Rae’s Recommended Trees— Plant’s common name is followed by scientific name in parentheses, information on size (height x spread) and plant features. (Continued from last week.)
6. Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), (20’ x 15’), hardiness zones 5-8. These small trees have year-round good looks and are wildlife friendly. During the last century, these native plants have become susceptible to a strain of anthracnose which can be deadly to them. Selections cultivated by University of Tennessee researchers have superior disease resistance. They’re sold under the ‘Appalachian’ trademark. Shop for these names:
a. ‘Appalachian Spring’ is a native dogwood first found in Maryland that’s proved to be anthracnose resistant. It has fairly large white flowers in springtime. Actually flowers are the center part surrounded by showy “bracts” (not petals), each bract with a notch or “cleft.”
b. ‘Jean’s Appalachian Snow’ is mildew resistant. Bracts are large, stiff, and white.
c. ‘Karen’s Appalachian Blush’ is mildew resistant with very large white bracts that display a pink blush around the edges.
d. ‘Kay’s Appalachian Mist’ is mildew resistant. The bracts are stiff and cream-colored overall with purplish color at the clefts.
7. The Kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa) variety ‘Wolf Eyes’ has variegated foliage. Leaves are green with creamy white margins. Kousa dogwoods hail from the Orient (China, Japan or Korea). Kousas bloom a month or so later than American dogwoods and are naturally more resistant to anthracnose and powdery mildew than our native flowering dogwoods.
8. Sourwood tree (Oxydendrum arboretum), (25’-30’ x 20’), hardiness zones 5-9. Summer blooms are creamy white in color, shaped like lily of the valley flowers and grow in clusters. W—Attracts, bees, butterflies and hummingbirds during spring migration.
The best practices for transplanting trees and shrubs were updated at least 20 years ago but many homeowners still use outdated methods. As a result, trees and shrubs are installed too deep, planting holes are made too narrow, or fertilizer and soil amendments added to backfill soil hurt rather than help establishment of a good root system at the plant’s new location.
Since the future health and beauty of woody landscape plants are directly related to installation methods and maintenance during the first two years, be sure you know the modern-day, university-based recommendations for transplanting trees and shrubs. Obtain the UT Extension publication ‘PB1621 Best Management Practices for Planting Ornamental Plants’ in the ‘Landscape’ section at the www.utextension.utk.edu/publications/homeGarden/ Internet page using your computer Web browser or ask for this publication at your county University of Tennessee Extension office.
Planting trees too deep is a common mistake. (Measure the root ball or from the top of the container to its bottom before digging the planting hole.) Make the hole a couple inches less deep than the root system. Don’t think you can simply correct the mistake by putting some loose dirt back in after making a hole too deep. That doesn’t work well. The soil settles and the plant almost always ends up sitting too low. Be sure a wider “flare” at the tree base is visible above ground level. See illustrations in PB1621 mentioned above.
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Plateau Gardening is written by Tennessee Master Gardeners about home landscapes and gardening in our state’s Upper Cumberland Region. Contact UT Extension Cumberland County, P.O. Box 483, Crossville, TN 38557 (phone 484-6743) for quick answers to specific questions, free publications, or to learn about becoming a Master Gardener. E-mail comments or yard and garden inquiries to Master Gardener Rae at mgardenerrae@frontiernet.net.
Lifestyles
Best transplant practices have changed
- Lifestyles
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Widows Sons support TAD
The Widows Sons Masonic Riding Association, Dry Bones Chapter, held a benefit motorcycle ride May 19 to benefit the Teens Against Drugs (TAD) Center in Crossville.
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New Corvette Club shares love for flair, design
If you were reaching maturity during the 1950s through '60s, you were probably either a Chevy guy or a Ford guy. While Chevy guys had reason to admire Ford Thunderbirds and Mustangs, the Chevy sports car enthusiasts have had an ace-in-the hole with the advent of the first production Corvette in 1953 — only six months after it debuted as a GM prototype.
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Arts festival coming in September
Mark on your calendar the dates of September 14-15 (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.) for the Plateau Arts Festival at the Plateau Creative Arts Center, 451 Lakeview Drive (off Peavine) in Fairfield Glade.
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PLEASANT HILL RAMBLINGS: Award-winning artist shares talent with community
Not everyone has the pleasure of living next door to a “real live artist” – not just a Sunday painter as many of us are, but an award-winning career artist who has had 20 solo exhibitions, been accepted into various juried shows and garnered numerous awards.
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2012 Tennessee Senior Chess Tournament winners honored
The chess tournament was a great success, with a total of 18 players representing Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia and Kentucky. They took home many prizes, plaques and cash playing open section.
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PLATEAU GARDENING: Photographing plants and blossoms
I keep a monthly photographic plant journal. With a digital camera, photography enthusiasts like myself can take lots of pictures at little cost. Not surprised plants are my favorite photo subjects, are you?
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Celebrating Tennessee state parks
Come celebrate National Trails Day and the 75th anniversary of Tennessee State Parks, Saturday, June 2.
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GIVING BACK: Take a look at state of our waste
The county recently submitted its solid waste report to the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. In the past year, the county collected and landfilled 52,462 tons of waste. Another 6,067 tons of materials were collected and recycled. A total of 58,829 tons of waste were collected by the county.
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The River WILD!
The Big South Fork of the Cumberland River winds its way through the 125,000 acres of the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area before flowing into the Cumberland River and Lake Cumberland in Kentucky. It’s a free-flowing river, with no dams to control release of the water, but the scenery and the magnificent rock formations make it a favorite of paddling enthusiasts who watch the weather to see if they can get out and explore areas that are hard to reach by foot.
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Farmer's Market opens for business June 2
The Cumberland County Farmer’s Market will officially open the growing season as it has every year since 1978. This year’s “opening” will be Saturday, June 2, at the traditional location on Livingston Rd., next to the fairgrounds. Selling will begin early (6:30 a.m. or so), although some vendors may set up a few hours later in order to provide the freshest vegetables picked just that morning. There is usually a good selection until well after noon.
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