I always look forward to mid-October because I know I’ll get to again enjoy one of our largest and most stunning ornamental grasses, Saccharum arundinaceum. The giant ornamental sugar cane is truly a spectacle of the fall garden…here it is today just outside our kitchen window…a great way to obscure an unsightly neighbor.
Saccharum arundinaceum – peak bloom Read More »
One of my favorite fall-flowering perennials has to be the easy-to-grow native orchid, Spiranthes cernua var. odorata. I just snapped this photo in the garden where it’s been flowering for nearly a month. For us, it fares well in partial to full sun. Soil moisture hasn’t been critical, but err on the side of too
Hardy Lady Tresses Orchid – Spiranthes Read More »
The dwarf Begonia henryi is looking great in the garden today. This small gem has attractive silver mottled leaves that fade a bit by late summer/early fall when the flowering starts. It’s also much smaller than Begonia grandis, so it fits well into smaller gardens. The Chinese Begonia henryi came through our cold winter last
The garden is ablaze with perennial salvias now, including several with blue or near blue flowers. Above is Salvia ‘Amistad’…a flowering machine that continues at the same pace all summer. Unlike Salvia guaranitca, Salvia ‘Amistad’ does not spread via rhizomes, although it does form a wide clump. and here is Salvia guaranitica ‘Argentina Skies‘…a
An explosion of perennial salvias Read More »
One of the frustrations of offering little-known cool plants is quite often these plants won’t sell because folks aren’t familiar with them. Here’s a great example from the garden today, the South African spider plant, Chlorophytum columbrianum. This stunning fall bloomer is an incredible perennial, providing a superb form and show in the fall garden.
Upright spider plant – Chlorophytum columbrianum Read More »
Here are a few more photos from my recent coastal NC botanizing trip. This was the first time for my stepdaughter Katie to join me in the field, and here she is with her namesake, katydid, dining on the fall-flowering carphephorus. Lots of cool woody plants including this amazing dwarf wax myrtle, Myrica cerifera…a perfect
More coastal NC botanizing Read More »
It’s hard to find a time of year when Heucherella ‘Solar Eclipse‘ doesn’t look great in the garden..here it is at JLBG today. This is truly one of the best foamy bells ever introduced. Light shade to part sun is best along with decent draining soils.
Heucherella ‘Solar Eclipse’ Read More »
Just back from an amazing botanizing trip to coastal NC, which, among other things was yucca heaven. The two dominant yuccas in this area were Yucca aloifolia – foreground and Yucca gloriosa – back. The two species can be distinguished by Y. aloifolia having narrower, lighter, smooth leaves, with a scabrous (sandpapery) dorsal midrib and
A feast of yuccas from our recent coastal trip Read More »
I just snapped this photo of the South African Asparagus fern, Asparagus virgatus, in the garden. This is one of my favorite hardy foliage plants. Not only does it provide a nice foil for bolder foliage, but it grows in sun or light shade, and doesn’t go dormant until mid-January. The white flowers are tiny,
Hardy Asparagus fern, Asparagus virgatus Read More »
Here’s our latest new garden construction at Juniper Level Botanic Garden. We’re clearing out an entire hedge of giant Nellie Stevens hollies behind the Open House sales greenhouses and replacing them with a more diverse and intricate planting. All of our beds are composed of a soil mix that we make: 50% native soil and
More new garden construction here at Juniper Level Read More »
