Category: Trees & Shrubs
-
Late Season Blooming Flowers
Last Monday, November 16th I was cutting back perennials in Trumbull, Connecticut in USDA Hardiness Zone 6b. I noticed a couple of beautiful late season blooming flowers. We’ve already had several hard frosts. Most of the leaves have fallen off the trees and been cleaned up. Late Season Blooming Flowers I first noticed a grouping of Honorine Jobert Windflower…
-
Blue Holly and Bittersweet
I stepped out of my truck today and viewed gorgeous blue holly (Ilex x meserveae sp.) and bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) growing in a tangled mess. If you live in a cave you should know that bittersweet is invasive in Connecticut and against the law to plant. You’ll often see it growing along the side of the road.…
-
Prune Lawn Trees High
I just returned from an evening walk with Theo and my forehead burns from a fresh scratch. Theo walked around a tree four feet from the road. As I went around the back a branch caught me 3 inches above the eyes. I did have a flashlight. I was looking at the ground for footing and suddenly smack! This is a…
-
How Close to House to Plant Shrubs
The short answer. As far as possible. Plants are constantly growing taller and spreading wider. When planting small to medium shrubs my goal is 1-2 feet of air between the edge of a shrub and the home. Not just when I plant. For the life of the landscape. You can prune the back of a shrub, where…
-
I Saved a Life Today
Today, while walking in Trumbull, CT I saved a Yoshino Cherry choking to death. As a horticulturist, I did what I’ve been trained to do. I took my knife, bent down and removed the obstruction. As the tree roots expand the twine cuts the flow of nutrients eventually choking the tree to death. This tree would have died a slow…
-
What are the Beautiful Red Berries by the Road?
As I drove down the road this week I spotted the most beautiful red berries. They caught the morning sun and lit up the bare Fall landscape. The shrub was winterberry holly (Ilex verticillata). It has bright red berries in the Fall and early Winter that are about 3/8″ in diameter. Winterberry holly is a deciduous shrub. You…
-
Solutions for Frost and Freeze Damage on Tree and Shrub Foliage
Temperatures below freezing often cause frost and freeze damage on trees and shrubs from mid to late spring. Often the damage is minor and effected trees and shrubs will grow out of it. Look for signs of frost and freeze damage such as leaves on the tips of branches that are browning out. The foliage will turn…
-
Enkianthus campanulatus – A Different Shrub for Connecticut Gardens
Redvein Enkianthus is an underused shrub in Connecticut gardens. I admit I don’t give this medium-sized shrub the love it deserves. That will be changing in the year ahead. Enkianthus flowers from late May to early June. Different cultivars and plants within cultivars have differing amounts of red and pink on a yellow backdrop. Redvein Enkianthus is…