Posing for a photo this week behind Colocasia ‘Redemption’ is a patch of Sorghastrum nutans ‘Slim Pickens’. This amazing form of the US native Indian Grass, named both for it’s form, and nativity to Pickens County, SC, has surpassed all other clones in the trade, in our trials at JLBG. The blue foliage, narrow form,
The Redemption of Being Slim Read More »
In 2007, we released an amazing silver blue, winter hardy form of Agave x protamericana, named A. ‘Silver Surfer’. Unfortunately, the tissue culture lab that was producing it for us closed, and supplies over the last decade have been virtually non-existent. We’ve reverted by to our old, less efficient method of using offsets, which are
Silver Surfer Returns Read More »
I’ve always been fascinated with the use of contrasting textures and forms in the garden, so this combination of the Texas native, Clematis carrizoensis and Agave x protamericana at JLBG, give one idea how that’s possible in the dryer part of the garden.
We’ve written many times about the huge number of plants we’ve killed, but we find that’s the best way to learn. Often, we have a good idea if a particular plant will be successful, and sometimes, it’s just a random attempt. Such was the case, when we planted a cultivar of Rocky Mountain subalpine fir,
Rocky Mountain Hurricane in NC Read More »
One of our favorite clones of the North American native, Agave x protamericana is Agave ‘Funky Toes’. Below is our clump in mid-February, looking no worse for wear after a low of 14 degrees F. This is a splendid introduction from the former Yucca Do Nursery, that we’ve grown since 2004, and is a natural
A Century of Funky Toes Read More »
Our specimen of the North American native, Yucca rostrata ‘Sapphire Skies’ is looking quite lovely in the January garden. This is one of the tallest of the hardy blue-foliage soapworts, thriving well into Zone 6, and south through Zone 9. This clump is sixteen years old this year, so it’s officially entering adulthood, when growth
The Rising Sapphire Skies Read More »
We love our Mediterranean blue fan palms! While there are several blue foliaged palms for gardeners in tropical climates, Chamaerops (Kam her hops) humilis var. argentea is the only one we’ve found reliable in our Zone 7b/8a garden. Mediterranean blue fan palm hails from high elevations in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, where it eventually
Hard to top a Chamaerops Read More »
I was fascinated recently, while observing the water puddles on an agave leaf after a recent rain event this winter. These natural phenomenon are often missed as we hurry through life, or are even things we simply take for granted. In fact, each aspect of life is quite more complex than we realize. The cause
I’ve always loved the North American native Indian grass, Sorghastrun nutans, but found the commercially available clones and seed strains to be poor performers in our heat and humidity. For years, I kept my eyes open for a better selection, and finally on a 2018 visit to the SC Botanic Garden, I spotted an amazing,
A splendid native ornamental grass that is virtually unknown in both gardens and Google, is the East Coast (Rhode Island south to Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula) coastal native, Panicum amarulum or dune switchgrass. It was named in 1900 from specimens in Virginia Beach, and for years lived a free and independent life, until someone decided that
Another Panic-ed Name Change Read More »
