Peony-One of the Most Beloved Flowers

Peonies are outrageously beautiful in bloom, with lush foliage all summer long. These perennials may live longer than you do—some have been known to thrive for 100 years. The plants require little maintenance as long as they are planted properly and establish themselves; they do not respond well to transplanting.

Peonies take your breath away every spring. They’re hardy to Zone 3 and grow well as far south as Zones 7 and 8. In most of the country, the rules for success are simply full sun and well-drained soil. Peonies even relish cold winters, because they need chilling for bud formation.

Peonies make fine sentinels lining walkways and a lovely low hedge. After its stunning bloom, the peony’s bushy clump of handsome glossy green leaves lasts all summer, and then turns purplish or gold in the fall, as stately and dignified as any shrub.

In mixed borders, peonies bloom with columbines, baptisias, and veronicas, and combine well with irises and roses. Plant white peonies with yellow irises and a froth of forget-me-nots; set off pink peonies with blue Nepeta or violets.

Planting

• Grow peonies in deep, fertile, humus-rich, moist soil that drains well.  Soil pH should be neutral.
• The soil will benefit from the addition of organic material in the planting hole. If the soil is heavy or very sandy, enrich it with compost. Incorporate about 1 cup of bonemeal into the soil. Tamp soil firmly.
• Peonies are not fussy but choose your location wisely as they resent disturbance. Provide shelter from strong winds. Plant away from trees or shrubs as peonies don’t like to compete for food and moisture. Space them three to four feet apart for good air circulation.
• Peonies like full sun, and though they can manage with half a day, they bloom best in a sunny spot.
• Peonies are usually sold as bare-root tubers with three to five eyes, divisions of a three- or four-year-old plant.
• Plant peonies in the fall: in late September and October in most of the country, and even later in the South. (If you must move an established plant, this is the time.)
• Peonies should be settled into place before the first hard frost. Spring-planted peonies just don’t do as well, experts agree; they generally lag about a year behind those planted in the fall.
• Dig a generous-sized hole, about two feet deep and two feet across in well-drained soil in a sunny spot. If the soil is heavy or very sandy, enrich it with compost. Incorporate about one cup of bonemeal into the soil. Tamp it firmly.
• Set the root so the eyes face upward on top of the firmed soil, placing the root just 2 inches below the soil surface. (In southern states, choose early-blooming varieties, plant them about an inch deep, and provide some shade.)
• Then backfill the hole, taking care that the soil doesn’t settle and bury the root deeper than 2 inches.
• Water thoroughly.

Tip: Don’t plant too deep! In most of the country, the peony’s eyes (buds) should be no deeper than 1-½ to 2 inches below the soil line!

Care

Like children, young peonies take time to develop. They usually need a few years to establish themselves, bloom, and grow.

Peonies thrive on benign neglect. Unlike most perennials, they don’t need to be dug and divided.

• Spare the fertilizer. Work the soil well before you plant, mixing in a little fertilizer, and that should be enough.
• If your soil is poor, the time to apply fertilizer (bonemeal, compost, or well-rotted manure) is early summer, after the peonies have bloomed and you have deadheaded. Don’t fertilizer more than every few years.
• Help the stems. If peonies have any structural weakness, it is their stems, which are sometimes not strong enough to support their gigantic blossoms. Consider three-legged metal peony rings that allow the plant to grow through the center of the rings.
• Deadhead peony blossoms as soon as they begin to fade, cutting to a strong leaf so that the stem doesn’t stick out of the foliage. Cut the foliage to the ground in the fall to avoid any overwintering disease.
• Don’t smother peonies with mulch. Where cold temperatures are severe, for the first winter after planting you can mulch VERY loosely with pine needles or shredded bark. Remove mulch in the spring.

Pests/Diseases

Peonies are generally very hardy. They are prone to Verticillium wilt, ringspot virus, tip blight, stem rot, Botrytis blight, left blotch, Japanese beetle, and nematodes.

Many gardeners wonder why so many ants crawl on the peony buds. They are eating nectar in exchange for attacking bud-eating pests. Never spray the ants; they’re helping you nurture peonies to bloom.

Tip: Peonies make wonderful cut flowers, lasting more than a week. For best results, cut long stems when the buds are still fairly tight.

Article Courtesy of The Farmers Almanac

All You Need to Know About Endless Summer Hydrangeas....

Planting Hydrangeas

Endless Summer® Hydrangeas is a collection of Hydrangea macrophylla perennial shrubs that have
the unique ability to re-bloom throughout the spring and summer months, giving more color and
visual appeal to your garden for a longer period of time. Endless Summer hydrangea are known to bloom 10 to 12 weeks longer than average Hydrangea macrophylla plants and show well in colder climates since they are able to bloom on the current season’s new growth. Here are some basic guidelines to follow that will teach you how to grow hydrangeas:

When determining where to plant your Endless Summer hydrangeas, take a walk through your yard and make note of existing garden plants, spacing availability, areas that need splashes of color and amount of sun. We recommend planting your hydrangeas in a location that allows for full morning sun with dappled shade in the afternoon. The further south you live, the less tolerant the plants are to the intense sun. Allow for 2-3 hours of morning sun with afternoon dappled or part shade.

Soil Preparation

Other than climate, soil is the most important aspect of growing these plants that is naturally occurring. Making sure that your soil is properly prepared will hugely affect your overall plant health and bloom production. To begin, you have to determine what type of soil you have. Ask your local nursery for a soil test kit. Another home test is called the “Jar Test”. Dig down 4” and remove ¼ cup of your soil. Place that soil, along with 2 cups of water and a couple drops of dishwashing detergent, in a clear jar or plastic bottle. Shake the jar for approximately one minute and then let the contents settle for approximately 24 hours. The bottom layer to settle out is sand, with the next layer silt and the top layer (which may look like yellow-brown, red or tan water) being clay.

    Sand: Sandy soil is determined if your jar is over half sand.

    Silt: If you have very little clay and over half silt, you have heavy silt.

    Clay: If you have ¼ clay and a good amount of silt, you have clay soil.

    Loam: Loam soil will be 2/5 sand, 2/5 silt and a narrow layer of clay.

Once you’ve determined what type of soil you have, you can more effectively prepare the soil for your hydrangeas. The ideal soil type for these plants is loam. If you have a heavy clay soil, add gypsum to the soil to break up the clay and allow for drainage. A good rule of thumb is to apply 5 – 15 pounds of gypsum per 100 square feet. In sandy soil, peat moss can help absorb moisture. Additionally, good soil should have at least 5 percent organic matter, compost material also known as humus. This should be spread 2 – 6 inches deep across the entire bed. Hydrangeas typically grow best with a higher level of organic material. Especially in clay soil, organic matter creates air pockets that greatly help with water drainage.

Planting Hydrangeas:

Once you have prepared your soil, lay out the plants in your intended design. Be sure to keep in mind

full mature size of the plants, ensuring that they will barely touch at full size. This will make your garden look full and allow for air to still circulate through the garden. Dig your planting hole slightly larger than the pot size, and place any fertilizer (see below), organic material or nutrients needed to improve your soil mix in the hole before putting your hydrangeas in place. If the roots are tightly packed, loosen them gently with your fingers before planting hydrangeas to encourage root growth and spread once in the ground. Make sure that the crown of the plant – where the base of the stems meets the soil – is even with the ground level. If the hydrangea is placed too high, it can easily dry out. If the crown is placed too low when planting, it can cause hydrangeas not to bloom and potentially rot. Refill the hole with soil and pack it firmly around the crown to create a water dam around the newly planted hydrangea. Fill the dam with water, let it drain and then refill it.

Fertilizing:

Hydrangeas do especially well when fertilizers are effectively used in spring or early summer. We

recommend using a granular, slow-release fertilizer with a NPK ratio of 10-30-10. Follow the package instructions when applying fertilizer and be sure not to use too much. Over-fertilizing can cause hydrangeas to grow big green leaves, but stunt bloom production.

Watering:

Hydrangeas prefer well-drained, moist soil, but not wet; overwatering can cause hydrangeas to

produce less flowers. Depending on your soil type, you will need to adjust how frequently and how much you water. Clay soil holds more water than sandy or loam soil types, and produces more runoff because it doesn’t allow as much water to soak in as a looser sandy soil. We recommend using a drip irrigation system, a soaker hose or hand watering the shrubs when the ground feels dry. If your hydrangeas are planted in an area that sees high temperatures, they may wilt a bit in the afternoon, but will revive when the temperatures cool down. You can assist with this by watering in the morning or evening when the wind is more still and the sun less hot. Using mulch is another great way of conserving water and keeping the ground cool. Mulched plants typically can go longer periods of time between watering than non-mulched plants.

Blue or Pink Blooms:

One of the most beautiful traits of an Endless Summer hydrangea is the ability to change the color of

the blooms. A simple soil test from your local nursery can help determine your pH level, which will determine your hydrangea colors. Other than Blushing Bride, which is a white hydrangea, soil with a pH below 6.0 (acidic soil) will produce blue hydrangea blooms and a pH above 6.0 will produce pink hydrangea flowers. Depending on your preference, you are able to change the color of your hydrangea colors to fit your desired color! Endless Summer has a formulated product that changes the color of your blooms. Color Me Pink™ adds garden lime to the soil to raise the pH level and produce pink hydrangea flowers. Color Me Blue™ adds soil sulfur to encourage blue hydrangea bloom development. These products are safe, organic and all-natural. There are also other natural remedies to changing hydrangea colors. To encourage blue blooms in alkaline soils, add aluminum sulfate, composted oak leaves, pine needles or coffee grounds. To encourage pink blooms in acidic soil, add wood ashes, lime or fertilizers with high levels of phosphorus (a ratio of 25-10-10 is best) to prevent aluminum from entering the plant’s system.

How to Prune Hydrangeas:

Endless Summer hydrangeas require very little pruning day-to-day, so you are able to simply enjoy

the beautiful plants. These perennial hydrangeas bloom on growth from the current year as well as previous years, which allows for the re-blooming throughout the summer. If you prune too much, you will be removing potential blooms. If you prune to shape the plant or cut blooms for fresh hydrangea arrangements, be sure not to over-prune, or you will have less blooms next year.

Overwintering:

If you live in an area with freezing temperatures, it is a good idea to protect your plants from freezing winter temperatures. Since Endless Summer® Hydrangeas bloom on last year’s growth (“old wood”) as well as the current season’s growth (“new wood”), you will get the most flowers by protecting the flower buds on the old wood. To do this, do NOT prune or cut back your shrubs after August 1st. Leaving the fall blooms on your plants over the winter provides winter interest, and ensures you aren’t removing buds that will become flowers in the spring and summer. Leaves, wood mulch and/or straw are good options to insulate your plants. Mound the mulch or leaves around your plants at least 12” high to protect the flower buds that will bloom early next year.

In the spring, do not remove the mulch too fast; wait until all danger of frost has passed before uncovering to ensure beautiful blooms from old and new wood. The “old wood” buds will provide early season color and the blooms forming on current season growth will typically occur roughly six weeks later and last through the end of the season.

If your hydrangeas are planted in a container, bring the entire container into your garage or a cool basement for the winter months, and follow the same steps as garden-planted hydrangeas. Container plants will not require as much mulch, but should be lightly watered throughout the winter months since they will not receive moisture from snow and rain.

- See more at: http://www.endlesssummerblooms.com/design-and-grow/planting-

 and-care#sthash.HkOp0WUn.dpuf

Article courtesy of www.endlesssummerblooms.com

Spring is Just Around the Corner

It's starting to warm up down south. Here in Tennessee, we have temperatures in the 60's pushing 70 sometimes and it's time for a few things to be done.

Lawn and landscape Pre-Emergent Weed Control.

If you haven't already done it, its time to get some weed control down. Using the pre-emergent products are easier to control most weeds with. If you stop the weed before it gets out of the ground the lawn looks better, and for landscape beds if you can stop the weed from coming up, you don't have to pull them later. Some landscape plants like ground covers are particularly hard to control weeds, so pre-emergents are the only option.

Mulching and Pruning

Most people like to mulch in spring so the beds look fresh through the early season when every one is out with landscaping on their minds. Keep in mind that some plants don't need to be pruned in spring, it depends on the blooming pattern. Azaleas for example if pruned in early spring before they bloom will not bloom as well this year because you will cut off most of the blooms. A general rule of thumb is to prune after the plant blooms. But it will pay you to do a little research on your particular types of plants to see if they bloom on this years wood or last years wood. That will tell you when to prune. Feel free to contact Color Burst with any questions, we are here to help!

Color Burst has already started the pre-emergent treatments, mulching and bed maintenance  to get ready for spring. Our pre-emergent treatments are covered in most of our contracts, so if we have not yet treated your yard we will be there between March and  April to make sure your yard stays looking healthy and beautiful through the season.

If you are in need of mulch, now is the time, so please do not hesitate to contact us and we will send a team out to get those beds looking beautiful and ready for spring!

 Gretta "Green Thumb"

The Beauty of the Hellebore

Hellebore Care – How To Grow Hellebores

Flowers of hellebores are a welcome sight when they bloom in late winter to early spring, sometimes while the ground is still covered with snow. Different varieties of the hellebore plant offer a range of flower colors, from white to black. One of the earliest blooms spotted in many areas, nodding hellebore flowers are often fragrant and long-lasting.

Growing hellebores is a worthwhile task for the gardener. Aside from lovely and unusual flowers, the hellebore plant has attractive green foliage that is aesthetically pleasing in the landscape. Once established, hellebore care is minimal. This herbaceous or evergreen perennial is disliked by deer and other animal pests prone to munching on plants. All parts of the hellebore plant are poisonous, so take care to keep children and pets away.

Tips for Growing Hellebores

When planting from seed or division, place the hellebore into well-draining, organic soil in a filtered sun or shady location. The hellebore plant will return for many years; make sure the space will accommodate growth and has proper sunlight. Hellebores need no more than a few hours of dappled light and grow successfully in shady areas. Plant the hellebore under deciduous trees or scattered through a woodland garden or shaded natural area

Soaking the soil in which the hellebore is growing helps the hellebore plant to look its best. Hellebore care includes removal of older leaves when they appear damaged. Care for hellebores should also include careful fertilization. Too much nitrogen may result in lush foliage and a shortage of blooms.

Plant hellebore seeds in the fall. A 60-day moist chilling period is needed when planting seeds of the hellebore plant. Planting seed in fall allows this to happen naturally in areas with cold winters. Wait three to four years for blooms on young plants grown from seed. Divide overgrown clumps in spring, after flowering or in autumn.

Types of Hellebores

While many varieties of hellebores exist, Helleborus orientalis, the Lenten Rose, is among the earliest of winter bloomers and offers the widest selection of colors.

Helleborus foetidus, called the stinking, bear foot or bear paw hellebore, offers flowers in a pastel shade of green and has an unusual fragrance disliked by some; consequently it may be referred to as stinking. Foliage of the bear foot hellebore is segmented and serrated, sometimes turning to deep red in cold weather, when it is highly ornamental. Flowers may be edged in the deep red to burgundy color. This hellebore plant prefers more sun than its oriental counterparts.

Helleborus niger, the Christmas Rose, features 3-inch blooms of the purest white. Many hybrids of hellebores offer a range of flower colors, colors often change as they mature.

Hellebore care is simple and worthwhile. Plant a variety of hellebores in your garden in the shade for a lovely spring flower.

Article By Becca Badgett