Flowering for the last several week is the South American (Argentina, Uruguay) iris family member, Cypella (Phallocallis) herbertii. The narrow foliage is almost invisible, so this gem can be tucked into any sunny spot for a splash of summer color. We have grown this for over three decades, and it never fails to perform. Hardiness
As Anita and I were headed out on a recent, late day errand, we were stopped in our tracks by this stunning snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) that had taken a liking to our driveway. I tried to inquire why it was so far from a pond, but it took the fifth. This is a youngster,
Back in 2008, I was visiting Virginia plantsman, Paul James, and was taken by the form of one of the now mature bald cypress seedlings that he’d planted around his extensive mountainside property. Bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) are deciduous conifers, native to the southeastern US, and while all are nice, I found this one exceptional.
Admiring Paul’s Bald Read More »
I vividly remember the first time I saw an on-line photograph of ‘Ippongi’, both due to the amazing foliage, but also the 12,000 USD price tag. That was 2017. Soon after, we would acquire a small plant in a trade with another agave collector. Although it’s a tropical plant that has no frost tolerance, this
Our patch of the Chinese, Thelypteris bombadilii is looking quite fabulous, as we wrap up summer at JLBG. We offered this amazing, deciduous groundcover fern in 2021, only three years after the species was published, and as occasionally happens, sales were miserable, despite the purported green mulch movement. Consequently, most of our left over stock
Our native wax myrtle, Myrica cerifera, is a ubiquitous plant, oft scorned by plant snobs as a mere commoner. As a functional shrub with deliciously fragrant foliage, it’s prized by both builders, and the mow and blow crowd, because its tough as nails in a wide range of conditions from sun to shade, and from
Waxing eloquently about Myrtle Read More »
For a decade, starting in 1971, one of the long running television commercials was for Memorex audio cassettes, featuring the late Ella Fitzgerald. I dare say there are less and less people who remember those days. The recurring question the commercial asked, to demonstrate the quality of the recording was, “Is it live, or is
Mother Nature or AI Read More »
Flowering this week in our part shade rock garden, is the amazing, fall-flowered gesneriad, Titanotrichium oldhamii. This is simply an amazing plant that we grown for more than two decades. Several years ago, we were lucky enough to see in the wilds of Taiwan, where it grew from vertical rock walls. Light, but open shade,
Falling for False Gloxinia Read More »
We have really enjoyed the native arborvitae, Thuja occidentalis ‘Congabe’, marketed under the name Fire Chief. This juvenile foliage selection from the late Maryland nurseryman, Joe Cesarini, is a stunning plant year round. It was originally discovered as a compact branch mutation on Thuja ‘Rheingold’, which we stopped growing years ago, due to its tendancy
Falling in Love with the Fire Chief…shhh Read More »
We’ve just finished the flowering season for the amazing, Taiwan native, Lilium formosanum. This amazing lily comes true from seed, and for us, flowers the first year from seed. After three years, it reaches 6′ tall in our climate, Zone 8a, Raleigh, NC. The deliciously sweet flowers make such an amazing show in August, at
Giant Formosa Lily Read More »
