Flowering today in our specialty cold frame, where plants live before they are planted in the garden, is Camellia ‘Miss Sally’. This insanely huge flowered Camellia reticulata hybrid has blooms that measure a ridiculous 7″ across. This 2004 introduction was selected by Norfolk, Virginia’s Doug Simon, and shared with us by camellia guru, Mike Chelednik.
The well-endowed Miss Sally Read More »
The amazing witch hazel, Hamamaelis x intermedia ‘Orange Peel’ is in full flower at JLBG today, perfuming the cool air. The plant below is 8 years old, and should mature at only 8′ tall.
In 2014, as part of our agave breeding program, we made a cross of two winter hardy century plants from Northern Mexico, Agave ocahui and Agave victoriae-reginae. By 2016, the seedlings from that cross were large enough to be planted outdoors. From our seedling offspring, we made ten initial selections, which represented the diversity of
Time to Slice and Dice an Artichoke? Read More »
One of our 2019 selected offspring from our cross of Agave ovatifolia and Agave x pseudoferox, and subsequently named Agave x ovox ‘Picture Perfect’ is looking lovely in the garden in January, as it shows off its amazing leaf banding and bud imprinting. This has only been in the ground for five years, so it’s
Not only is Helleborus niger flowering now at JLBG, but many of the hybrid hellebores with it in their parentage are also flowering. While Helleborus niger only comes in white or with a faint pink blush, when it is hybridized in combination with other species, the potential flower color expands, but the out-facing flower trait
Looking good in its full fruit mode in mid January is the holly, Ilex ‘Emily Brunner’. This hybrid of Ilex cornuta and Ilex latifolia has proven to be one of the best specimen hollies we grow. A mature specimen is 20′ tall x 20′ wide, so if you’re planting this, give it enough space. Years
Being Fruity isn’t always a Bad Thing 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
Looking lovely this week in the garden is our clump of Agave x protamericana ‘Silver Surfer’. This 2007 Plant Delights/JLBG introduction is our winter hardy (Zone 7b) selection from seedlings of a 1992 Yucca Do seed collecting expedition (YD 45-83) at 5,200′ in Palmillo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, where Agave americana ssp. protamericana intergrades with Agave asperrima.
Century Plant Superhero Read More »
In 2015, we were potting seedlings from our cross of two hardy century plants, Agave lophantha and Agave x pseudoferox (salmiana var. ferox of Hort.), when we found one with a tiny yellow streak on one leaf. Over the years, it grew larger until it was large enough to core, which we do to promote
It’s that time of year when our hardy grapefruit and lemon trees begin bombing the house with loud thuds. Although they are missed by most visitors, we have two rather nice size plants of a Dunstan grapefruit and Ichang Lemon. Both hardy citrus aren’t exactly the sweetest fruit you’ve ever eaten, but, hey, they certainly
If Life Gives you Lemons, and Grapefruits…Grow your own Read More »
