Early to mid-April has been peak for the amazing calanthe orchid show in the garden. These easy-to-grow, semi-evergreen terrestrial orchids, are a woodland perennial we wouldn’t garden without. Calanthe discolor ‘Eco White’ is a selection from the late nurseryman, Don Jacobs. This species range includes China, Korea, and Japan. Calanthe ‘Golden Treasure’ is our selection
Pretty as a Juice Newton song is our patch of Brunnera macrophylla ‘Queen of Hearts’. For so many decades, we struggled to keep any brunneras alive in our hot, humid summers. Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’ was the first to survive here, but thrive is a word we never could really use to describe it. That all
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Here’s a new one for most gardeners, Carex metallica ‘Fade to Green’, in full flower in our woodland garden this week. We’re not aware of anyone who has grown this evergreen sedge ornamentally. This is our 2008 collection from Taiwan’s Alishan Mountain. We haven’t offered it yet, since we don’t expect the demand would be
Just emerging from its winter slumber in the woodland rock garden, is the scarlet orange-flowered, Adonis ‘Chichibu Beni’. This rare selection is a triploid hybrid between Adonis multiflora and Adonis ramosa. When it comes to Adonis, not all treasures are golden. Hardiness Zone 3a-8a.
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You’ve officially strayed into the realm of horticultural obscurity when you’re excited about the performance of the woodland-growing genus Helwingia in your garden. Helwingia‘s namesake is the little-known Prussian botanist and pastor Georg Andreas Helwing (1666-1734). This odd genus also appears like something transported to Earth through a paranormal portal, since it’s one of a
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Emerging in the woodland garden now are the amazing toothworts of the former genus, Dentaria. Dentaria ‘Green Snowflake’ below, is our 2017 introduction of our hybrid between two natives, Dentaria heterophylla and Dentaria dissecta. This foliage sailed through our recent low temperatures of 15 degrees F. In another eight weeks, the clump will be topped
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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.
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We are entering peak flowering season for Aspidistra (cast iron plants), a time we always enjoy because of the fascinating leaf and flower diversity in the genus. One of several species flowering this week is the rare, South Central Vietnam native, Aspidistra quangngaiensis, a species only discovered and described in 2017. Sadly, it’s small population
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We first posted an image of Hemiboea cavaleriei last year, but wanted to share an update image, now that our clump is more established. What an amazing show for the October and November woodland garden, until a frost arrives. Our plant gets a couple of hours or morning sun, then shade in the afternoon, where
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,
