In this podcast, learn how to grow the right shrubs and trees for birds as well as provide good habitat Everyone loves the calls and sights of songbirds this time of year. They’re a cheery reminder of spring and a delight with all their activity. But due to habitat loss, climate change and other […]
Category Archives: Trees
How to Grow: Dawn Redwood
Metasequoia glyptostroboides Sun Requirements Full sun Bloom Period and Seasonal Color Grown mostly for its large stature, fall yellow needle color and interesting colored bark Mature Height x Spread 70 to 90 feet x 15 to 25 feet Added Benefits tolerates clay soil, wet soil air pollution, deer resistant This […]
How to Grow: Cornelian Cherry
Listen to this podcast on how to grow Cornelian Cherry Trees for food and beauty I just finished pruning my cherry trees. While I love the taste of the sweet and tart cherries we grow, there are a few other cherries to consider for your yard. The Cornelian cherry or Cornus mas is actually in […]
How to Grow: Interesting Barked Trees
Listen to this podcast different deciduous trees with interesting bark for winter. It’s been a great fall, but the leaves have dropped and it’s “stick” season according to my neighbor. But those “sticks” don’t have to be uninspiring. There are many trees that have attractive bark making them focal points in your winter landscape. […]
How to Grow: Camellia
Sun Requirements Part shade or dappled shade Bloom Period and Seasonal Color Depending on the species they bloom either in winter/early spring or fall Mature Height x Spread 6 to 15 feet tall and 5 to 7 feet wide, but there are varieties as small as 2 feet tall and as large as 20 feet […]
How to Grow: Crape Myrtle
Sun Requirements Full sun Bloom Period and Seasonal Color Blooms summer until fall Mature Height x Spread 25 to 30 feet tall and 15 to 20 feet wide Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia) is considered the lilac of the South. This large shrub or small tree is unusual for its long bloom period. Depending on the selection, […]
How to Grow: Willow
Sun Requirements Full sun to part shade Bloom Period and Seasonal Color Blooms in spring, but flowers are generally insignificant except for pussy willow buds (catkins) Mature Height x Spread Depending on the species can be 4 feet to 100 feet tall. Willows (Salix) are a diverse group of temperate climate shrubs and trees. Plants […]
How to Grow: Salvaging Trees After A Storm
Listen to this podcast on how to care for and assess trees and broken branches after a storm to determine which trees to save and which to cut down. The storm earlier this week caused significant damage to many trees in Vermont. The combination of 60 mile an hour winds and rain uprooted large […]
How to Grow: Seascaping
Listen to this podcast on how to grow and care for plants along the ocean with salt spray and winds. Those of us living inland tend to only think about the ocean in summer. But for those 23 million people living within a few miles of Long Island Sound in Connecticut and Long Island, […]
How to Grow: White Fringe Tree
Listen to this podcast on how to grow and care for the white fringe tree or Chionanthus in the landscape. I love the common name of the tree Chionanthus viginicus. Old Man’s Beard is a good description of the white flowers that bloom in May and June. It’s one of the later leaving-out and […]