Mums are a popular fall flower—they come in beautiful fall-inspired hues from rusted orange to sunset red. They also start to bloom in fall, when all the summer flowers disappear.
15.09.2024 - 00:35 / southernliving.com
Want to make hummingbirds see red? Plant a firebush in your garden. Also called scarlet bush, it is not only among the easiest of plants to grow, but it also stays in bloom throughout the growing season with clusters of tubular red buds and flowers. Because the Southern growing season overlaps the spring and fall migration times of the ruby-throated hummingbird, and red is by far their favorite color, these blossoms will summon them to your garden.
What To Know About FirebushFirebush (Hamelia patens) can be found at most nurseries and garden centers across the South, partly because it's so well adapted to our growing conditions. It's drought tolerant but doesn't mind regular water or even occasional wet feet. It is perfectly happy in alkaline soils but also fine in acid ones. Full sun will keep it happy and blooming, but so will a fair amount of shade. Firebush makes a great, fast-flowering annual shrub for borders or containers in the Middle and Upper South. It's a South Florida native, though, so it does equally well with the intense heat of a south-facing wall. It can even be used as an evergreen perennial shrub for hedges in the Tropical South, where it will reach up to 12 feet high.
Why It's So Easy To Care ForMaintenance for firebush couldn't be easier. Water well while it's getting established, and then once a week if there's no rain for a while. Put mulch over the roots in the fall–firebush freezes down but usually comes back quickly in the Lower and Coastal South. Lightly shear the plant a couple of times during the growing season to promote the heaviest flowering.
The Best Time To Take Down Hummingbird Feeders, According To Experts It Attracts More Than HummingbirdsIn addition to attracting hummingbirds,
Mums are a popular fall flower—they come in beautiful fall-inspired hues from rusted orange to sunset red. They also start to bloom in fall, when all the summer flowers disappear.
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Chrysanthemums or mums are a must-have for autumn décor. They are perfect for pairing with pumpkins and gourds, and steal the spotlight with an explosion of blooms in fiery red, orange, and yellow hues that echo the autumn foliage. You’ll also find vibrant pink, lavender, and even white mums to dress up containers and gardens. Mums are easy to care for but require regular watering to keep them flowering for many weeks. How much water plants need and how often you should water mums varies depending on where the plant is growing. Follow these simple tips to determine when to water mums and keep them looking their best all season.
The fall armyworm is a native species that can’t tolerate cold very well. They only overwinter in South Florida and the southernmost regions of Texas. Since they can not tolerate cold, we typically have about four to five generations per year. They begin to show up in late May to early June, but the worst damage typically occurs in August. They migrate north yearly, but their populations are lower for some years, and their damage is minimal. Damage seems worse following droughts.
Let's be honest: staying on top of cleaning and organizing every room in your home can get overwhelming—and before you know it, piles of junk on countertops and crammed-full kitchen cabinets can feel unmanageable.
Happy Monday GPODers!
Even if you aren't fortunate enough to live next to a meadow of wildflowers, you can still capture their untamed beauty in a container or garden this summer by planting cosmos. Cosmos come in various colors, from burgundy to pink to white. Mix them up for a more natural look, like a wildflower meadow. Bonus: this colorful flower, native to tropical America, attracts birds and butterflies with its cheery blooms. Because of their wildflower characteristics, cosmo flowers are considered invasive in some environments. Cosmos are prime not only for containers but for creating a mass of color in borders or backgrounds or as a filler among shrubs.
When you picture the perfect fall-styled front porch, it’s safe to assume there are a few staples: a few pumpkins, gourds, and some potted mums.
Catalpa trees, with two species native to the United States, are known for their beautiful and plentiful blooms and for being the sole source of food for catalpa worms—caterpillars that strip the tree of its foliage and eventually become the catalpa sphinx moth.
Boxwood (Buxus) are slow-growing shrubs that lend year-round evergreen symmetry and structure to a space. Popular as hedges and topiaries, poor practices like over-shearing have made it unviable and vulnerable to disease. Here are the best alternatives to the quintessential boxwood, which is likely more manageable and natural to your setting!
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Looking for something unusual to grow in the garden? Look no further than chocolate cosmos, a tuberous perennial with velvety blooms and a decadent fragrance. With showy wine-red blossoms that perfume the garden with the distinctive aromas of chocolate and vanilla from mid-summer through fall, chocolate cosmos entices butterflies and curious gardeners alike. The blooms make fragrant cutting for the vase and plants perform beautifully in containers, where their scent can be enjoyed on patios and balconies. Bring the beauty and aroma of chocolate cosmos to your own garden by learning how to grow and care for these unique bloomers.