In 2015, we introduced an amazing selection of the short-lived, but showy, native Silene virginica, discovered by Alabama’s Colleen Keleher and shared by her husband, nurseryman, Maarten van der Giessen (photo below). Silene ‘Jackson Valentine’, was such a dramatic improvement over the typical species, that it was purchased and shared with gardeners worldwide. One of […]
The Little Native Perennial that Could Read More »
Borrowing the tag line from the late Fred Rodgers, we’re searching for someone who wants to be our neighbor. The family of our recently deceased next door neighbor is putting their parents former home up for sale, which abuts JLBG. The 5.28 acre wooded property at 9257 Sauls Road, is mostly wooded, and includes a
Won’t You be my Neighbor? Read More »
It’s that magical time of the year when naked ladies are dancing in gardens. Naked ladies being one of several common names for Lycoris. Other common names are surprise lilies and spider lilies. They bloom without their foliage, hence the common name “naked ladies”. Depending on the type of Lycoris, the foliage follows either soon
Dressing Naked Ladies Read More »
Last weekend, Anita and I watched as one of our indoor cats, Jake, was glued to the glass door as a common box turtle sauntered, seemingly purposely down our 50′ long sidewalk and toward the door. It (he?/she?) finally stopped just a few feet short of the door, where it just sat and stared, with
We caught a glimpse of our Carolina anole, Naomi Gamble, slinking down the green carpet last week, posing in the latest sheer, skin-revealing, summer design from the Yves Saint Laurent spring collection. What a fashionably sly creature.
Modeling the latest in sheer design Read More »
Looking great in mid-January in our crevice garden, is the shrubby Mediterranean native, Teucrium marum, known more widely as kitty crack. The incredibly fragrant foliage is enough to drive your cats wild…far beyond anything you’ve seen from its cousin, Nepeta catarica (cat nip), which is also in the Lamiaceae family. It you really want to
A Crack full of Kitty Crack Read More »
Founder’s Message Happy New Year! It is with great joy that we share our inaugural Juniper Level Botanic Garden Members Newsletter. We have been hoping to get our membership program started for several years, but it’s finally getting off the ground beginning January 1, 2024. Everyone joining this year will be forever known as JLBG
Juniper Level Botanic Garden Quarterly Newsletter – Winter 2024 Read More »
Coming in second place to the Helleborus niger we posted earlier is Helleborus x ballardiae ‘Mahogany Snow’. This is a cross of the Christmas rose, Helleborus niger and Helleborus lividus. The flowers emerge white, then age to a lovely salmon pink. We find this hellebore hybrid much easier to grow than either parent.
The Christmas Rose Bowl Read More »
On a recent trip from RDU airport (Raleigh-Durham), I had my first encounter with a Jetson-like restaurant, where you have no interaction with humans. I’ve visited plenty of fast food restaurants with the option of ordering from a machine, but when possible, avoid the machines at all costs. I get the idea of reducing labor
The State of Travel – Journey like the Jetsons Read More »
