Greetings PDNers! Summer Open Nursery and Garden Come see our 30 foot flowering agave at our final Summer Open Nursery and Garden Days this weekend. Visitors from around the country have been showing up to see our giant agave in flower, a 16-year-old specimen of Agave salmiana x Agave asperrima, with the first flowers opening […]
Plant Delights July 2015 Newsletter Read More »
Here’s our research staff getting the giant ladder in place for breeding as the giant Agave salmiana x asperrima begins to open. And here’s Jeremy, who heads up our Research Division, gathering pollen and making crosses. Breeding agaves is a little different from breeding daylilies, iris, and hostas. We hope you’ll join us during our summer
Giant Agave flowering Read More »
The echinaceas have been incredible in the garden this spring and summer. Here are a few shots from JLBG last week. First is Echinacea ‘Julia’…a very compact orange-flowered coneflower with sturdy stems. Echinacea ‘Salsa Red’ is one of the most floriferous coneflowers we grow…truly amazing! Echinacea ‘Secret Glow’…love this color and flower form!
Incredible coneflowers Read More »
Two new salvias that stood out in side by side trials with industry standards are these new 2015 introductions. The first is Salvia x sylvestris ‘Violet Riot’. This full sun salvia has an incredible number of flowers and a longer flowering period compared to everything else on the market. Hardiness is at least, Zone 4a
New plants for 2015 – Salvias Read More »
The garden is ablaze with perennial salvias now, including several with blue or near blue flowers. Above is Salvia ‘Amistad’…a flowering machine that continues at the same pace all summer. Unlike Salvia guaranitca, Salvia ‘Amistad’ does not spread via rhizomes, although it does form a wide clump. and here is Salvia guaranitica ‘Argentina Skies‘…a
An explosion of perennial salvias Read More »
Our native cardinal flower, Lobelia cardinalis is simply on fire in the garden now, with spikes reaching 5-6′ tall. As you can imagine, the hummingbirds are enjoying the tasty treat. Moist to wet, organically rich soils grow the tallest plants, although cardinal flower also grows in typical garden soils but just doesn’t get as tall.
Lobelia cardinalis – Cardinal flower Read More »
The rain lilies are quite incredible in the garden now as summer rains have them blooming almost constantly. Here are two images taken this week…top is Zephyranthes ‘Batik’, and the bottom is Zephyranthes ‘Rose Perfection’. Rain lilies can tolerate bone dry conditions for months, then the flowers explode 3 days after a rain shower. Flowering
Rain Lilies flowering up a storm Read More »
Here are our top two performing agapanthus in full flower now…top is Agapanthus ‘Stevies’ Wonder‘ and the bottom is Agapanthus ‘Ellamae’. We’ve trialed lots of agapanthus, and these are absolutely the best we’ve grown, both with 3′ tall flower stalks that have been flowering for several weeks and are still growing strong.
Agapanthus – blue flowers for the summer garden Read More »
Allium ‘Millenium’ is looking great now in our full sun rock garden. As I travel around the country, it’s great to see this ornamental onion finally getting planted more. Unlike many of the larger alliums that go summer dormant, this one doesn’t really start flowering until mid-July and continues until fall…a favorite of yellow swallowtail
Allium ‘Millenium’ Read More »
Curcuma longa ‘Snowdrift’ is looking fabulous in the garden now, suffering no damage from our recent cold winter. The is such a great plant for the woodland garden to add a tropical touch. Remember it doesn’t emerge before mid-to-late June.
Curcuma ‘Snowdrift’ Read More »
