Frozen in Time
Our 28 year old clump of Hedera rhombea ‘Cheju’ is looking fabulous with an ice coating in late January. This is an adult form of English ivy that forms a woody compact shrub.
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Jurrasic Classic
It’s been a few years since we posted photos of one of our favorite conifers, Thujopsis dolobrata ‘Jurassic Park’. This little-known selection with dense, thick, plastic-like foliage, is most likely a tetraploid form of the wild species. We planted our first typical Thujopsis in 1999, but the cultivar Thujopsis ‘Jurrasic Park’ didn’t go into the
A Dentist and Horticulturist’s Dream
In 2019, we were trillium botanizing in Lumpkin County, Georgia, when we stopped at a site along the Chestatee River. Growing together at the site, were Trillium catesbiae, Trillium freemanii cf., and Trillium decumbens. Despite the trilliums, the most exciting plant that caught my eye was a unique, small-leafed toothwort that somewhat resembled a minature
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The Splendor of a Solar Flare
One of the finest variegated hollies to ever hit the market is the amazing Ilex ‘Solar Flare’. This sport of Ilex ‘Oakland’ was discovered and introduced by the former Unique Plant Nursery and Garden in North Carolina. Sadly, this plant is rarely seen in commerce, due to its slower than normal growth rate, as desired
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The Wavy Cloak
One of the easiest of the evergreen desert ferns we grow if the North American native, Astrolepis sinuata, better known as wavy cloak fern. This year, we’ve introduced spore grown plants of Astrolepis sinuata ‘Jeff Davis’, from our 2000 spore collection in the West Texas county by the same name. In that desolate region (population
Winter Cameo
Looking great in the garden after a low of 15F is our introduction, Agave ovatifolia ‘Cameo’. This variegated century plants is one we discovered as a sport on Agave ‘Vanzie’. The blue leaves are edged with a wide muted green border. Despite the variegation, it has shown no loss in winter hardiness from the typical
Helwingia, the Horticultural Hellboy
You’ve officially strayed into the realm of horticultural obscurity when you’re excited about the performance of the woodland-growing genus Helwingia in your garden. Helwingia‘s namesake is the little-known Prussian botanist and pastor Georg Andreas Helwing (1666-1734). This odd genus also appears like something transported to Earth through a paranormal portal, since it’s one of a
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Frozen Fountain
Even unclothed, Styrax japonica ‘Fragrant Fountain’ still provides great winter interest with it’s weeping branches, like a fountain frozen in time. This gem from Oregon nurseryman, Crispin Silva, is slow growing and should mature around 8′ tall x 8′ wide. Our garden specimen has been in the ground since 2008. Zone 5a-8b.
Meet Liara’s sister, Leona
Here is another member of the early-winter flowering Helleborus x lemperi hybrids, Helleborus ‘Leona’. I’d say, she’s looking quite ravishing in the garden for mid-January. All Helleborus x lemperi are sterile hybrids and created by crossing Hellborus niger with Helleborus x hybridus.
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Golden Eggs in the Garden
Looking rather nice in the garden in mid-winter is the yellow-fruited, Rohdea japonica ‘Golden Eggs’. We’re now on our third generation, and have been please to find that all of our offspring that have fruited so far, come true to color from seed. We picked up our original plant a Japanese auction over a decade
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