The hues of brown and gray, sprinkled with contrasting evergreens and cover crops of rye, help make the countryside look sort of neat, clean and orderly.… Continue Reading
A sweeter than sweet shrub
The Weekend Gardener Tips: Taming the Saltbush
The saltbush is native, but the North Carolina Native Plant Society considers this provocative plant invasive. It was once only located near the coast, but now you can find it through eastern North Carolina and the Piedmont region. There are other native coastal plants that have made their way west like wax myrtle, beautyberry and yaupon holly. But the saltbush is insidious in the way it takes over growing space for plants that are native to the Piedmont. … Continue Reading
Weekend Gardener tips: The “mule” of ornamental grasses
One of my favorite fall-winter plants is the ever-adaptable pink muhly grass. It’s a workhorse, a “mule” of ornamental grasses. It’s native to North Carolina and thrives in many environments. My good friends at the cooperative extension service tell me that pink muhly grass, as it’s known around here, is pretty happy in dry savannas. Savannas are dry, hot grassland areas with a few trees and are not just found in Africa. They also grow in prairies, upland forests, marshes, or in your home’s sunny landscape. … Continue Reading
Rhododendron tips from the Weekend Gardener to help your blooms thrive
The rhododendron is a fixture on the sides of hills in the higher elevations of the west, from Tryon to Sparta and on to Murphy. Some of our listeners tell us on the WPTF Weekend Gardener that they have trouble growing rhododendrons. But we grow rhododendrons all over the state and they are actually easy to grow. Many of the rhododendrons we grow are azaleas. But not all rhododendrons are azaleas.… Continue Reading