One of the very first plants we planted when we started JLBG, 40 years ago, was the deciduous Viburnum setigerum, commonly known as Tea Viburnum. Today, it’s difficult to find this amazing 10′ tall species for sale. Cynically, I feel it’s probably because it can’t easily be clipped into a meatball, like many of the
Drink in a Tea Viburnum Read More »
We’ve just finished the flowering season for the amazing, Taiwan native, Lilium formosanum. This amazing lily comes true from seed, and for us, flowers the first year from seed. After three years, it reaches 6′ tall in our climate, Zone 8a, Raleigh, NC. The deliciously sweet flowers make such an amazing show in August, at
Giant Formosa Lily Read More »
I was just photographing our 21 year old specimen of Abelia x grandiflora ‘Mardi Gras’, and as we like to do, took measurements, which showed our plant is now 8′ tall x 10′ wide. I should also note that this is growing in an unirrigated part of the garden, without benefit of fertilizer. Just for
A Really Big Mardi Gras Read More »
A splendid new selection, of the little-known, native (Virginia to Texas) Hydrangea barbara, is the gold-foliaged Hydrangea barbara ‘Chattahoochie Sunrise’. If you don’t recognize the name, it was formerly known as Decumaria barbara, before members of the genus hydrangea had an unexpected family reunion. We have grown this amazing discovery from Georgia plantsman, Cliff Brock,
This Woodvamp is Simply Golden Read More »
Emmenopterys henryi is a poorly known, but highly-prized, large (150′ tall) tree in the Rubiaceae (coffee) family. It was described by plant explorer, E.H. Wilson, as one of the most beautiful of the Chinese trees, yet, it was a tree, that for years, rarely flowered in cultivation. It’s namesake, Irish botanist, Augustine Henry, first discovered
Emmenopterys – The Need for Heat Read More »
Looking lovely in the late July garden is the rare North American native Allium oxyphyllum. This little-known species hails from the shale barren (eroded, and often baking steep slopes of degraded shale) region of Virginia and West Virginia, where it is extremely rare, with a global G2 rank. The 1′ tall x 1′ wide clump
The summer surprise lily season kicks into full gear around July 15, so it’s time to share those who graced us with their presence from July 15-July 31. Because we grow over 1,100 cultivars of lycoris, we have an abundance in flower every day from early July until early October. Flowering time for each stem
Summer Surprise Lilies – Part I Read More »
One of our favorite summer flower natives, that’s looking great in the water garden now, is the stunning water hemlock, Cicuta maculata. Although it’s native across all of North America, it’s rarely grown in gardens. Perhaps this is because nurseries like us, are terrified to offer a perennial plant that contains such a highly effective
Cornus kousa ‘Akatsuki’ and Asclepias perennis putting on a lovely light show in the summer garden. The white flowers of the native asclepias are a bright color echo of the white variegation of the dogwood. Cornus kousa ‘Akatsuki’, Asclepias perennis
Several of our new crinum seedlings are looking quite nice after our recent rain, so we wanted to share the beauty. Building up enough numbers to share takes years, so none of these are available yet. Most are winter hardy from Zone 7a and south, but a few should be fine into Zone 6. Enjoy.
I hate to be a tease, but… Read More »
