Article written by: Jennifer Weisbrod – Assistant Extension Educator, Leslie Johnson - Animal Manure Management Extension Educator, & Melissa Bartels - Extension Educator The prices of synthetic fertilizers have increased significantly over the last year, leaving growers and even homeowners facing the decision of finding alternative sources of nutrients. One great option is the use... Continue Reading →
Holiday Plants
It is hard to believe that Christmas is in just a few short weeks. I love decorating for the holidays and many plants are great holiday decorations. Poinsettias Poinsettias are a wonderful plant for the holiday. The traditional poinsettia is red, but newer varieties can be found in white, pink, peach, yellow, and marbled or... Continue Reading →
Boxwood
In the winter it is hard to find much that is interesting for plant life. I look out my window and most plants are bare and brown. However, there are many evergreens that can be utilized in your landscape for season-long interest. Description Common Boxwood, Buxus sempervirens, is a broadleaf evergreen shrub that grows up... Continue Reading →
Pumpkins
Pumpkins are typically thought of as a Halloween decoration, however, they are also a staple of our holiday season. Everyone loves pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Also, pumpkins and gourds make great Thanksgiving decorations! Description Pumpkins are a member of the cucurbit family of plants. They are in the same family as cucumbers, squash,... Continue Reading →
Shagbark Hickory
In the late fall, it can be hard to find a lot of color in the landscape. Many of our flowers are starting to fade for the winter and the days are getting shorter and colder. One of my favorite things about fall is all the wonderful leaf colors through the landscape. One of my... Continue Reading →
Blue Mist Spirea
In the late summer it is hard to find things that are blooming, most of our plants are starting to succumb to the heat of the summer and are not looking great. For pollinator gardens, we need to make sure that we have something blooming all through the spring, summer, and fall. One great plant... Continue Reading →
Weigela
In June we have a lot of great plants blooming. The spring blooming shrubs have finished blooming and we are moving on to the summer blooming shrubs. One great choice for summer bloom is a Weigela. Description Weigela, Weigela florida, is a medium-sized shrub that grows up to 6-8 feet tall and wide. It is... Continue Reading →
Beautybush
The photo in the featured image is from John Ruter, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org In May many of our plants are blooming, making it very enjoyable to be outside. A great plant for May bloom is a plant called beautybush. This is not to be confused with beautyberry which is a plant we grow... Continue Reading →
Iris
The spring is a great time for our gardens. Plants are starting to wake up from a long winter dormancy and it allows us to get outdoors once again to break the cabin fever. One of our early blooming perennials in the spring is Iris. About Bearded Iris Bearded Iris, Iris x, is a perennial... Continue Reading →
Minor Bulbs
Early in the spring, we often get anxious for better weather and more time outdoors. One of the things that can help us with that is to plant spring blooming bulbs in our landscapes and gardens. The time for planting spring blooming bulbs is in the fall, but this might help you plan your garden... Continue Reading →
Cornelian Cherry Dogwood
In late winter, we tend to get overly anxious about waiting on spring. Blooming plants show us that spring is on the way. Some great plants for early spring bloom include many bulbs such as snowdrops, crocus, tulips, and daffodils. There are some great shrubs for early spring color as well. Spring blooming shrubs includes... Continue Reading →
Kentucky Coffeetree
Late winter tends to drag on. We can begin to plan our gardens and what new plants we will add to our landscape, but we cannot go outside and do much in our gardens because of the weather. However, there are some great plants we can enjoy even in the winter. Kentucky coffeetree is one... Continue Reading →