The native Phlox ‘Minnie Pearl’ has been simply incredible in the garden this spring…in bloom for weeks already and still looking great. Phlox ‘Minnie Pearl’ is the first to flower of the upright phlox, and in our trials has never shown any sign of mildew. You’ve never grown a phlox like this.
Phlox ‘Minnie Pearl’ Read More »
First cousin to the commonly-known scilla is the related, but little-known Hyacinth family genus Drimiopsis. Here is one of my favorites from the garden today, Drimiopsis maculata ‘Slow Fade’, named and introduced by our friends at Yucca Do. This dwarf gem sailed though the cold winter and is already in full flower as you can
Drimiopsis maculata ‘Slow Fade’ Read More »
I recently snapped this garden photo of the little known crinum lily, Crinum hildebrandtii. For us, this is the first crinum lily to flower each season, even earlier than Crinum bulbispermum. We were thrilled to see it sail through this winter with no protection, despite being native to Madagascar.
Crinum hildebrandtii Read More »
Wow…you folks are amazing. It took less than a hour to clear out all 338 of our 2 quart-sized hellebores. I hope those of you who ordered them get as much enjoyment from watching them flower as we have. For those who missed out, we are very sorry, but we had no idea they would
Hellebores flew out the door Read More »
This Saturday, May 17, I will be speaking at the Paul Ciener Botanical in Kernersville, NC (near Greensboro/Winston-Salem),as part of their Triad Plant and Landscape Festival. As always, I look forward to meeting each of you and putting faces with those that we’ve only met previously on Social media. I hope to see you there.
Speaking in Kernersville, NC Read More »
I always love plants with both good foliage and good flowers, and Iris ensata ‘Variegata’ fits the bill. Here is our garden clump now, even before the lovely flowers emerge. Japanese iris can grow in both shallow standing water as well as in regular garden soil.
Variegated leaf Japanese Iris Read More »
It’s hard to imagine a more beautiful spring bulb in the garden that the Gladiolus byzantinus. Completely untouched by plant breeders, this beautiful Mediterranean species is flowering for us now, but will be completely dormant a few weeks after flowering. Unfortunately, most of the plants in commerce are a very inferior clone. This is the
Byzantine Gladiolus Read More »
Flowering now in the garden are the pitcher plants, and here’s a new photo of Sarracenia ‘Daina’s Delight’. The flowers are truly other-worldly. Pitcher plants are actually very easy to grow if you can provide full sun and fairly moist, acidic soil…just not soil that stays soggy. In containers, grow them in straight peat moss
Sarracenia ‘Daina’s Delight’ flowering Read More »
A plant with the opposite fragrance of the sauromatum is flowering in one of our rock gardens…Dianthus ‘Sangria Splash’. We trial lots of dianthus (hardy carnation), and most are bred to be potted plants and don’t survive our brutal summers. This gem has been growing in our full sun rock garden for years alongside cactus
Dianthus ‘Sangria Splash’ Read More »
Sauromatum venosum…one of many aroids known by the common name, voodoo plant is in full flower at the gardens. Pollinator flies are lured by the fragrance and squeeze down past the constrictions in the floral tube looking for the source of the odor. Here they become trapped and unknowingly repeatedly pollinate the flower until they
Sauromatum venosum in flower Read More »
