Hi. Thanks for your feedback folks. Yikes! I was afraid of root rot. I planted on a slope so I thought drainage would not be an issue. I stuck a pencil in the soil and it did not seem soggy. I did heavily mulch earlier this spring however and I wonder if I put it too close. (New at this). Anyhow, I've since cleared all the mulch away from the plant and cut back all the dead stuff. (I've actually had to cut back more since the photo). Is the shrub beyond hope? Are there any commercial fungicides anyone recommends? Thanks again!

The Don's Dwarf wax myrtle is very nice and doesn't look like a wax myrtle even. Mayland said she just got one at Ace Hardware. Other evergreen natives include Vaccinium darrowii (some cultivars available like Vaccinium darrowii 'Rosa's Blush', beautiful new growth color) and dwarf forms of Yaupon Holly. I find that the yaupon holly looks best when left unpruned (most people prune it); it has a lovely tidy yet informal shape then. It will most likely have been pruned some when you buy it, just let it grow out that haircut. Good examples on the Southern Polytech campus in Marietta around the Atrium building. An even more remote choice is Pieris phillyreifolia; actually not so remote - I got mine at Georgia Perimeter College's nursery, a great place for natives. I had 5 at one time, but had to move them to a new house and only two have survived, but these two are THRIVING. And yes, Florida anise would be too big for that spot. There are also the Inkberry hollies which no one ever thinks is a Holly (Ilex glabra). I assume you have checked into those. Ilex cassine makes some nice hybrids with Ilex opaca and they don't look like hollies much either. Nearly Native Nursery has some of those.

We have resorted to feeding the deer corn, my thoughts are if I feed them corn they are more likely "not" to eat most of the shrubs/plants I've been planting. So far so good, except it looks like the hydrangeas have been hit...but not completely...yet. I've also used the tomatoe cages I made from concrete mess as winter protection for several other shrubs just happen to run out when it came to protecting the hydrangeas. Next year I'm starting with the hydrangeas to give them a better start next year. Deer will be an ongoing battle in my experience I've found it is better to live with them then to try to fight them...not worth it. So every spring I loose most of my hostas, I just cut them back and fertilize and they return.

Hi! It depends on the shrub that you want to get the cutting from. Flowering shrubs are good rooters in the spring (like now). Shrubs that lose their laeaves in the winter can be propagated in spring. Evergreens & Broad leafed shrubs like Azaleas, Rhodos, and Mt. Laurels are best taken in fall. When taking a cutting cut stems that are softwood (new spring growth) in spring/early summer. Make the cut at a 45 degree angle a little below a leaf shoot down a healthy stem about 6-8 " long or more if you like. Cut all the leaves off the bottom and leave the top ones (like 2 of them ) on the cutting. Most will root best if you use a mixture like Scotts potting soil for seed starting. This can also be used for rooting and the directions are on the back of the bag. I'm sure there's other stuff out there as well. You can then dip the cutting into water and a rooting hormone , like Shultz-Take Root, available at home depot and other garden centers. Pot it up in the soil mix and cover it with a plastic ziplock type bag to hold moisture. Keep it moist and not wet. But, don't let it dry out. Some things take longer than others and some root quickly. Some things are nearly impossible to root! Check out this website if you'd like: http://ourgardengang.tripod.com/CuttingsPlants.htm They tell me in detail how to do different types of propagation for different things. It is a good reference. Good luck!