In full flower this week is the amazing dwarf saucer magnolia, Magnolia soulangeana ‘Kiki’s Broom’. This amazing witches broom mutation was discovered by Vermont plantsman Greg Williams, and subsequently propagated and named by Oregon nurseryman, Talon Buchholz. This gem should be in every garden where it can be grown. We expect it to mature at
In full flower in early March is Cardamine quinquefolia, better known as the Five-leaf Black Sea toothwort. This extremely showy spring ephemeral can spread to 8′ wide in 10 years…if grown in rich, organic soils. Like most spring ephemerals, it’s dormant by early May in NC, so be sure to underplant with later emergers like
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Flowering now in the winter garden are several members of the Thymelaeceae family. The more showy of those include the genera Daphne and Edgeworthia. Also in riotous bloom, is their cousin, little-known, not so fragrant, and far less showy North American native, Dirca palustris. It’s also known by its common name, leatherwood, which comes from
Looking great in the early March garden is the miniature Narcissus ‘New Charm’. This Narcissus cantabricus hybrid was bred by Oregon’s Walter Blom, and released in 2005. We love the miniature daffodils that don’t require us to deal with the masses of unsightly foliage that persists long after flowering.
While most gardeners are familiar with hybrid hellebores, those all originated with wild species. Although most lenten rose species are far less showy than their hybrid counterparts, there are some that are pretty nice in their own right. Once of these is Helleborus purpurescens, the source of much of the purple color in the Helleborus
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One of the earliest bulbous plants to pop up in the garden is Fritillaria verticillata, also known as Fritillaria thunbergii. This Central Asian native has no problem starting to grow while low temperatures are still in the teens F. The leaves form hooks at the end in case climbing on a neighbor is needed. Within
Flowering now in the garden is Daphne odora ‘Wild Winter’. This patterned leaf form was named and introduced by NC Nurseryman, Jason Stevens. The flowers are the same, super fragrant type of typical Daphne odora, which hails from Southern China, Vietnam, and Taiwan. In cultivation, good drainage is the key to success.
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In 1995, when we named our Edgeworthia chrysantha ‘Snow Cream’, few people had even heard of the plant genus, Edgeworthia. Thirty one years later, people are actually visiting the garden and asking about it by name. It is always a favorite during our Winter Open Nursery & Garden weekends when it is in full flower
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Looking lovely in the garden this week, despite the cold, wet rain, is Iris reticulata ‘Carolina’. This Dutch selection of the tough, easy-to-grow, bulbous iris from the Caucuses, was introduced in 2012 by W. van Lierop & Z. B. V. We obtained this as a form of Iris reticulata, which is correct if you agree
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Just emerging from its winter slumber in the woodland rock garden, is the scarlet orange-flowered, Adonis ‘Chichibu Beni’. This rare selection is a triploid hybrid between Adonis multiflora and Adonis ramosa. When it comes to Adonis, not all treasures are golden. Hardiness Zone 3a-8a.
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