Tony Avent

Although most folks grow our native pitcher plants for the foliage (pitchers), we think the flowers are pretty darn incredible.  Here are a couple of the earliest flowers species from the garden yesterday.  Sarracenia flava putting on an incredible show. The lovely pink-flowered Sarracenia rosea stays close to the ground, but what a color.

In 2016, we introduced Amsonia ‘Storm Cloud‘ in conjunction with our friend Hans Hansen of Walters Gardens. Above is the same plant when we discovered by a stream, growing in deep shade in Central Alabama. What a star it has become, evidenced by the photo below. Amsonia ‘Storm Cloud’ @ Juniper Level Botanic Garden

Flowering in the woodland garden this week is the diminutive Anemonella ‘Schoaf’s Double’…so very cute. Hardiness is Zone 4a-8b.  We’re also working with a new double form that our research horticulturist, Jeremy Schmidt found on a botanizing trip in Tennessee. Here it is this week in the garden. 

Epimedium ‘Candy Striper’ is our 2011 introduction, but it took us this long to take a decent photo. Epimediums are particularly challenging to photograph since they don’t hold all their flowers in a single plane. So, would anyone buy it based on this image?  If so, we’d love to offer it again.  Hardiness Zone 5a-8b.

In 2011, we introduced Asarum pulchellum ‘The Fuzz’, which is probably the best evergreen ground cover wild ginger we grow.  Sadly, only a few people purchased it.  Is is the excess facial hair that turns folks off?  We’ve love to offer this again, but only if enough folks will purchase it. Below is a photo

The first of the hardy orchids to flower for us are the Asian calanthes.  These easy-to-grow woodland orchids are simply wonderful…here is Calanthe discolor in our garden this week. Some of our oldest clumps are now several feet across. Hardiness in Zone 6b-9b.

Long after the flowers of the fall flowering Cyclamen hederifolium fade, the foliage remains amazing all through the winter and into early spring before going dormant. Cyclamen ‘Silverado’ is one of many seed strains that are high on our favorites list for winter interest in the shade garden. In the midst of the leaves, you’ll

One of our favorite spring-flowering groundcovers is the amazing Laurentia fluvitalis…aka Blue Star Creeper. Here it is in our spring garden providing a lovely color contrast to the surrounding gold foliage plants. Evergreen in warm winter climates, it goes deciduous when winter temps drop below 15F, but bounces right back when spring arrives. Hardiness is