So many folks think running a nursery is such a pastoral, relaxing career, but as with most things in life, the realities are quite different….especially during the winter months. We have 30 greenhouse cold frames, which are kept at two different temperature regimens, 35F, and 55F, depending on the needs of the plants growing in
Interrupting Those Long Winter Nights Read More »
Most of the 1,500 plants we’ve introduced in the last 40 years remain in the gardens here at JLBG, but a few special ones we’ve lost due either to neglect, or not siting them in the proper location. Prior to building our crevice garden, we sadly lost several plants that we now know would probably
Been There, Killed That…Would like it Back Read More »
We’ve long been a fan of the Japanese cedar cultivar, Cryptomeria japonica ‘Gyokuryu’. This excellent plant was first brought to the US from Japan in 1967, by famed rock gardener, Joel Spingarn, who was also a founding member of the American Conifer Society. For us, this mid-sized confiner tops out at 18′ tall x 10′
Here’s Lookin’ at Gyokuryu Read More »
Our 28 year old clump of Hedera rhombea ‘Cheju’ is looking fabulous with an ice coating in late January. This is an adult form of English ivy that forms a woody compact shrub.
If you’re a member of the clipped hedge crowd, you can stop reading this blog now. Because we enjoy a more naturalistic look, we never shear any woody plants at JLBG. We find the diversity of shapes and forms of plants to be fascinating, and worthy of embracing, instead of making them conform to a
Take a Walk on the Wild Side Read More »
We’ve made it to the end of another calendar year, which, with the financial business challenges of the last two years, is indeed a feat that didn’t come easy. 2026 marks our 40th year as both a botanical garden and nursery. It’s been a fascinating journey, which now has many more years behind us, than
It’s the time of year, we all hopefully stop and take time to thank those who are so important in our lives. I (Tony) am incredibly blessed to be embarking on our 40th year in business in 2026. No sane person thought our model of building a private, ex-situ conservation botanical garden, and mail order
We wanted to remind you of a couple of immenent deadlines. The first is our on-site class this Saturday at PDN/JLBG, about Understanding Soils in the Garden, from 10-noon. This annual class for the last 30 years, is chance to take a deep dive into understanding the importance of garden soils, and how to manage
Don’t Miss Deadlines Read More »
We wanted to share Kit Kat and Jasper’s spot on impersonation of our nursery and garden staff after working the two weekends of our Summer Open Nursery and Garden event. Thanks to everyone who visited, including many from across the country. Nothing makes us more excited than to share the garden with visitors, who get
One of our favorite ginger lilies is the shade-loving, Hedychium densiflorum ‘Stephen’. While it may look similar to the other members of the genus, Hedychium, it’s actually quite different. While most ginger lilies adore heat, this one tolerates heat, but prefers a cooler summer. It was discovered in 1966 in the Dudh Kosi Valley of
Ginger sure is Dense Read More »
