I became entranced with the South African succulent genus, Aloinopsis, years ago, after discovering that Colorado rock gardener Bill Adams had found many of them hardy there in Zone 5/6. We tried quite a few, but found that while they take our winter cold temperatures, they do not take winter moisture. Once we built our
How Low can Aloinopsis Go? Read More »
Almost jumping out of the ground in early April (NC) is the heat-tolerant Ligularia japonica ‘Chinese Dragon’. This amazing, clumping perennial is one of a small number of the genus that will thrive in our summers. These grow best in regular to slightly moist soils, where they prefer light open shade or a few hours
The Dragon Awakens Read More »
Looking lovely in the garden in early April is our NC collection of Carex physorhyncha. This North American native sedge, found naturally in dry woodlands, has been taxonomically mixed with Carex albicans var. australis, and we still need a taxonomic rumble to get this finally sorted out. Whatever we wind up calling it, it’s a
I’m just back from a quick trip to Texas, where I was able to witness the amazing Texas bluebonnet show in person. Lupinus texensis is a short-lived annual that thrives in rocky, dry soils, in full sun. Decades ago, I was told by a gardening expert that we couldn’t grow them in NC, so that’s
The Bluebonnets of Texas…and North Carolina Read More »
In flower in late March at JLBG is the sweetly fragrant Osmanthus x burkwoodii ‘Elizabeth Lawrence’, a plant we acquired from the late garden writer, Pam Harper. This sweet olive is a cross of the Turkish Osmanthus decorus and the Chinese native Osmanthus delavayi, created by 20th century English nurserymen, Arthur and Albert Burkwood. The
The Burkwood’s Sweet Legacy Read More »
Looking great as it emerges from dormancy is Asparagus cochinchinensis ‘Graham’s Cracker’, our incredible 2015 introduction, that came from NC gardener Graham Ray, who originally purchased this dwarf seedling from Plant Delights. Asparagus ‘Graham’s Cracker’ makes a very tight, upright, 18″ tall x 18″ wide clump, great for a textural contrast in the garden. For
Here are two exceptional fairy wing cultivars that are in peak bloom today. The top is our introduction, Epimedium ‘Rise and Shine’. The floriferous nature of many of the recently introduced epimediums puts many of the older cultivars to shame. Epimedium ‘Woodland Elf’ will be a 2026 introduction of a plant developed by plant breeder,
Floating Fairy Wings Read More »
Looking lovely in the garden this week is the amazing Southeastern US native, Amsonia tabernaemontana ‘Storm Cloud’. Amsonia, commonly known as blue star, are a group of mostly native, typically deer-resistant perennials, prized both because they make such good drought-tolerant plants and they bear one of the few true blue flowers in the perennial world.
Storm Clouds Brewing Read More »
One of the finest of the dwarf, non-weedy ajugas is the amazing Ajuga tenorei ‘Blueberry Muffin’, which is in full splendor in the garden this week. We grow this in half day sun, with slightly moist, but well-drained soils. We love using these groundcovers as “green mulch”, where they help retain moisture and suppress weeds
Blueberry Muffin, without the Calories Read More »
The genus Asarum are primarily late winter flowering woodland perennials in the pipevine (Aristolochiaceae) family, that have long been a focus of our collection efforts. Asarum includes the former genus, Hexastylis, that Southeast US botanists still struggle emotionally to give up. We trim the previous years foliage away as the flowers emerge, so we can
Gingers are Ready and Willing Read More »
