37
Years since established
27
Thousand different taxa
Timeline
1986
Breaking ground
Tony and Michelle purchase a home on 2.2 acres, garden construction begins on the Founders Garden. Plant Delights Nursery is established.
1996
First expansion
The Avents purchase 5.25 acres of adjoining property. This new section becomes Michelle’s Garden.
2001
Second expansion
The Avents purchase another 11 acres of adjacent property for expanded production, research, plant trials, evaluations and woody plant collections.
2008
Third expansion
The Avents purchase 3.66 acres from the estate of the late Eddy Souto. Half of the property is devoted to field production, while the other half becomes the full sun Souto Garden.
2014
Yde Horse Farm purchase
Two acres of the property are dedicated to visitor accommodations, while the remaining four become Avents new home and Anita’s Garden. This brings the size of JLBG to 28 acres.
2017
Crevice garden construction
The 300 feet long habitat for ultra dryland, alkaline-loving plants, is made of nearly 200 tons of recycled concrete and takes 3 years to complete.

Individual
Great choice for a beginner gardener. Includes basic benefits to help you expand your knowledge.
$50
/ year

Family/Dual
Best value for a family (2 adults and children under age of 16) interested in gardening.
$75
/ year

Explorer
Expanded benefits for an intermediate gardener who is looking to deepen their knowledge.
$150
/ year

Sponsor
Top tier package for people who share our vision and want to ensure the future of JLBG.
$300
/ year
Mano – Amana
Nothing signals that winter in trending toward spring in our garden more than the seriously cute, Amana anhuiensis. Most folks have probably never heard of this miniature bulb, since it…
Tall Drops of Snow
Flowering now at JLBG is Galanthus elwesii ‘Mt. Everest’, a truly an amazing introduction in an already crowded field of snowdrops. This Galanthus elwesii selection appeared as a seedling for…
This Bud’s for You
One of the frustrations of creating so many amazing new baptisia cultivars is the difficulty in getting them propagated to share. The propagation part of baptisias is actually easy, but…
Grand Duke Surprise
Most years in fall, we sell off several of our large potted specimen century plants to make room in our overwintering greenhouse. 2024 was no different, but as is usually…
Not your Average Amaryllis
This January, we first flowered Hippeastrum idimae, a 2017 published species from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, that we received from our friends at Yucca Do in 2015. This new species…
Wisterious Art
I was walking underneath our trellis of the native Wisteria macrostachya last week, and was amazed how artfully Mother Nature had arranged the seed pods on the patio. Wisteria seed…