms. Although, Natchez can survive with a small amount of shade, the number of blooms will be greatly reduced. The tree's deep green leaves in summer provide the ideal backdrop for its vivid white blooms. In fall, leaves will take on fall hues of yellow, orange and red. In winter, it features a smooth, dark cinnamon-brown, exfoliating bark that provides unique visual interest throughout the winter months. And as if this is not enough, Natchez has amazing resistance to disease and is NOT susceptible to powdery mildew. Be sure to check out the Natchez, as well as the many other Crepe Myrtle varieties during our 30th annual Crepe Myrtle Fest, July 21-23. Get the scoop here >>
JULY 5 2012 FILED UNDER Trees	The History of the Locals' Favorite Tree One of the South's most iconic plants, the Crepe Myrtle arrived in England from its native China in 1759. Few were impressed with the Crepe Myrtle, because it simply would not bloom - England just wasn't hot enough. However, in 1786, the plant was introduced to Charleston, South Carolina, and it finally found a home in the sizzling American South. Crepe Myrtles are among the toughest, most adaptable, and showiest plants grown in Hampton Roads. Sometimes called "the Lilac of the South" its dense clusters of crinkled, crepe-papery flowers in white or shades of pink, red, or purple bloom for months in summer. In fall, leaves turn a brilliant red or orange, and its speckled, peeling bark also provides winter interest .The deciduous Crepe Myrtle is among the longest-blooming shrubs (up to 120 days), and varies in size from dwarf to large shrubs or small trees. The Crepe Myrtle as we know it today would astonish the ancient Chinese, thanks in part to decades of work accomplished by Dr. Donald Egolf of the National Arboretum. These modern cross-bred Crepe Myrtles are more disease resistant, hardier and more vigorous than the earlier varieties. Six new and improved varieties were chosen and were given Native American Indian names. Dr. Egolf's continued cross-breeding with Lagerstroemia fauriei, which created many of today's newer hybrids such as Natchez, Tuscarora and Tonto. It's no surprise that this heat-loving, humidity-thriving, drought tolerant, fast growing plant ranks as one the South's most popular ornamental tree! Be sure to check out the many Crepe Myrtle varieties during our 30th annual Crepe Myrtle Fest, July 21-23. Get the scoop here >>
JUNE 8 2012 FILED UNDER Edibles Landscape Design Shrubs Trees	Agapanthus Miss Molly Butterfly Bush Blue Chiffon Althea Madison Jasmine Vine Windmill Palm Bountiful Blue Blueberries Now Featuring: The Summer Garden When summer arrives, you may turn on your TV for entertainment, but there could be an equally entertaining show going on right in your own garden with "the plants of summer." When the sun is high and the temperatures soar, these plants display beautiful blooms and foliage, often attracting bees, butterflies and birds in the process. *Add these beauties to your garden for a great summertime show!* Agapanthus, also known as Lily of the Nile is an ideal, easy-to-grow perennial that produces colorful globes of blue or white trumpet-shape flowers in summer and fall. Its evergreen leaves add texture to beds, borders, and containers all year long. Prefers full sun. Miss Molly Butterfly Bush is nice & neat shrub with compact branching and beautiful rich Sangria-red flowers. Its distinctive flower color makes late summer gardens pop and attracts tons of butterflies to the garden! This one prefers full sun and is perfect in the landscape or in a container on a porch or patio. Blue Chiffon Rose of Sharon is a stunning shrub featuring huge double blue flowers with a lacy center. This summer-blooming shrub grows 8-12 feet, is drought tolerant and loves the sun. Plant and prune into a hedge or simply place it in sunny spot in the landscape for a profusion of beautiful blooms! Madison Jasmine Vine is an easy-to-grow climber that produces beautiful clusters of starry flowers you can smell from feet away! The butter cream blooms are what makes this evergreen vine stand out in a crowd. 'Madison' is a cold hardy variety with glossy, dark green leaves that change to a rich bronze-red in winter. Grow it on a trellis or arbor, or along a fence. It prefers full to partial sun and rich soil well-drainage soil. Windmill Palm has an upright, single trunk covered with dense, brown, hair-like fibers, with fan-shaped fronds that extend 1.5-foot-long. A very slow-growing palm, Windmill Palm can reach 40 feet in height, but is typically seen much smaller at between 10 to 20 feet tall. This particular tree works well as an accent tree or while still small, can placed in a container. Bountiful Blueberry is an tasty evergreen shrub offering lots of large, super-sweet berries and boasts dramatic foliage with white bell-shaped flowers in the summer. This plant adores the sun ~ the more sun, the more berries! Plant in the garden or in a container with other edibles or flowers for a truly unique planter.
MARCH 26 2012 FILED UNDER Trees	Royal Star Magnolia Black Tulip Magnolia Ann Magnolia Little Gem Magnolia Yellow Bird Magnolia Ann Magnolia Magnolia Madness We bet you didn’t know there were so many options for the Magnolia... and we are just mad for magnolias! Most people think of that good ole' southern classic Magnolia with deep green leaves and big white blossoms. However, that is just one of the many varieties available! There are a multitude of sizes and colors to choose from. All you need to decide is which one of these beauties will look best in your yard! Here’s a few of our favorites: Royal Star ~ An early bloomer, this deciduous tree possesses large, fragrant, double white flowers. The blooms will appear before the foliage. It is an open-branched, multi-trunked small tree. A moderate grower, with year round interest and prefers full sun. You'll love these delicate, bright white flowers that dance in the breeze! Black Tulip ~ With rich, deep burgundy 6 inch flowers, these spectacular blooms appear with a unique tulip shape we just adore! Blooming before the leaves appear, this beauty is a beacon for spring. An excellent small specimen tree or may be topped to form a hedge. It is also perfect planted in a container, as it is a moderate grower and prefers full sun. Ann Magnolia ~ This deciduous tree flowers later than the Royal Star Magnolia and, thus, avoids frost damage to the flower buds. It has exquisite, 3 to 4 inch blooms in a reddish-purple outside and white inside. Like the Royal Star, these blooms will appear before the foliage buds out. An excellent choice if you're looking for a spectacular accent tree that is a slow grower and prefers full sun. Little Gem ~This is a more "traditional-looking" variety. It's a slow-growing Southern Magnolia with smaller dark green foliage and very compact narrow form. The leaves of this small evergreen tree are rusty-brown on the undersides. It is useful in small gardens and as landscape plantings with a pyramidal shape. It too prefers full sun. Yellow Bird ~ This gorgeous magnolia boosts bright canary yellow 3 1/2 inch flowers. The blooms will appear more dependably since they appear with the foliage late in the spring, after the danger of frosts. Plant this deciduous tree as an accent or specimen. Loves full sun and is a vigorous grower with a pyramidal shape.