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Gardening Information

What is our Zone?

In 2023 a new USDA Plant Hardiness Zones Map was created.  

We are now Zone 6a.

Any plant that is Zone 6a, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 would be a perennial in our area.  Anything Zone 6b, 7, 8, 9, or 10 would be an annual.
You may click on any map to take you to the USDA zone maps

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Annuals and Perennials vary depending on where you live.  If you want a perennial, shrub or tree to survive and grow year after year, the plant must tolerate the year-round conditions in our area, such as the lowest and highest temperatures and the amount of rainfall.  
 
Annuals live for only one season.  They must be replaced every year but the blooms are bright and showy. 

Perennials grow and spread for many years.

Mulch

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Why should you mulch?

Mulching has many benefits.  The easiest reason to mulch is to cut down

on weeds.  It should be at least 3" thick to help stop the weed seed from

germinating.

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Mulch helps to retain moisture around the plant/tree.  It can be very 

hot in the summer months and any extra moisture will help to promote 

good growth.  

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Mulch should be applied in the spring either before or after planting and usually needs a top dress the next year.  Some will degrade and this is good for the soil but it won't require as much as the previous year.

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Approximate coverage for one cubic yard of mulch:

  • 330 square feet at 1" depth

  • 160 square feet at 2" depth

  • 110 square feet at 3" depth

 

One cubic yard of mulch is 3' x 3' x 3'.  Another way of "seeing" the measurement is that one cubic yard is 2 scoops of the Bobcat bucket.  

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Danville Gardens Mulch  

  • Available for pick up or delivery

  • For delivery we can hold up to 7 yards on our truck.  Delivery fees apply.

  • Mulch choices

    • Light Brown​

    • Dark Brown

    • Black

Call 217-442-4944 today to schedule a mulch delivery. ​​

Sun vs. Shade

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A Guide to Understanding Light Levels in Your Garden

Sunlight is the most essential element all plants need to live, so it’s

important to understand it.

 

Basic Light Level Definitions

  • Full sun - 6 or more hours of direct sun per day

  • Part sun - 4 to 6 hours of direct sun per day, including some afternoon sun

  • Part shade - 4 to 6 hours of direct sun per day, mostly before midday

  • Full shade - less than 4 hours of direct sun per day

 

How Do You Know How Much Sun You Have?

To figure out how much sun the spot you want to plant in receives each day, you could use a garden light meter to measure it. You could also save that money to spend on more plants by simply observing your garden for a few days in the summer. Find the spot where you’d like to plant, then keep track on a sheet of paper whether or not that spot is receiving direct sunlight each hour of the day. Do this for a few days to find an average.

Deer

Battling deer is one of the most common issues gardeners face.  Below we have a list of deer resistant plants.  The ones with * indicates plants that are available at Danville Gardens

You may also try to deter deer using Deer Scram with no foul smell.

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Deer Scram is all natural, biodegradable, environmentally safe and used to keep deer away from your prized gardens, shrubs and trees, while not being offensive to humans. Deer Scram won’t harm animals, the environment and most importantly you and your family. Blended from selected organic components, Deer Scram will keep deer off your plantings because it convinces deer that harm is nearby through their uncanny sense of smell. Deer Scram will change deer behavior. 

Apply Deer Scram any time of year! 

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*Indicates Plants That Are Available At Danville Gardens 

Annuals

*Angelonia                                                         

Anisodontea 

Cestrum                                                                     

*Coleus                                                         

Perilla         

*Petunia

*Salvia

*Torenia

*Verbena

*Vinca

*Agapanthus -Lily Of The Nile     

*Lantana            

Nerium -Oleander

                                           

Perennials

*Achillea Yarrow

Aconitum -Monkhood

*Agastache -Anise Hyssop

*Ajuga -Bugleweed 

*Alchemilla -Lady’s Mantle

*Allium -Ornamental Chives

*Aquilegia -Columbine

*Artemisia -Wormwood

*Asclepias -Butterfly Weed

Aster - Autumn Asters

*Bergenia

*Caryopteris -Bluebeard

Chrysanthemum (Eats Flowers)

*Cimicifuga -Bugbane Or Snakeroot

*Coreopsis

Crocosmia -Montbretia

*Dicentra -Bleeding Heart

*Digitalis -Foxglove

*Echinops -Globe Thistle

Epimedium -Bishop’s Hat, Goatweed, Etc.

*Eupatroium -Joe Pye Weed

*Euphorbia -Spurge

*Ferns Most Varieties

Filipendula -Dropwort

*Galium -Sweet Woodruff

*Geranium -Cranesbill 

*Grasses -Many Varieties

  • *Calamagrostis -Feather Reed Grass

  • *Cortaderia -Pampas Grass

  • *Festuca Ovina -Blue Fescue

  • *Miscanthus -Maiden Grass

  • *Pennisetum -Fountain Grass

  • *Stipa -Mexican Feather Grass

*Gaelic -Pulmonaria

*Helleborus -Lenton Rose, Hellebore

Hesperaloe Parvifora -Red Yucca

*Heuchera -Coral Bells

*Iberis -Candytuft

Iris Siberica -Siberian Iris

*Iris Bearded -Iris       

*Kniphofia -Red Hot Poker

*Lamium Maculatum -Dead Nettle

*Lavandula Iatifolia -English Lavender  

*Lysimachia

*Mentha -Mint

*Monarda -Bee Balm

*Nepeta -Catmint

*Ophiopogon -Mondo Grass

*Origanum Rotundifolium -Oregano

*Paeonia Peonies

*Papaver Orientale -Oriental Poppy

*Perovskia -Russian Sage

*Phlox Subulata -Creeping Phlox

Moss Pinks

*Pulmonaria -Lungwort

*Salvia -Sage

Santolina

Saponaria -Soapwort

*Stachys -Lamb’s Ears

Tannacetum -Tansy

*Tiarella -Foamflower

*Verbascum -Mullein

Yucca Filamentosa -Adam’s Needle

Yucca Spp.  -Yucca  

 

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Herbs

· *Dill

· *Mint

· *Rosemary

· *Russian Sage

 

Shrubs

*Abelia

Aucuba Japonica -Gold Dust Plant

*Berberis Thunbergii -Japanese Barberry       

*Buddleia -Butterfly Plant

*Buxus -Boxwood

*Cotoneaster                       

*Caryopteris

*Cornus

Daphne

*Deutzia

*Forsythia

Genista -Scotch Broom

*Hibiscus -Rose Of Sharon

*Hypericum -St. John’s Wort

*Ilex Cornuta -Chinese Holly 

*Ilex Glabra -Inkberry 

*Itea

*Juniper

*Kerria Japonica          

*Kolkwitzia Amabalis -Beauty Bush

Myrica Pennsylvania -Northern Bayberry

Nandina -Heavenly Bamboo

*Potentilla Cinquefoil

*Pyracantha

*Rhamnus

* Sumac

*Rubus -Blackberry, Raspberry

· *Spiraea

· *Thuja (Plicata)

*Viburnum

 

Ground Cover & Vines

· *Lamium

· Celastrus Scandens -American Bittersweet

· *Ophiopogon Janonica -Monkey Grass

· *Pachysandra -Spurge

· *Vinca -Major Myrtle

*Wisteria Floribunda -Wisteria

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Trees That Rarely Or Seldom Suffer Damage From Deer

*Acer Griseum -Maple

*Acer Palmatum -Japanese Maple

*Acer Pennsylvanian -Striped Maple

*Acer Rubrum -Red Maple

*Acer Saccharum -Sugar Maple

*Aesculus Carnea -Red Horsechesnut

Aesculus Parviflora -Bottlebrush Buckeye

Albizia Julibrissin -Mimosa

*Amelanchier -Downey, Alleghany

Asimina Triloba -Pawpaw

*Betula Birch

Cercidiphyllum Japonicum -Katsura Tree

*Chamaecyparis Pisifera  -Japanese False Cypress

*Chinese Retusus -Chinese Fringe Tree

*Cornus Kousa -Kousa Dogwood

Crataegus Laevigata -English Hawthorn

Cryptomeria Japonica -Japanese Cedar

*Fagus Sylvatica -European Beech

Fraxinus Pennsylvania -Green Ash

Fraxinus Excelsior -European Ash

*Gleditsua Tracanthos -Honey Locust

Juniperus Virginiana -Eastern Red Cedar

Koelreutaria Paniculata -Goldenrain Tree

*Liriodendron Tulipifera -Tulip Tree

*Metasequoia Glytostroboides -Dawn Redwood

Oxydendron -Arboretum Sourwood

*Picea Abies -Norway Spruce

*Picea Glauca -Dwarf Alberta Spruce

Picea Omorika -Siberian Spruce

*Picea Pungens -Colorado Blue Spruce

Pinus Densiflora -Japanese Red Pine

Pinus -Pine

*Prunus Serrulata -Japanese Flowering Cherry

*Salix Matsudana Tortuosa -Corkscrew Willow

Sassafras Albidurn -Common Sassafras

Pruning 

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Hydrangeas

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