The American Holly grows in several zones, specifically Zones 5 to 9, and is well adapted to almost all soil types.  This means the plant is fine in clay or sandy, acidic or rich soil and everything in between.  It is very hardy and thrives in full sun or partial shade.

One of the best features of the American Holly is the fact that it can either serve as a focal point in a garden, growing to heights of 40 to 50 feet, with the typical evergreen pyramid shape.  If it is privacy that you crave, the American Holly can be trimmed down to serve as a hedge.

Despite the functions of the tree, the American Holly offers food and homes to many animals and you will find yourself not only enjoying year round color but also a host of friendly animals to your yard.  It is a well-known fact that the luscious berries that reach maturity between September and October are enjoyed as a food source by birds and deer alike.  I should mention that, although deer and birds enjoy the berries they are poisonous to humans.

Lastly, if you are interested in having a successful American Holly in your yard, complete with berries, it is important to plan for more than one.  The American Holly is a dioecious, which means that male and female are found in separate plants.  To pollinate correctly, there must be more than one tree.  Another detractor of the American Holly is its slow growth rate.   On average, an American Holly can take roughly 4 to 7 years before it even begins to blossom and it gains an average of only 12 to 24″ in height each year.

Still, despite its detractors, the American Holly is a hardy plant that grows in a wide variety of zones, soils and geographical areas.  It is a perfect addition to any yard, whether you want a decorative tree or a nice hedge.

Sirena Van Schaik

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Related posts:

1. Plant of the Week: Camellia
2. Plant of the Week: The Knock Out Rose
3. Plant of the Week: Cyclamen

Still, even with that knowledge safely tucked away, there is still one point about fall that many people are thinking about in late summer and that is the fall bulbs. There are many to choose from but for this week’s plant of the week, I thought I would look at the Cyclamen, which is a beautiful fall bloom that you will want to see in your garden.

The Cyclamen can be planted in late August and early September and you will begin to see blooms in October, although this can vary with blooms occurring between September through to November and some varieties also have blooms as late as January.

It is a hardy plant that can survive low temperatures that are found in Zone 5 and it does well in shade. It has small shooting star-like flowers that come in several different colors; pink, white and rose-purple. The stems are usually between 2 to 4 inches, which make them an excellent plant for the front of a garden. The leaves are two toned and provide ample color throughout the fall and winter.

Lastly, this is a plant that can be brought inside, and you will often see it at Florist’s or the garden section at the grocery store. All you need to have success with this plant indoors is to provide it with enough humidity and a cool temperature (the recommended temp is about 55 to 65 degrees).

So if you are looking for a beautiful fall bloom, I would suggest the Cyclamen.

Sirena Van Schaik

Photo Credit 1

Photo Credit 2

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Related posts:

1. Plant of the Week: The Knock Out Rose
2. Plant of the Week: American Holly
3. Plant of the Week: Camellia

The Camellia is an excellent plant that I would love to have in my garden. It does well in soils with a high acid level and actually thrives in them. It is an evergreen shrub that maintains a deep, glossy green throughout the year. The flowers come in a range of colors from red to pink to white with yellow centers. On top of color, the blooms can be found in single, semi-double, formal double and irregular double. You can also purchase them in peony, rose or anemone form. This gives a lot of diversity for the gardener and the fragrant scents and large blooms that usual range in size from 3 to 6 inches.

The Camellia does well in zones 8 through to 10 and it can also do well in zone 7 and in zone 6 if it has proper protection from the cold. The blooming season for the Camellia is between November and March, which is a wonderful time of year to see the exquisite blooms. The plant itself does much better in partial shade with moist soil.

So, as much as I would love to have one of these in my gardens, the Camellia falls out of my zone but many gardeners can delight in having such an exquisite evergreen, one that is related to the tea plant, in their gardens.

Sirena Van Schaik

Photo Credit

Photo Credit 2

Photo Credit 3

Related posts:

1. Plant of the Week: American Holly
2. Plant of the Week: The Knock Out Rose
3. Plant of the Week: Cyclamen

I have to admit, like most gardeners, that many of the plants that I find are either found in a nursery, garden center or on the pages of a gardening magazine or book.  The Knock Out Rose is one that I saw in a Fine Gardening magazine and after seeing the plant, it has been put on my must have list.  This is surprising in itself since I am not a big rose fan.  I mean, I love them in a garden but since they are not my favorite flower, I tend to move away from them and move towards flowers and plants that I love.

The reason why I love the Knock Out Rose is simple.  It is a “Knock Out” with its dark foliage providing a breathtaking backdrop of deep green, which deepens to a dark purple in fall, for this fast growing shrub rose.  The flowers themselves are brilliant colors and you can find this rose in red, pink, blush and rainbow (pink with a yellow center) and sunny (white with a yellow center).  The rose comes in single or double blooms.

Although the color and shrubbery is wonderful, the main draw for me over this flower is the fact that it is fairly hardy and requires very little care.  Generally, you only need to prune in the spring, provide it with proper care, i.e. water, fertilizer, and that is it.  The plant does the rest right down to the deadheads.  This rose is also very resistant to black spots.  The bush itself is very hardy and can survive in Zones 4 to 10.

I honestly do not believe that you can find a rose that requires such a low amount of fuss and have as much glory with a full shrub filled with brilliant blooms.  There is nothing that I find that would deter me from purchasing this rose for my garden, well except space but I can always make more of that.

Sirena Van Schaik

Related posts:

1. Plant of the Week: Camellia
2. Plant of the Week: Cyclamen
3. Five Red Rose Varieties for your Garden