Flowering now in the garden is rare, and little-known native barberry, Alloberberis swaseyi. Just for afterhours entertainment, we planted our garden plant near its lust object, Lilium grayi. This native shrub, endemic to the alkaline cracks and rocky soils in the Edwards Plateau of Texas, has thrived for us in the hot, humid, Southeast US.
Dirty Danglin’ Barberry Read More »
Draba is a genus of 431 species of mostly small, rock garden-sized plants in the cabbage family. The majority of the drabas grown in gardens are European, although the US can claim about 100 species. The majority of those are either native to the far West or far North in alpine climates. Only 2-3 species
Another star of the 2026 Fairy Wing show is Epimedium ‘Cranberry Dancer’. This new Hans Hansen/Walters Gardens introduction has been nothing short of spectacular. The new foliage emerges cinnamon-colored and the flower spikes produce a huge number of large flowers. A great addition to the spring garden!
Dancing Cranberries Read More »
Since watching the bizarre Monty Python skit, “The Larch” as part of their series, “How to Recognize Different Types of Trees from Quite a Long Way Away” was first aired in 1969, I became obsessed about growing this deciduous conifer, which is confined to the world’s cold summer regions. Since 1969, I’ve killed an array
And Now, For Something Completely Different…The Larch Read More »
I’ve long had a fascination with the floral variegation of plants, and in particular, azaleas. Rhododendron ‘Gay Paree’ is a little-known Satsuki Azaleas from the 1950s/1960s work of California breeder, Howard Kerrigan. I acquired this back in the 1980s, and it’s thrived in our garden since then. For us, it’s never grown larger that 2′
Hosta rectifolia ‘Mito-no-Hana’ is quite striking in the garden this week. This eye-popping selection of the Japanese Hosta rectifolia comes from Japan’s Tenjin Yama Bunen Nursery in Mito City. The leaf coloration is best in open shade or with a couple of hours of morning sun. The leaf vein coloration fades in the intense heat
Here’s a fun combo we planted in the woodland garden with a silver-center leaf Jack-in-the-pulpit, Arisaema serratum in a patch of Rohdea japonica ‘Sekkei-no-Homare’. We used the leaf color in the jack to echo the leaf edge color in the sacred lily.
We obtained this amazing variegated Japanese Solomon’s seal selection in 2015, and in the years since, Polygonatum odoratum ‘Ki Chou’ has formed an amazing specimen in the garden. We’ve started dividing our clump, and hopefully, will have enough to share within the next couple of years. Hardiness is Zone 4a-9b. JLBG currently holds one of
Ki Chou, Bless You Read More »
As you know by our many past posts, we are fascinated by the amazing flowers of the Pig’s Butt arum, Helicodiceros muscivoris, which will be opening in several more weeks. We’re equally amazed at the three dimensional structural scaffolding that the plant contrived to support such a heavy, one-sided flower. Below is the glaucous, angular
Pig’s Butt Scaffolding Read More »
Early to mid-April has been peak for the amazing calanthe orchid show in the garden. These easy-to-grow, semi-evergreen terrestrial orchids, are a woodland perennial we wouldn’t garden without. Calanthe discolor ‘Eco White’ is a selection from the late nurseryman, Don Jacobs. This species range includes China, Korea, and Japan. Calanthe ‘Golden Treasure’ is our selection
