Hot and Dry Weather Impacts Plants

We had record amounts of rain in May and June which held soils extremely wet for several weeks in a row. This was followed by 3 weeks of sunshine and very dry weather. The impact from this weather pattern is being seen in July. Many plants had root injury from the excessive water in spring and the sunny weather is now causing plants to lose moisture rapidly through the foliage with leaf scorching occurring on many plants.

Hydrangea Macrophlla Pruning

Bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla)should be pruned as soon as the flowers have faded. You should begin to see new growth coming in from the base of the plant. To keep the plant vigorous, selectively prune out the dead and weaker stems, both old and new. Don’t prune out all the old wood, since this is what will keep flowering as the new growth matures.

Weed Control

Weed control in landscape beds requires a year-round program. Generally, this will entail integration of mulches, hand weeding, and pre- and post-emergence herbicides to maintain the aesthetic value of annual and perennial flowers, and woody shrubs and trees, in beds.

Deer Resistant Plants

The following is a list of plants that have been identified as deer-resistant. Keep in mind that in a bad season, deer may feast on plants on this list. If you have plants in your garden that have not been feasted upon by deer, please share them with us.
Trees
Deodara Cedar (Cedrus deodara)Dogwood (Cornus florida)Kousa Dogwood (Cornus kousa)Hawthorn (Crataegus sp.)Thornless Honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis)American Holly (Ilex opaca)Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora)Saucer Magnolia (Magnolia x soulangiana)Star Magnolia (Magnolia stellata)Sweetbay Magnolia (Magnolia virginiana)Flowering Cherry (Prunus serrulata)Corkscrew Willow (Salix matsudana ‘Tortuosa’)Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)Red Buckeye (Aesculus pavia)Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana)Japanese Snowbell (Styrax japonicum)Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflau)Gingko (Ginkgo biloba)Goldenraintree (Koelreuteria paniculata)River Birch (Betula nigra)Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis)Fringtree (Chionanthus virginicus)
Shrubs
Barberry (Berberis thunbergii)Butterfly-bush (Buddleia davidii)Littleleaf Boxwood (Buxus microphylla)Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens)Smoketree (Cotinus coggygria)Forsythia (Forsythia x intermedia)Hollies in general: (Ilex sp.)Foster Holly (Ilex x attenuata)Burford Holly (Ilex cornuta ‘Burfordii’)Carissa Holly (Ilex crenata ‘Carissa’)Dwarf Japanese Holly (Ilex crenata ‘Compacta’)Convexa Holly (Ilex crenata ‘Convexa’)Dwarf Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomitoria ‘Nana’) Nellie R. Stevens (Ilex x ‘Nellie R. Stevens’)Winter Jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum)Juniper (Juniperus sp)Dog-hobble (Leucothoe axillaris)Oregon Grape Holly (Mahonia aquifolium)Leatherleaf Mahonia (Mahonia bealei)Heavenly Bamboo (Nandina domestica)Dwarf Nandina (Nandina domestica)Oleander (Nerium oleander)Mugo Pine (Pinus mugo)Carolina Cherrylaurel (Prunus caroliniana) Common Lilac (Syringa vulgaris)Yucca (Yucca filamentosa)Flowering Quince (Chaenomeles japonica)Winged Euonymus (Euonymus alatus)Pyracantha (Pyracantha coccinea)Daphne (Daphne sp.)Gold-dust Plant (Acuba japonica)Sumacs (Rhus sp.)Thorny Eleaegnus (Eleaegnus pungens)Japanese Andromeda (Pieris japonica)Bumald Spirea (Spireae x bumaldi)Vanhoutte Spirea (Spireae x vanhouttei)Cranberry Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster apiculatua)Rockspray Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster horizontalis)Yucca (Yucca filamentosa)Oakleaf Hydrangea – (Hydrangea quercifolia)Mock Orange – (Philadelphus sp.)Wax Myrtle _ (Myrica cerifera)Witchhazel (Hamamelis virginiana)
Groundcovers
Pachysandra (Pachysandra terminalis)Ribbon Grass (Phalaris arundinacea var. picta)Thyme (Thymus sp.)Aaron’s Beard (Hypericum calycinum)Asiatic Jasmine (Trachelospermum asiaticum) Mondo Grass (Ophiopogon japonica) Santolina (Santolina sp.)
Vines
Wisteria (Wisteria sp.)Carolina Jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens)Star Jasmine (Trachelopsermum jasminoides)Trumpetvine (Campsis)Climbing Hydrangea (Hydrangea)
Perennials
Columbine (Aquilegia sp.)Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum x morifolium)Lenten Rose (Helleborus orientalis)Iris (Iris sp.)Yarrow (Achillea)Monkshood (Aconitum)AnemoneWormwood (Artemisia)Butterfly Weed (Asclepias)AsterTickseed (Coreopsis)Purple Coneflower (Echinacea)Cranesbill geranium (Geranium)Beebalm (Monarda)PeonyChives (Allium)Blue Star (Amsonia)Delphinium (Delphinium)Bleeding Heart (Dicentra)Foxglove (Digitalis)Sweet Woodruff (Galium)St. John’s Wort (Hypericum)Dead Nettles (Lamium)Lavender (Lavandula)Catnip (Nepeta sp.)Oregano (Origanum)Russian Sage (Perovskia)Creeping phlox or Thrift (Phlox Subulata)Lungwort (Pulmonaria)Garden Sage (Salvia officinalis)Meadow Sage (Salvia)Goldenrod (Solidago)Lamb’s Ear (Stachys)

Invasive Treese & Shrubs

Norway Maple
Tree of Heaven
Mimosa
Japanese barberry
Russian Olive
Autumn Olive
Thorny eleagnus
Winged Euonymous
Tatarian Honeysuckle
White Mulberry
Princess Tree
White Poplar
Glossy Buckthorn
Siberian Elm