Articles written by us for you, Happy Planting!

During the cooler months of Fall there is a group of plants that prefer to be planted now instead of in spring or especially in summer. Planting most evergreens during fall will increase your long term success rate when growing these drought tolerant beauties. Mountain Laurel, Camellia, Rhododendron, Azalea, and Gardenia all prefer less water and cooler soil their first year after planting. They will grow roots all winter without much effort and little need for additional watering. All shrubs and trees love fall planting but these five groups really love fall. Today we are highlighting our Mountain Laurel offerings. This...

As the fall season approaches, there’s no better time to plant one of the most beautiful and resilient additions to any garden—Camellias. With cooler temperatures and ideal growing conditions, your Camellia plants will establish strong roots, preparing them to bloom with vibrant color when you need it most. Why Plant Camellias in Fall? Strong Root Development: Fall’s mild temperatures and abundant moisture help Camellias develop robust roots, ensuring a healthy and long-lasting plant. Early Blooms: Planting now gives your Camellias plenty of time to settle in before bursting into stunning blooms in late winter or early spring. Reduced Stress: The...

If your lucky enough to live in a place where it rarely snows, gets very cold, or it never fells all that cold, you probably live in USDA planting zone 8 or 9. Much of the southern part of the country as well as the extreme west coast are all zone 8 or 9. Places like Phoenix, San Francisco, Houston, Orlando, Atlanta, and Portland, Oregon enjoy mild winters where planting shrubs and trees can happen most of the year.

We absolutely love living and growing our plants in USDA planting zone 7.  We are so lucky in that we can plant almost any time of the year, even in the dead of winter. Here in planting zone 7, our soil rarely freezes therefore we are lucky enough to have root growth throughout the fall and winter. Cool season root growth helps our new fall or winter plantings survive the following summer season.

Here at Lots of Plants we get a common question regarding how to properly plant rhododendron, azalea, mountain laurel, and camellia. These plants, particularly rhododendron and mountain laurel, can be especially challenging to grow in some areas.