Looking fabulous in the winter garden in mid December is the amazing Arachnioides standishii. The common name, upside down fern, refers to the fronds, which appear to be inverted. This slowly spreading fern is tardily deciduous, meaning it remains evergreen until temperatures drop to 10-15 degrees F. Although the fine texture makes it look delicate,
What’s up with Upside-down Ferns Read More »
We recently included a photo of this amazing cast iron plant in a garden vignette, but thought it was also deserving of a full frontal centerfold. Aspidistra sichuanensis ‘Spotty’ is one of 16 named cultivars we grow, of this wonderful species from Sichuan, China. This exceptional clone was selected by our friend, Sean Hogan of
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
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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
Four new Mangave selections passed the final cut for inclusion in the 2026 Plant Delights catalog, that will launch in a few weeks. To understand how difficult it is to pass our tests for inclusion, we currently have 660 different mangave selections on trial, each vying for a few coveted catalog spots. For the next
Winter is a time when evergreens, especially evergreen groundcovers really shine. I don’t know about you, but I’ll take winter green over the winter brown of mulch or bare soil, any day. One of our favorite evergreen perennials is the dwarf mondo grass selections of Ophiopogon japonicus, of which there are several. While the typical
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 »
