Eryngium agavifolium - Giant Form
The "Giant Form" we got in the UK and it is rather large. Quite. Ours are in full sun in lean infertile mineral soil and watered just three times since our last dab of rain on June 14. It is now August 28. Given this tough love, leaves up to 40" long and flower stems to 5' tall. Likely bigger with kindness and bees love it.
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Arisaema consanguineum
Neat species from China and into the Himalayas of Northern India, this has some stout stems that can reach 4' on old large bulbs with many leaflets arrayed like the spokes of an umbrella with long filamentous drip tips at the ends of the leaflets. Large greenish to purple or white striped flowers.
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Aucuba himalaica var. dolichophylla
Distinctive Chinese species with this variety being especially so with its narrow evergreen leaves well-measeled in creamy yellow spots. Clustered small red-purple flowers give way to large red fruit in fall which is just another bit of ornament for this tough plant which can tolerant dark shade and neglect.
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Allium schoenoprasum 'Aaland'
Dwarf Scandanavian selection of Chives which is way more ornamental than usefully edible. Lots of pinkish lavender flowers on a very compact plant. Quite useful in the rock garden or detailed planting site such as edge of a stepping stone or against a rock.
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Austroblechnum penna-marina subsp. alpina
Alpine Water Fern. Found at higher elevations in Australia's New South Wales and Tasmania growing in grasslands, moist rock crevices and sphagnum bogs. A stalwart fern and go-to evergreen low groundcover because it looks great despite your prolonged attention lapses from pandemic Netflix binge-watching.
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Meconopsis - Golden Group
One gold leafed seedling among thousands from seed sown of our Blue Poppies. Fortunately fertile, we are at last able to offer a few of this first gold-leafed form of this type of Meconopsis. The leaves are most intense in spring and the flowers are a lovely amethyst. Like most, some are perennial and some are not. Save seed!
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Epimedium wushanense - Spiny Leaf Form
An Epimedium species of great merit and the Spiny Leaf Form from Darrell Probst puts this into the first rank of the evergreen species. Gorgeous big leaves richly bronze and captivating when young. This doesn't need to bloom to make us happy but the soft yellow flowers are welcome.
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Roscoea humeana - Early Form
We received this extraordinary selection from and equally extraordinary plantsman, David Mason of the vaunted former Hedgerows Nursery. Few members of the genus approach this for impact which is only heightened by flowering before other large-flowered forms. The emerging spring growth is enclosed in soft salmon sheaths and the hot damn lavender-pink flowers stand proud before the leaves develop.
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Ajuga incisa 'Blue Enigma'
Rare plant found only in limited areas in central Honshu, Japan where it likes the forest fringes in the subalpine areas and is known as hiiragi-sou or holly tree-leafed weed. Hiiragi-sou sounds better than the translation. This selection has dark blue flowers and is a deciduous clumper to 16" tall - very nice!
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Angelica 'Ebony'
The darkest foliage on any Angelica. I googled it and got an interesting hit on an escort in London with ebony skin named Angelica. The plant may actually be darker, costs quite a lot less and I'm sure easier to keep happy. Biennial so plant the seeds that form after the lovely pink flowers.
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Asplenium trichomanes
Maidenhair Spleenwort. I love common names. I must dig out our 15th century Herbal and read up on how to properly decoct this sweet little fern for afflicting humors of the spleen. Or I can just grow it in a gritty well-drained shaded rock garden and enjoy its evergreen delicacy.
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Iris ruthenica 'Nana'
This is a choice little dwarf species from China of which we never have enough. Perfect lavender-blue flowers just a few inches high over densly clumping short foliage. This is one tough baby Iris as Sue brought this out from her garden in northern Vermont. Deciduous.
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Syringa reflexa (syn. komarowii ex DJHC)
Second generation seedlings from a Hinkley collection in Sichuan of this fine Lilac which can be kept as a large shrub or trained up to be a small tree. Pendulous flowers white to pale pink inside with a lavender-pink reverse. Very attractive and trouble free.
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Cassinia x ozothamnus
This is thought to be an intergeneric hybrid between 2 of New Zealand's shrubby daisies. This gives a fabulous textural addition to the Mediterranean garden like some happy marriage of heather and rosemary. Small white flowers cluster at the tops of the stems. Good drainage, tolerant of some dry.
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Epimedium x rubrum 'Sweetheart'
A Darrell Probst introduction which is superior to the typical x rubrum. This has dark rose-red flowers held above the foliage as well as below. The evergreen leaves are larger and more rounded than typical and when young are accented with a thin red rim. Drought tolerant.
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Iris sibirica 'Devil's Dream'
Rich purple flowers of a color more suited to the dreams of the Pope than the Devil unless of course the Devil is dreaming of someday wearing those rich purple robes of the Pope in which case it is appropriately named. Just speculation. Great color anyway.
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Allium thunbergii f. alba
Excellent little Asian Allium that is very nice with small heads of white flowers. Perfect for the rock garden or does great in regular garden beds as it does appreciate some moisture during the summer. Sun and decent drainage and thrives in one customers garden in Michigan. Tidy and of good disposition and certainly not a garden thug.
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Allium wallichii CGG14029
Our collection at 9000' from the summit of highest peak in the Wuming Shan in SW China. This Allium was prevalent in the grazed grass and scrub summit with tall 12"-20" scapes and nice 2"+ half dome pink flowers. The local minority people harvest the bulbs for food. This was the first Western botanical foray to this mountain.
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Epimedium grandiflorum 'Orion'
A fine selection of this deciduous Japanese species which was introduced by We-Du Nursery. Sizable flowers of rich purple are the hallmark of this plant and it more than holds it own against more recent hybrids. All Epimediums can't be painted with the same drought tolerant brush and this one appreciates more water than the real drought tolerant species.
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Iris hookeri
Found growing along coastal Maine and up the eastern Canadian seaboard, this was known as the dwarf form of I. setosa but is now regarded as a distinct species. Favoring moist places but adapting very well to average garden conditions, this is best described in the most rigorous of botanical terms as "Cute". Very hardy.
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Muehlenbeckia ephedroides
We just love plants that keep us guessing. At first glance, is this one dead? Would we care if it was? It looks freakin' cool. A New Zealand prostrate groundcover with wiry stems that from gravelly/sandy soils from coastal to subalpine areas. Our plant is from John Massey's private garden at Ashwood Nurseries.
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Ajuga incisa 'Bikun'
Frosted Jade Ajuga. Hard to believe that this is an Ajuga but it is true. This choice selection has fantastic foliage and very good dark cobalt flowers. Not a spreader - this makes a clump with 16" tall stems. Challenges all of your comfy notions about Ajuga but in a good way. Great in our shade garden.
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Woodwardia orientalis
Crazy fern that takes away the need to fuss with growing this from spore as it makes a multitudinous panoply of ready-to-go plantlets on the leaves that will soon have you owning the corner in your 'hood dealing in fern babies. Remember, if it's a kid, the first one is free. Warmer gardens of indoors, mulch protect in zone 8 winters.
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Vancouveria chrysantha - soft yellow
This is the form most often available here in the Northwest and which may well be a hybrid with Vancouveria planipetala. The flowers are much paler and a smidge smaller than typical Vancouveria chrysantha from our observations. Regardless, a first rate evergreen ground cover which is drought tolerant.
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Magnolia macrophylla - Winston Co., AL
Seed-grown from a wild collection in Winston County Alabama of this unrivaled North American tree.. This has the largest simple leaves of any native plant - up to 30" long - and let's add the flowers as well which are 8"-10" wide and rarely to 12". These fragrant soup bowls are white with rose-purplish bases and followed by showy big cone-like fruits from which red seeds hang by threads. Seriously. Rich moist soil sheltered from wind.
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