I spent the weekend enjoying winter garden clean-up and moving a few plants around. This time of year, the garden is like an Easter egg hunt, with treasures popping through the ground everywhere you look. I was thrilled to discover a huge crop of aspidistra seed, which we’ll plant shortly. Most folks move through the
Gathering aspidistra seed Read More »
One of the first plants to flower in the moist woodland are the lovely heloniopsis. Here’s Heloniopsis orientalis ‘Purple Sprite’ in flower today. Heloniopsis was a former member of the giant Lily family, until the great taxonomic breakup moved it into the Melanthiaceae family. The easy-to-grow Heloniopsis (Zone 5a-8b) are a great way to add
Lonely heloniopsis Read More »
I just snapped this image of Cyclamen hederifolium in the garden this morning…only a couple of days removed from a low of 12 degrees F. These are so wonderful in the woodland winter garden. Be sure to plant cyclamen where they will stay fairly dry in the late spring and summer when they are dormant.
Cyclamen hederifolium in the winter garden Read More »
One of our favorite woodland garden plants is the evergreen solomon’s seal, Disporopsis pernyi. Here’s a photo I just took to show how good it still looks after several nights around 20 degrees F. It’s also about as tolerant of deep shade as any plant we grow. We’ve had reports of it being winter hardy
Disporopsis pernyi – Evergreen Solomon’s Seal Read More »
The Chinese Paeonia obovata is one of the few peony species that’s grown as much for its seed as for its flowers…the seed last much longer. Here’s a photo I just snapped in the garden of its amazing seed pods. Be sure to see this when you visit this weekend for our final Open Nursery
Peony obovata in seed Read More »
In flower today are the lovely oxblood lilies, Rhodophiala bifida. This Argentine native bulb emerges seemingly overnight without foliage. The 1′ tall stalks are topped with bright red, out-facing flowers…first cousin to hippeastrum (mistakenly known as amaryllis). About a month after rhodophialas finish flowerering, the winter growing leaves emerge and remain throughout the winter. Rhodophiala
Rhodophiala bifida – Oxblood Lily 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 »
Brightening up the woodland garden today is the lovely Boehmeria ‘Glow Light’ There’s nothing like bright gold foliage to make a summer woodland garden come alive. Below is Boehmeria ‘Nichirin’. While this one grows slowly in light shade, we’ve found it much better in half day sun. Our oldest clump is now 6′ wide x
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I can think of few plants we grow that give us a much pleasure as Lychnis coronata ‘Orange Sherbet’ I just snapped this photo in our woodland garden, where it grows under a giant windmill palm near our back deck and flowers most of the summer…simply fantastic!
Lychnis ‘Orange Sherbet’ Read More »
Here’s Epimedium ‘Atlas’ in the gardens today…the range of great fairy wings available now is truly amazing. What a great way to add interest to the spring woodland garden.
