Looking fabulous as we head into the heat of summer, is the grey-haired Brazilian sword fern – Pleopeltis lepidopteris ‘Morro dos Conventos’. We introduced this amazing fern in 2018 from a 2012 Yucca Do spore collection from its native range along the sea coasts in Southern Brazil. This evergreen sun lover naturally grows among rocks […]
A Brazilian Beauty Read More »
Flowering now is the amazing Hymenocallis azteciana, from Northern Mexico. The wide glacous foliage, which doesn’t emerge until June, is enough reason to grow this dazzling spider lily, but the clumps are also topped with 3′ tall spikes of narrow-petalled white flowers, which open each evening. Our form is from an original collection in Jalisco,
Spider Lily of the Aztecs Read More »
Hibiscus ‘Summer Carnival’ is looking rather exceptional and unfazed in the garden, as we approach a week of temperatures in the 100s F. This amazing introduction from plant breeder Hans Hansen at Walters Gardens is the first stable variegated hardy hibiscus. This can be grown as a marginal aquatic, or as we have it planted
A Hot Summer Carnival Read More »
We’ve grown Pink Mist calla lily for decades, and have rarely seen a flower, so a couple of years ago, we transplanted one to a much more moist site, where the species, Zantedeschia aethiopica grows in the wilds of South Africa. While it persisted for years in our garden, in average moisture garden soil, it’s
Can’t Miss Pink Mist Read More »
Several of our new crinum seedlings are looking quite nice after our recent rain, so we wanted to share the beauty. Building up enough numbers to share takes years, so none of these are available yet. Most are winter hardy from Zone 7a and south, but a few should be fine into Zone 6. Enjoy.
I hate to be a tease, but… Read More »
The North American (Durango, Mexico) native, Hymenocallis durangoensis, has been absolutely spectacular this month in the garden, where we grow it in full sun, in average to moist soils. Sadly, this spider lily never sells very well, so we keep having to dump our surplus nursery stock at years end. We’re just stubborn enough to
Striking a pose in the moist garden is Sarracenia flava ‘Black Ascot’. This incredible, native yellow pitcher plant has a variety of amazing forms. The key for success is full sun for 6-8 hours, and moist toes (roots). We offered this selection for the first time in 2020. We have it in production again and
While most folks from Zone 7 and north are quite familiar the English, Japanese, and European boxwoods of the genus, Buxus, gardeners in hotter climates had to turn to a substitue plant with similar traits for their climate. That plant is Myrsine africana, a woody member of the Primula family, which gained the common name,
An interesting plant that’s looking nice in the garden now is Hyoscyamus niger. This European native, member of the nightshade family Solanaceae, is a first cousin to tomatoes and potatoes. Although it’s short-lived in the garden, it is rather ornamental, but it’s popularity is actually due to its other properties. In traditional medicine, it’s known as
Fun with Black Henbane Read More »
Through the years, we made a couple of selections of the giant Chinese Solomon’s Seal, Polygonatum martinii, including the one below, Polygonatum ‘Bellissimo’. These amazing plants often top 6′ tall, so are truly giants in the woodland garden. We’ll start chopping on this soon, so we can one day have enough to share.
