The lowly US native arborvitaes still don’t get the respect they deserve. Because they are so easy to grow and propagate, their widespread use in places from trailer parks to fast food restaurants, cause many plant snobs to dismiss them as too common. The diversity in the genus is absolutely amazing, and as a landscape
Inviting Arborvitae Read More »
We truly love the amazing English boxwood, Buxus sempervirens ‘Elegantissima’ in the winter garden. We’ve never been able to track down it’s origin, but we know that it was grown in Europe around 1860. We’ve grown this in both sun and light shade, and while it thrives in both, the density of the foliage is
Our Favorite Christmas Box Read More »
We recently included a photo of this amazing cast iron plant in a garden vignette, but thought it was also deserving of a full frontal centerfold. Aspidistra sichuanensis ‘Spotty’ is one of 16 named cultivars we grow, of this wonderful species from Sichuan, China. This exceptional clone was selected by our friend, Sean Hogan of
It’s odd that one of the most talked about gardenias in our garden is one that never flowers, but such is the case for Gardenia jasminoides ‘Screech Owl’. This previously un-named gem was passed around by plant collectors for years, before we put on our hound dog gear and traced it’s origin back to Texas
Screaming Gardenia Read More »
One of the bright spots in the fall garden are Aucubas, like Aucuba japonica ‘Ogon no Tsuki’. Even on a dark, dreary day, the bright leaves serve as a focal point to help lighten the mood.
A Bright Spot in the Woodland Read More »
We love our collection of camellias, but are aware that most people think of them primarily for their flowers. We think the foliage is almost as amazing, when the plants are well grown. There are quite a few with variegated foliage, which give added value to the garden when the plants aren’t in flower. One
I first met Juniperus chinensis ‘Aurea’ at the JC Raulston Arboretum in 2018, grown from cuttings taken at Richmond, Virginia’s Maymont Garden. We struggled to find a cultivar name, toying first with naming it Juniperus ‘Maymont Gold’. It wasn’t until horticultural cultivar historian, Larry Hatch, of Cultivar.org, told us that this is the true Juniperus
Looking lovely in the garden now is the Japanese selection of Osmanthus heterophyllus, known as ‘Goshiki’. The Japanese translation of Goshiki is literally, five colors, which accurately describes the intricate patterning and color changes in the foliage. The evergreen shrub, itself, is native to Japan, Korea, and into Taiwan. As the new growth emerges in
Go Seek Yee Five Colors Read More »
Anyone who has visited JLBG knows that we are passionate about the genus Aucuba, which is one of the finest woody evergreens for shade. The forms, sizes, and leaf patterns are incredibly diverse. Here are a couple of our brightest spotted clones, Aucuba japonica ‘Lemon Flare’ and ‘Merced’. If you live in Zone 7, and
The cast iron plant, Aspidistra elatior ‘Morning Frost’ is looking particularly dapper in the winter garden. We think the variegated cultivars of cast iron plants provide a lovely touch of brightness in the winter woodland. Typically, cast iron plant foliage lasts for 2-3 years, and by year three, it begins to look ragged. Every spring,
