This is the Japanese version of our native False Hellebore. Wonderful broad pleated leaves and when old enough, nice spikes of white starry flowers to 3' or more. This likes a rich moist soil, emerges early in spring and goes dormant by mid to late summer. Deer resistant and very hardy.  Young plants.

We received this as the Pioneer Mountain form of Erythronium revolutum and indeed, there is revolutum in them as well as californicum.  These are obviously natural hybrids which do occur and perusing "Erythroniums in Cultivation" by Ian Young, these fit his description nicely especially with the parallel, narrow filaments.

One of the best of the Blue Poppies and certainly one of the most reliably perennial.  This large flowers of good medium blue.  This appreciates a partly sunny to bright dappled shaded position with good loose organic soil that drains yet doesn't dry out.  A percentage does die after blooming so save seed to be safe! Cannot be grown anywhere it gets hot and/or humid in the summer.

Spring Vetchling.   One of the stars of the early spring garden, this perennial bush Pea makes a soft-textured clump with scads of lavender-pink Pea flowers.  Combines well with Hellebores and Narcissus and is virtually pest-free.  Low-maintenance - cut back in fall.

From great plant friends in Scotland, this showy cross of two fine Candelabra Primrose species garnered accolades when they used this to great effect in a display show garden.  Colors are widely variable and size can be a bit shorter than the parents but literally, all are good and work well together.  Now if only politicians............

A super hybrid out of the UK from crossing the two related genera, Hypoxis and Rhodohypoxis.  These genera occur in South Africa and are small bulbous members of the Iris family.  While just a few inches tall, these are showy beyond the implied limits of their size and can cover themselves for weeks in large red flowers.  Easy to grow and a fast increaser, this will become a favorite.  Cold climates can be overwintered inside where cool.

Originally introduced by Cistus Nursery from a seed collection at 8000' in La Siberica, Mexico. These have been undamaged in brief nighttime drops to 10F and have formed new crowns after flowering so the show will continue. It is mandatory to have a series of parties when these bloom, btw.

An eyecatcher as evidenced by our friend Brian, with exquisite taste in all things beautiful, when he made the hopeful inquiry "These probably aren't ready to sell yet"  From a Malaysian botanic garden, this has sumptuous burnished metal leaves on the uppers with rich red undersides.  White/pink flowers are not needed.

An extraordinary variant from Linda Cochran's (of course) old garden which she allowed us to salvage when moving.  Distinctly mocha foliage in early spring, with various plant parts retaining dark tones.  Notably, the flower stem is very dark as are the bracts enclosing the flower bud.  The flowers are lovely, white and richly colored in dark maroon.  These are bulbs from isolated, hand-pollinated seed.

A superior red seedling that arose here and one that is a bit larger than the other large red selections we grow. It was fun to lay out a table of flowers of all the cultivars and our seedlings for comparative evaluation.  It was quickly apparent that it is hard not to love red and might as well go big. Just add water, food and sun.

An extraordinary variant from Linda Cochran's (of course) old garden which she allowed us to salvage when moving.  Distinctly mocha foliage in early spring, with various plant parts retaining dark tones.  Notably, the flower stem is very dark as are the bracts enclosing the flower bud.  The flowers are lovely, white and richly colored in dark maroon.  These are bulbs from isolated, hand-pollinated seed.

White Asphodel.  From Spain to North Africa and over to the Balkans, this has done very well for us in our garden.  Narrow leaves in small clumps with flower stems 2'-3' tall and perhaps with greater maturity, to 4', and which bear showy starry white flowers.  We also enjoy the darker round seed capsules which extends the interest.  This will go summer dormant

Beautiful clumping species that may well be the queen of the genus.  Or are we granting royalty because it is new on the scene?  Maybe, but it is awfully good. This makes a stout small clump of evergreen fern-like leaves from which emerge in spring the peculiarly Coptis greenish-yellow flowers.  From China.

We learned our original offering of this was incorrect as noted by a Primrose Society judge who said what we had was 'Jay Jay'.  Shortly thereafter, we got a letter from Deborah Lutz who said our 'Lois Lutz' was not correct and she should know as Lois was her mother and would we like the correct one?  Thank you and Yes!

Little bulby plant from the Drakensberg Mts in South Africa.  This is a good rock garden subject in that it likes good drainage in the winter.  When growing, keep it watered reasonably and it will bloom its tail off with loads of small reddish flowers.  Mulch if bitter cold in winter.

Presumed hybrid between Rhodohypoxis and Hypoxis from a collection on the Hebron Farm property in South Africa. Great little rock garden plant provided it doesn't get too dry.

If you are into variegation, like woodland plants, want to make a statement, are a botanical Sinophile, a discerning or even indiscriminate plant collector or just plain driven by beauty in the garden then this is a must have.  White variegated leaves on stems to 4' with whitish flowers followed by black fruit.  Evergreen if mild.

'Jim's Pride' is the selection of this sedum relative from the Caucasus Mts which is notable for the showy variegation.  This is not as vigorous as the typical green form and the nodding strands of bead-like flowers are creamy rather than yellow as well.  Easy evergreen as seen by the stone basin in our shade garden.

A recent collection of this Zingiberaceae which we have not yet identified.  A graceful species with relatively narrow leaves and very pleasing melon colored flowers.  This is from fairly low elevation and growing both as a terrestrial and as an epiphyte.  In zone 8 gardens, we would mulch well to keep frost from reaching the rhizomes.

Beautiful sky-blue trumpets with a white throat in September on this Gentiana ornata x farreri hybrid.  Granted a Royal Horticultural Society First Class Certificate in 1936, we've righted a wrong by finally making this fine UK selection available in the US.  Slow but steady in the Colonies!

Very intriguing perennial with intricate light brown flower buds that appear to be spun glass art depicting the skeletal structure of some microscopic sea creature.  From the center extends the feathered pinkish petals.  While not spectacular compared to a Dahlia, we think it spectacularly interesting but then we are certifiable plant loons.

These are such good little quasi-bulbous plants from South Africa.  Likes a full sun rock gardens with good drainage.  Nice summer bloomers and good increasers making dense clumps.  Probably deer resistant.

Grassy little clumping rhizomatous bulb from South Africa which is easily grown here provided it has good drainage and moisture while in growth and a bit of mulch in winter. Dawn is a broad-petaled fairly large flowered selection in which the white flowers are just touched with pink.

Seed-grown plants of a rare form of a rare lily rarely available from one rare plant grower in the UK.  We are eschewing subliminal suggestions and going right to the heavy hammer of repetitive rarity.  This form came about in cultivation from seed-raised plants in the UK and when mature is twice as tall as the typical species.  Nice soft pink flowers.

Choice little bulb for the rock garden, this increases quickly to make a dense grassy tuffet of leaves with lots of pink flowers in summer.  Likes moisture when it is growing and good drainage in the winter when it is dormant.  You would make some points with it by mulching if quite cold.

Flower power is the smallest of packages, this little but mighty rhizomatous yet bulbous Iris family member from South Africa brings a degree of satisfaction far beyond it's size when its short grassy foliage becomes completely obscured for weeks in late spring by rose red flowers literally cheek to cheek.  Good increaser, hardy in zones 7-8.

Chinese Bleeding Heart.  This is a departure from the ferny foliaged Dicentras we are used to by sporting broad leaflets looking more Astilbe than Dicentra.  Another departure is the cream to soft yellow flowers.  Vigorous in moist rich soil, this makes an impressive patch quickly.

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!

A floriferous hybrid with good-sized pink flowers that makes a definite statement en masse - you have to like pink a lot or this is not for you.  Subtly pale stripe on the midrib or keel of the petals is just a sweet bit of sugar frosting on this eye candy.  Quickly makes a dense little clump with lots of late spring-early summer flowers.  Similar and may be the same as 'New Look'.

Very uncommon selection from the UK which we are pleased to introduce to these shores.  An Asiatic Gentian whose parents include such species as Gentiana sino-ornata, G. veitchiorum, G, farreri etc.  These revel in cool climates, moist acid soil and reward with late summer-fall bloom.  This is a good dark blue with purple tones.