This is the time of year that we’re harvesting seed from our windmill palms, Trachycarpus fortunei. Unlike our native Sabal palms, which have both male and female flowers on each plant, Trachycarpus are usually either male or female. Consequently, if you’d like to have a seed crop, it’s best to plant these in groups of
Fortunate to get Seed Read More »
We had a number of hybrid Cycas (sago palms) to flower this year, but almost all were females. Unfortunately, we had only one male plant to flower, and it opened long after the females were receptive. Despite this, one of our females is still holding on to the unfertilized ovules, which result in these seasonally
Most gardeners know the genus, Chamaecyparis (false cypress) only through the Asian members other genus. Chamaecyparis obtusa (Hinoki Cypress), and Chamaecyparis pisifera (Sawara Cypress), both of which are commonly grown landscape staples. All the time, our native Chamaecyparis thyoides (Atlantic White Cedar) remains in horticultural obscurity. Boat enthusiasts, and cedar shingle makers both value these
The Atlantic White Cedar Mystery Read More »
For years, I assumed olives would not be winter hardy in our formerly Zone 7b garden, but after killing several clones in our attempts to confirm this, we finally found success in 2006 with the self-fertile, Olea ‘Arbequina’. The name Arbequina, comes from the Spanish village Arbeca, where this hardy olive cultivar originated in the
The Color of Olive Read More »
This October marks our first flowering of Musa aurantiaca, a little-known species from the Arunchal-Pradesch and Assam region of India, into surrounding Myanmar and Tibet. We love that both the flower and developing bananas are both bright red. So far, our plant has sailed through winter temperatures of 11 degree F, with no problems. Thanks
Have you met Anna yet? This charmer is a member of the Gesneriad clan, first cousin to the better known African violets, sinningias, and gloxinias. Anna ophiorrhizoides has only been with us for a year and a half, but we’re certainly hoping to make this a long term relationship. Before she moved to North America,
An introduction to Anna Read More »
Okay, how many out there are growing kungias? Be honest, now! Kungia is a little-known genus of only two species of succulents, native to Gansu, Shanxii, and northern Sichuan, China. The majority of plants that look anything like this are almost all native to the deserts of Africa, so it’s not surprising that our Kungia
We’ve long been fans of the tropical crepe ginger, Costus speciosus. We’ve trialed it several times, however, with no long term winter hardiness here in Zone 7b…until…a group of friends were botanizing in far Northern Vietnam, near the Chinese border, when plantsman Ozzie Johnson spotted it growing there at 3,900′ elevation. Returning home with a
Costumed in the Garden Read More »
Two of our favorite elephant ears from John Cho’s breeding program in Hawaii are looking great in the garden now. The top is Colocasia ‘Maui Sunrise’, while the bottom is the more compact, Colocasia ‘Waikiki’. View JLBG’s Colocasia specialty collection gallery.
Hawaiian Happiness Read More »
Flowering in the garden today is the little-known Southeast US native, Rudbeckia mohrii. This odd coneflower can only be found naturally from nine counties on the border of Florida and Georgia, where it thrives with pitcher plants in flooded ditches. The plant is named for German born pharmacist, turned Alabama botanist, Charles Theodore Mohr. Mohr
Mohr, Mohr, Mohr…How do you like this Coneflower Read More »
