Monthly Archives: July 2010

Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora)

Name: Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) Zones: 7 – 9 Size: 60 – 90 feet tall and 20+ feet wide Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; rich, well-drained, acid soil. Once established, extremely drought tolerant. Quintessential southern landscapes include southern magnolias. … Continue reading

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Japanese Umbrella Pine (Sciadopitys verticillata)

Name: Sciadopitys verticillata Zones: 5 to 9 Size: 25 to 40 feet tall and 15 to 20 feet wide Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; acidic, fertile, moist, well-drained soil. A good plant will offer 2 seasons of interest or … Continue reading

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White Rain Lily (Zephyranthes candida)

White Rain Lily Name: Zephyranthes candida Zones: 7 to 10 Size: 6 to 12 inches tall and wide Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; rich moist soil. The white rain lily was one of Elizabeth Lawrence’s favorite little bulbs. These … Continue reading

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Hardy Begonia (Begonia grandis)

Hardy Begonia Name: Begonia grandis Zones: 6 to 10 Size: 18 inches tall and wide Conditions: Part shade; moist, well-drained soil. Hardy begonia is very easy to grow and offers a cooling effect located in the shade of the trees. … Continue reading

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Privacy Design

There is no reason to sit on your back deck and only to look over at your neighbor doing the same, but looking back at you. Plan for privacy. Fences will certainly give instant privacy, but they can leave the … Continue reading

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Cottage Garden Design

Climbing roses arching around an arbor, or peonies popping through a white picket fence, a birdhouse perched on post; these are just a few images that come to mind when dreaming about cottage garden design. While it seems that anything … Continue reading

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Attracting Butterflies to the Garden

If you build it, they will come…the butterflies, that is. One of the best ways to encourage butterflies to your garden is to grow the food to attract adults with nectar-rich flowers and sustain them with host plants so they … Continue reading

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Dwarf Butterfly Bush ‘Blue Chip’ (Buddleia davidii ‘Blue Chip’)

Dwarf Butterfly Bush ‘Blue Chip’ Name: Buddleia davidii ‘Blue Chip’ Zones: 5 to 9 Size: 24 to 36 inches tall and 30 inches wide Conditions: Full sun, well-drained soil Parts of North Carolina deal with the exuberance of some Buddleia … Continue reading

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Sustainable Gardening Practices

Lessen Your Footprint through Sustainable Gardening INTRODUCTION The term “Sustainable” gardening seems to have become the buzz word in the gardening community encompassing “green”, “organic”, and “waterwise” gardening practices. Simply put, sustainable gardening is the gardening practice of conserving an … Continue reading

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Redbuds ‘Merlot’ and ‘Ruby Falls’ (Cercis canadensis)

Two new redbuds developed by NCSU will be available in limited quantities to North Carolina wholesale nurserymen in early 2010. These new releases, named ‘Merlot’ and ‘Ruby Falls’, were developed in my ornamentals breeding program initiated in 1998. These new … Continue reading

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