Plant Care & Gardening Guides

You shouldn’t need to prune a dogwood tree (Cornus sp.) to maintain its shape and size since this plant has a natural growth habit that holds a neat and tidy shape. However, there are some instances where pruning a dogwood tree will be beneficial to its health and to your enjoyment of the tree.

Here we look at the diseases which most commonly affect dogwood trees, how you can identify them, and what you can do to save your dogwood tree.

Dogwood trees can be planted at any time of year, but they have a much greater chance of survival if planted during the fall, winter, or early spring. The University of Tennessee recommends that November and December are the best months for planting dogwood trees. There are a number of reasons for this.

The dogwood tree is at the center of a number of different legends, though their accuracy is questionable. What we do know about the dogwood is that it is referenced in the English language as early as 1614. Throughout history, the tree has offered many uses, often as a type of medicine. Here we look at the various stories which surround the tree, and how it has been used historically.

Dogwood trees range in size depending on the type of dogwood tree, as well as the conditions they are growing in. These trees can reach a maximum height of anywhere between 6 feet and 40 feet, and their spread is typically equal or slightly smaller to their height size.

Dogwood trees are a type of deciduous flowering tree which produce berries that are notoriously popular as a food source for birds. If your dogwood berries don’t get quickly consumed by birds, they can add another layer of interest to the tree, with many types of dogwood being able to retain clusters of berries from summer right through to fall.

However, if you’re looking for something less statuesque, then there are a number of smaller dogwood trees available which can look great in compact gardens. Here we look at types of dwarf dogwood trees and how to care for them.

If you are interested in sourcing some peonies then you’ll probably want to know what the typical cost of peonies is, and which types of peonies will get you more for your money. A single stem peony can range from between $8 and $24 depending on a variety of factors.

Peonies are exquisitely beautiful flowers which unfortunately never seem to bloom for long enough. If you want to enjoy peony flowers all year round, then you can do this by drying them and displaying them inside the home. Here we look at how to dry peonies, how to care for dried peonies, and how to display these dried flowers.

You should also take care not to plant the seed any deeper than an inch, because mature peony root systems need to remain in the top layers of the soil. This is essential to the production of their flowers. Planting the seed at a shallow depth of no more than 1 inch will set the plant up for success in the top layers of the soil.

Caring for the peony plant once the blooms have faded is of equal importance because this will ensure your plant is able to survive through winter and store up the nutrients it needs to perform well the following spring. Here we look at how to care for peonies in the months after they have bloomed.

The history of the peony can be traced back to 1000BC, where the plant was reportedly growing in China. The peony also has its roots firmly placed in regions of North America and Europe.