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 »
This is the second year, we’ve tried to offer the Southeast US native (Arkansas through Texas) beardtongue, Penstemon tenuis, to miserable sales. It’s always fascinating what sells, and what doesn’t. Below is a photo of our garden specimen this week. This robust grower forms a tight mass of rosettes that give rise in early spring
A Tenuis Situation Read More »
Flowering now in the garden is rare, and little-known native barberry, Alloberberis swaseyi. Just for afterhours entertainment, we planted our garden plant near its lust object, Lilium grayi. This native shrub, endemic to the alkaline cracks and rocky soils in the Edwards Plateau of Texas, has thrived for us in the hot, humid, Southeast US.
Dirty Danglin’ Barberry Read More »
Podophyllum peltatum ‘Fuzzy Wuzzy’ is a 2015 discovery of former JLBG staffer, Jeremy Schmidt from Calhoun County, Alabama. This is undoubtedly, the hairiest of the American mayapple selections we grow. The foliage emerges with a lovely brown flush, before aging green. If the hairs weren’t enough, this clone flowers light pink, which is extremely rare
Looking great in the worst of winter is the amazing native fern, Pleopeltis michauxiana. This epiphytic fern, which only grows on trees and rocks, can be found in the wild in woodlands from Ohio south to Florida, and west to Oklahoma. We used Liquid Nails construction adhesive to attach a tiny piece to this oak
Euphorbia ‘Canyon Gold’ is a delightful, but little-known, Euphorbia characias hybrid, introduced in 1998, by the former Canyon Creek Nursery. The foliage of the 2′ tall clumps take on a lovely purple cast in winter. In late February, the terminal flowers open chartreuse. Well-drained soils, and sun are required for success with this short-lived perennial.
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
