Looking lovely in the garden this week, despite the cold, wet rain, is Iris reticulata ‘Carolina’. This Dutch selection of the tough, easy-to-grow, bulbous iris from the Caucuses, was introduced in 2012 by W. van Lierop & Z. B. V. We obtained this as a form of Iris reticulata, which is correct if you agree
Carolina Fan in Winter Read More »
Euphorbia ‘Canyon Gold’ is a delightful, but little-known, Euphorbia characias hybrid, introduced in 1998, by the former Canyon Creek Nursery. The foliage of the 2′ tall clumps take on a lovely purple cast in winter. In late February, the terminal flowers open chartreuse. Well-drained soils, and sun are required for success with this short-lived perennial.
We were recently visited by a well-known landscape designer, who specializes in Southeastern US native plants. As we walked through the crevice garden, and I pointed out a clump of Polygonella americana, he was shocked at how nice it looked. His comment was that American jointweed always looked scraggly in the wild, so he hadn’t
American Jointweed – Smoke this Over Read More »
Ablaze now in our well-drained, gravel-infused, dryland garden is the amazing Calylophus berlandieri ssp. pinifolius ‘Fugitive’. This Patrick’s McMillan superb collection of the US native (Missouri west to New Mexico) sundrop from Kimble County, Texas. The 1′ tall x 2.5′ wide patches are clothed with short and extremely narrow, fleshy green leaves, and topped with
Consider Housing a Fugitive in Your Garden Read More »
Flowering now is the amazing groundcover selection of the European daphne, Daphne cneorum ‘Pygmaea’. For years, we were told this wouldn’t grow in our climate, and if you treat them too well, they will not thrive. This is in flower now, growing in our dryland berm, composed of 50% Permatill gravel, 25% native sandy loam,
How Low can you Grow? Read More »
We had so many century plants flower last year, we didn’t bother gathering all of the seed. In our parking lot plantings, one particular form of Agave x loferox (lophantha x pseudoferox) dropped seed throughout the bed. By fall, we noticed small agaves coming up where the seed had fallen. In 39 years of growing
Naturalizing Agaves Read More »
We just love plants that flower in a true shade of blue, and there aren’t many, especially during the summer months. There are plenty of plants that flower horticulturally blue, which to those who aren’t color blind or prone to exaggeration, are actually purple. Ceratostigma willmottianum is one of those perennials we simply wouldn’t garden
Agastache ‘Crazy Fortune’ is putting on an incredible show in our garden during summer, bringing in an array of both native bees and butterflies. This Eastern Yellow Swallowtail was enjoying it’s visit so much, it didn’t mind posing for a quick photo op. This pollinator magnet is one of the easiest agastaches to grow in
Crazy as a Fortune Read More »
We’re loving the amazing Agastache ‘Pink Pearl’ in the garden. This incredible Terra Nova introduction is the most densely flowering agastache clone we’ve ever grown. These are our two year old clumps in the drier part of the garden. As long as you give these a sunny, well-drained spot, they’ll reward you with an incredible
Discovering Pink Pearls in the Garden Read More »
Euphorbia ‘Ascot Rainbow’ is looking quite dazzling in the garden this week, backed up by the silver foliage of Buddleia marrubifolia. The flowers on the euphorbia emerged for us on March 10, and now, nine weeks later still look amazing. The short-lived Euphorbia x martinii needs very good drainage in the garden. As soon as
An Ascot of Rainbows Read More »
