This year, we introduced an amazing new Chinese collection of the shade-loving Mioga ginger, that we named Zingiber mioga ‘Lushan Gold’, from an Atlanta Botanical Garden expedition. It’s amazing, first, in that it clumps, instead or runs like many forms of the species. We grew quite a few from seed, looking for any that might
We just snapped this photo of one of our more amazing fern introductions, Microsorum buergerianum ‘Datun’. This six year-old clump is from our 2008 spore collection of this fabulous mat forming, epiphytic fern from north of Taipei, Taiwan. Although the foliage burnt back at 11 degrees F, it re-flushed quickly the following spring. Hardiness Zone
Evergreen Fern Mat Read More »
In January, we posted photos of the Asian epiphytic fern, Neolepisorus fortunei ‘Green Ribbons’ growing in the ground, in our woodland garden. Here is another planting of it, growing as a lithophyte (on rocks) in our crevice garden. This six year old patch of ribbon fern shows that it doesn’t require soil to thrive. This
Pyrrosia polydactyla ‘Middle Finger’ is an excellent clone of the Taiwanese native five-fingered tongue fern with an exceptionally long middle pinnae. Quite a few nurseries, especially in the Pacific Northwest, offer this as another clumping, but uniquely different species, Pyrrosia hastata. In the garden, it’s quite at home in dry shade, especially happy growing on
Middle Finger Fern Read More »
Imagine our surprise, when the odd evergreen vine, Kadsura longipedunculata began flowering for the first time last month. This woodland vine hails from Southern and Western China, where it’s prized for it’s medicinal uses. Reportedly, it is used to treat arthritis, cankers, digestive issues, infections, and as a perfume. This member of the Schisandraceae family
Emerging from their winter rest in mid-June are the miniature elephant ears. These little-known plants make fascinating garden specimens (Zone 7b south), and great container specimens further north. All of these mature at around 1-1.5′ tall, when happy. They are slow spreaders via very short rhizomes. By far, the fastest grower of the bunch is
One of the joys of trialing so many plants are the unexpected successes. One of those successes, flowering now is the Jack-in-the-pulpit, Arisaema prazeri ‘Chiang Mai’ (praise yer eye). This Northern Thailand collection from the late Alan Galloway has absolutely no business thriving here in the ground, yet here it is in flower in mid-June,
Calanthe is a genus of 235 species of terrestrial orchids. For us, the foliage remains evergreen through the winter, unless the winter temperatures are severe. We are still testing to find how many species are winter hardy here in Zone 7b. We have so enjoyed their amazing show over the last few weeks. Here are
Two of the later flowering wild gingers are looking amazing this week. At top is the Alabama native Asarum speciosum ‘Bloodshot Eyes’, a 2020 Plant Delights/JLBG introduction of a 2011 collection in Autauga County, Alabama with larger than normal flowers. At the bottom is the Japanese native Asarum sakawanum var. stellatum with it’s starfish-like flowers
The word “primrose” is from the medieval Latin prima rosa, literally the “first rose”. Perhaps it was a time when “rose” was used in a more general way. We all know that a primrose is not a rose not even by any other name, but we certainly think of it as an early spring flower.
The first rose from Japan Read More »
