Looking out from our kitchen is a real joy in late winter, thanks to the show put on by Prunus x subhirtella ‘Scott Early’. This amazing specimen was shared back in the 1990s by the staff of Swarthmore’s Scott Arboretum. Although it’s still rare in commerce, this cultivar was introduced by the Scott Arboretum in
One of the finest late winter bulbs we’ve ever grown is the stunning Nothoscordum sellowianum. This incredible South American bulb, hails from the regions around Buenos Aires. When we first tried this back in the late 1980s,. we planted it in shade, which it didn’t appreciate. Before it died, we moved our last bulbs to
False Yellow Crocus Read More »
Here is our production block of the spring-leaf lycoris species and hybrids. Sadly, the only one of these amazing plants that is widely known is the hybrid, Lycoris x squamigera. These are much slower to offset than the fall-leaf species, so when we dig a clonal block to offer, it may be five of more
Surprise Production Read More »
Here are more wild gingers flowering this week in our garden collection. This fascinating genus is a member of the pipewort family, Aristolochiaceae. All of the images below are clump forming species. Asarum asaroides ‘Dohmu’ is a yellow-flowerd form of a typically purple-flowered Japanese species. Asarum campaniflorum ‘Ginormous’ is our selection of the beautiful Chinese
Wild Ginger Flowers – Part 2 Read More »
Last year, we posted fall pictures of our Sabal bermudana in full green leaf, but we would also like to share a current photo of the same specimen in its winter dress. As you can imagine, being from Bermuda, this palm isn’t enamored with our cold winter temperatures. Consequently, any nights that fall below 20
I was just admiring the genetic instability of Camellia japonica ‘Your’s Truly’ in the garden this week. This 1949 introduction was named as a sport of Camellia japonica ‘Lady Vansittart’. Our plant regularly throws three different flower types. If genetic stability is your thing, this probably isn’t for you, but then, who are we to
Genetic Instability Read More »
Flowering now in the garden is one of the more fascinating woody plants we grow, Daphne pseudomezereum. This odd Daphne, hailing from Japan and Korea, is the only known Northern temperate plant that loses its leaves in summer, but regrows them in fall, for a wintergreen appearance in the garden. I should add that Daphne
In full flower this week is the amazing dwarf saucer magnolia, Magnolia soulangeana ‘Kiki’s Broom’. This amazing witches broom mutation was discovered by Vermont plantsman Greg Williams, and subsequently propagated and named by Oregon nurseryman, Talon Buchholz. This gem should be in every garden where it can be grown. We expect it to mature at
In full flower in early March is Cardamine quinquefolia, better known as the Five-leaf Black Sea toothwort. This extremely showy spring ephemeral can spread to 8′ wide in 10 years…if grown in rich, organic soils. Like most spring ephemerals, it’s dormant by early May in NC, so be sure to underplant with later emergers like
Black Sea Toothwort Read More »
Flowering now in the garden is one of the rarest of the lenten rose hybrids, Helleborus x belcheri ‘Pink Ice’. This cross of the European Helleborus niger and the Chinese Helleborus thibetanus, was developed by Kevin Belcher at the UK’s Ashwood Nurseries. Since Helleborus thibetanus has been a miserable failure in our hot summer climates,
Belching in the Winter Garden Read More »
