Flowering this week in the garden is the little-known Greek snowdrop, Galanthus snogerupii, which is found only on the Greek island of Andros. This glossy-leaf species is one of the earliest of the fall snowdrops to flower. Some galanthophiles consider it a subspecies of Galanthus ikariae, but others feel it deserves species status.
Falling for a Greek Snowdrop Read More »
Last year, we wrote about the famous Sabal ‘Birmingham’ palm, but until a few weeks ago, I hadn’t visited the old specimens at Raleigh’s Jaycee park in well over a decade, so I thought it was time to check on their status. We don’t know an exact planting date, but best guesses are that they
A Visit to Birmingham Read More »
Looking lovely in the fall garden is the little-known fern, Microlepia strigosa ‘Shishi’. Despite the durability and appearance of this Southeastern Asia native, it has never been a fern that has sold well. In our garden it forms an 18″ tall x 3′ wide patch. Perhaps now that some fern taxonomists have moved it into
A Lack of Microlepia Respect Read More »
It’s odd that one of the most talked about gardenias in our garden is one that never flowers, but such is the case for Gardenia jasminoides ‘Screech Owl’. This previously un-named gem was passed around by plant collectors for years, before we put on our hound dog gear and traced it’s origin back to Texas
Screaming Gardenia Read More »
We have been enjoying the amazing Cyclamen hederifolium in the fall garden. One of my favorites is Cyclamen hederifolium ssp. crassifolium, with its uniquely mottled foliage. Cyclamen hederifolium ssp. crassifolium is a subspecies of Cyclamen hederifolium from the Greek Peloponnese that was formally described in 2009 as being different from typical Cyclamen hederifolium in both
Cyrtomium falcatum ssp. littorale is a dwarf, cold hardy, rock garden-sized form of the common holly fern. Our oldest specimens of this evergreen gem, have topped out at 8″ tall x 15″ wide. While it grows fine in regular soil, it also thrives in rock crevices, where it tolerates several hours of full sun. It’s
A Festive Little Holly Fern Read More »
We have long had a love affair with the conifer genus, Podocarpus. Of the 116 currently recognized species, many are much too tropical for our long, cold winters. We have trialed 23 species here at JLBG, and so far have found only 8 that will survive in our climate. The most unusual, and least-known of
Parlatore’s Podocarp Read More »
If you like botanical oddities, then the cute Camellia parvilimba is just what you’ve been looking for. This miniature species, is tiny, in terms of flowers, leaves, and overall stature. Camellia parvilimba is the victim of a taxonomic tug of war, with many taxonomists classifying it as simply a tiny form of Camellia euryoides, while
Honey, Who Shrunk the Camellia? Read More »
Looking quite lovely in the garden, now is Camellia japonica ‘Nuccio’s Bella Rossa Crinkled’. This stunning camellia is slow growing, has golden edged foliage, and large, fully double, rose-red flowers.
Our specimen of Mahonia ‘Marvel’ is in full flower today. This curious plant from Georgia’s Ozzie Johnson is reportedly a seedling of Mahonia x media ‘Charity’, and while it shares the flower characteristics of the parent, I’m not sure what odd mutation occurred to remove all of the leaf spines. We think this is a
A Mahonia on which to Marvel Read More »
