WORKING GARDENER'S JOURNAL

Up top you see the Pieris evergreen shrub, which has family ties to Rhododendrons and Azaleas. The ones I care for have either little white dangling bells, or larger dullish pink bells. I hear there are now some Pieris plants with livelier colors.
 This pic was taken near Lake Champlain, probably zone 5 leaning toward zone 5b. If I lived closer to the canadian border, I would mulch heavily in late fall, maybe even put up a wind block. Here are some tips:

* Make sure the Pieris has enough moisture going into winter; it's roots are shallow and can dry out.
* Prune after flowering.
* Fertilize in early spring with Hollytone, Muracid or coffee grounds and compost.

Saturday, May 5, 2012

WORKING GARDENER'S JOURNAL

* To the right is the lovely groundcover, Vinca minor, which has charming little light purple flowers. Today's client uses the Periwinkle as a groundcover under her lilac tree. It's a nice fit.

March 28 , 2012

 

WORKING GARDENER'S JOURNAL

Up above is a fab multi-colored Butterfly Bush, or Buddleia. I am starting to cut back my customer's Buddleias, usually to about a foot from the ground. I've had good luck leaving the branches through the winter, and hard pruning around mid to late March. I remember pruning one Buddleia in late April and the flowers were smaller than usual.
In warmer climates, some gardeners cut the Buddleia to the ground in the fall. Here in the northeast, leaving the wood on until late winter/early spring tends to bolster the plant, along with a covering of mulch.

Here's what I wrote about the Butterfly Bush last August:

What a great time for Butterfly Bush lovers. One of my clients has a beautiful multi-color Buddleia, ordered through a catalog. The lavender, magenta and white flowers are mixed together and look positively stunning - right now. Up top is a pic of a 3-in-1 Butterfly Bush from Spring Hill Nursery.