After six failures to launch, we’ve finally succeeded in growing one of the most fascinating of our native ferns, Asplenium rhizophyllum (formerly Camptosorous rhizophyllus). Known by the common name of walking fern, the long frond tip of this tiny fern, roots into the organic debris or moss everywhere it touches, forming a new plant. If
Walkin’ Man’s Fern Read More »
Kit Kat has decided that her favorite napping spot in the garden is on our patch of Carex eburnea. This amazing little North American native sedge with soft, needle-thin foliage likes dry woodlands and makes a perfect spot for an afternoon siesta. Since this isn’t the fastest growing of sedges, it may take a while,
Here’s a shot from the garden this week with a textural triumvirate of three North American natives, Muhlenbergia sericea ‘White Cloud’, Opuntia aciculata, and Juniperus horizontalis ‘Wiltonii’. This drought tolerant combination illustrates what’s possible when you design with plant textures in mind.
Textural Triumvirate Read More »
It’s just hard to walk by our amazing specimen of Forestiera ‘Woodlanders Weeping’ without snapping a photo, but since it’s been several years since we mentioned it on-line, it’s time to share our most recent shot from this week. Forestiera angustifolia, better known as desert olive, is a Texas native from the Southern part of
Can’t see the Forest for the Forestiera Read More »
While all of the pitcher plants in the genus, Sarracenia produce pitchers in spring, some also produce new sets of pitchers in fall. The star of the fall show, with the best autumn pitcher production is the white-topped pitcher, Sarracenia leucophylla, a native to bogs from Georgia west to Mississipppi. Below are a few plants
The Tall Pitchers of Fall Read More »
Long ago, we gave up our red plastic hummingbird feeders for a more natural way to attract hummers to the garden, and one of the best is the Southwest US native Anisacanthus wrightii. Starting for us in August, it continues to be a blaze of glory through September. Texas firecracker prefers full sun and dry
Natural Hummingbird Feeders Read More »
It’s hard to pass our picture perfect clump of Agave nickelsiae without stopping to take a photo. Agave nickelsiae, formerly known as Agave ferdinandi-regis, is a North American native century plant, found in dry, rocky hills in Mexican state of Coahuila. It was named to honor 19th century plant collector, Anna Nickels of Texas, who
Worth more than a Nickel Read More »
If you’re tired of failing with those short-lived European eryngiums that look so good in gardening magazines, look no further. Looking absolutely dazzling for the last few weeks is the extraordinary Southeast (SC to Florida) native perennial, Eryngium ravenelii. This amazing plant, which is still virtually unknown in gardens, is found naturally in flooded ditches
We love any late season flowering woodland perennials, and few are more impressive than our native Actaea cordifolia. This wonderful rare native (globally rare ranking of G3) from Virginia west to Tennessee has languished in taxonomic purgatory under a parade of invalid names. The 4′ tall, upright, branched terminal spikes end in finger-like clusters of
One of many incredible plants discovered by our garden staff, is an amazing selection of the native (NC to Arkansas and south to Florida) Hymenocallis occidentalis var. occidentalis, found by Jeremy Schmidt on a 2012 botanizing trip through Alabama. We’ve always loved this August-flowered spider lily, but the extraordinary floriferous nature of this discovery outshines
The Queen of Flowers Read More »
