2015 Perennial Plant of the Year: Biokovo Geranium

BIOKOVA GERANIUM flowers closeup.jpg beechwoodlandscapecom   The Perennial Plant Association (PPA), annually names an outstanding plant its “Perennial of the Year.”  The 2015 selection is an easy-to-grow hardy geranium groundcover (spreading) perennial, Geranium x cantabrigiense ‘Biokovo’, which is a cultivar that is native to the Biokovo Mountains in Croatia.  It is said to be hardy in zones 4-8.  It begins blooming in late spring, lasting through summer, with tiny white-petaled flowers, tinged ...

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Winter Landscape Damage in Maryland

DSC03712The severe winter has brought damage to landscapes that we’ve not seen in a great many years.  Some plants that have been very winter hardy here may appear to be dead or very heavily damaged.  Some will recover later if the damaged/dead plant parts are trimmed off.  I recommend delaying wholesale cutting off of winter burnt foliage until the temperatures remain above freezing.  Even the unsightly brown/dead foliage serves to shield ...

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Salt Damage to Landscape Plants

DSC03718The quantities of salt applied to area roadways and sidewalks during the winter of 2013-2014 was among the most in decades, given the long cold, icy,and snowy periods, which ran relentlessly from November through March.  While the repeat or heavy salt applications certainly enabled us to traverse our roads more safely, the damage to plants and turf grass is a most unfortunate byproduct.   Clearly turf grass adjacent to roadways ...

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Snow in May? No, Just White Flowering Plants

DSC02668   May of 2013 brought some very strange weather — sometimes temperatures fluctuating by 30 or 40  degrees within 24 hour periods.  Heat in the morning; air conditioning in the afternoon.  New plants in bloom each day, and the sometimes frigid nighttime temperatures,  made one think of snow.  Pictured here are some trees and shrubs covered with white blooms this May that are reminiscent of snow gracing ...

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Spring Flowers in Silver Spring, MD

DSC02617  This Carol Mackie Daphne (Daphne burkwoodii ‘Carol Mackie’) graces the front entry way and provides breathtaking fragrance to passersby.  It is in full bloom several weeks later this year than is customary, and as always it is a welcome treat.  This shrub began blooming several weeks ago, appearing covered with white cotton balls, which have begun turning pink; ...

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Spring Gardening in the Snow in Silver Spring, Maryland

DSC02388  March 25th, 2013, 8 a.m., 4 inches of snow in Silver Spring, and it keeps falling.  Those plants that need the cold dormancy period, are certainly getting it this year, and insect problems will begin occurring later than last year.  Key gardening chore for today:  sweep heavy snow off of evergreen branches if it does not ...

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