A favorite of ours from South Africa.  We have this growing in front of our greenhouse and the first winter I mulched it and covered with a a tarp.  No damage. 2nd winter just tarped it - no damage.  Last winter I didn't protect at all and no damage at 17F.  Yellow daisy flowers - good drainage.

A perennial (usually anyway) thistle relative from South Africa which makes a multicrowned clump of softly spiny leaves which by themselves merit nothing more than a good hosing of Roundup but the large purplish flowers are the swan emerging from the ugly duckling.

A very nice South African Buddleja whose beauty lies in its evergreen heavily textured foliage.  The narrow leaves are silver clad when young maturing to a dull green but very pale benath and all held on fuzzy white stems.  Small white flowers but at least they are scented.  Hardy.

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.

Presumed hybrid between Rhodohypoxis and Hypoxis from a collection on the Hebron Farm property in South Africa.  Some prefer to see this as a form of Rhodohypoxis parvula var. albiflora but given the red color, we lean towards the hybrid.  Great little rock garden plant provided it doesn't get too dry.

Possible hybrid between Rhodohypoxis and Hypoxis collected on at Hebron Farm in South Africa although some feel this is simply a form of Rhodohypoxis parvula var. albiflora. We're going with the hybrid until someone tells us otherwise mainly because Rhodohypoxis have loose morals with no desire to practice social distancing. Small cream flowers with red centers.

Near red selection of this cheerful little plant.  Rhodohypoxis fill a pot with flowers like few other plants their size and 'Albrighton' is no exception.  Ideally suited for container culture, these are easily overwintered in a cool frost-free spot indoors when they are dormant.  If growing outside, give them good drainage as prolonged winter wet can be a terminal annoyance.  Fortunately in our Port Townsend rain shadow, not a big consideration.

A hardy Gladiolus that could win over that segment of gardeners who just don't like glads but we suspect they would be glad to grow this.  Happy even.  Some verging on ecstatic.  Smaller statured in leaf and flower, this will make nice clumps with flowers of  a clear,  soft creamery-butter yellow.  Mulch if winter is bitter.

An interesting range of subtle shades of blue-green on these plants grown from South African seed.  Some are comparable, if not better than 'Antonow's Blue' and all are going to let the neighbors know you are a plant geek.  Great leaves, spikes of peculiar flowers and inflated seed pods.

A purported G. papilio hybrid, our mama plant when in bloom with its 5 foot stems of red-mauve flowers sporting dark eye patches, frequently caused plant geeks to start speaking in tongues and offer creative enticements in exchange for a wee bit.  We have had to say "No." until now.

A seedling selection named and introduced by us in recognition of the large flowers which when compared to other clones in terms of size, is not only beyond the pale ones but all others as well. Flowers of the palest pink as if infused by the cold sun hanging low in the Icelandic sky.  These will be ecstatic in rich, moist soil in a sunny position.  Used to be Schizostylis.

Seedlings from a floriferous red-flowered selection from Russell Graham.  Russell had one of the most beloved specialty nurseries in the Northwest and to say he knows a good plant is stating the obvious.  The parent plant is a short, dense clumper with small red flowers that rule by their majority.  This has pride of place in our garden, widely separated from our other Dierama, so hope is for similarity on these children.

An interesting range of subtle shades of blue-green on these plants grown from South African seed.  Some are comparable, if not better than 'Antonow's Blue' and all are going to let the neighbors know you are a plant geek.  Great leaves, spikes of peculiar flowers and inflated seed pods.

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.

An interesting range of subtle shades of blue-green on these plants grown from South African seed.  Some are comparable, if not better than 'Antonow's Blue' and all are going to let the neighbors know you are a plant geek.  Great leaves, spikes of peculiar flowers and inflated seed pods.

An interesting range of subtle shades of blue-green on these plants grown from South African seed.  Some are comparable, if not better than 'Antonow's Blue' and all are going to let the neighbors know you are a plant geek.  Great leaves, spikes of peculiar flowers and inflated seed pods.

A good hardy form of this Sedum-like species from Rick Lupp of Mt Tahoma Alpines who has grown this in his sand beds for over 20 years where it has taken single digits in the winter.  Low, fleshy green leaves are a perfect backdrop for the salmon-red 3"-4" flower stems with nice heads of small white flowers accented by a small salmon-pink eye.  Perfect in our crevice garden.

This is a treasure among Pokers.  A small statured species with big time bloom from South Africa introduced to the NW by Hedgerows Nursery in OR.  This doesn't know the word quit and after a main heavy spring bloom keeps throwing up flowers spikes throughout the season.

An impressive Fairy Wand Flower or Angel's Fishing Rod. This is a good species with a narrow presentation and nice flowers of good rich pink held 4'-5' tall on wiry stems. This is not a big robust clumper but tends towards a narrower verticality quite in keeping with modern design trends.

This is an awesome plant with very large flowers of excellent substance clustered in dense heads which compounds the visual impact. Tall stems to 40" just to make sure you won't miss seeing this in bloom. A good even rich yellow that is not brightly strident but very capable of mingling with other colors or carrying the display load on its own.

One of the truly elegant cultivars and one that will be the toast of the garden.  Tall stems with fingers of flowers heldout like a ladies hand extended to be kissed.  Refined petals nicely spaced reeks of breeding and affluence yet is always up to knocking back a cold brew ot two.

A refined selection with rich bright red flowers and named in 1993 by Cornwall gardener John Hogan for Lana de Savary.  We can't fault the name as a cursory google search reveals that the socialite Lana de Savary is not only red-haired but apparently both bright and ungodly rich.  We have more cool plants than her though.

The penultimate 'Poker in our opinion at this particular moment.  Tall wands of orange tubulat flowers well spaced on the stem evoke images of Aloes in Southern California.  A good spreader which quickly makes a clump.  I generally view this barefoot as it knocks my socks off anyway.

This is an Alan Bloom selection from Bressingham Gardens which he introduced in 1970.  'Spitfire' is a feisty little plant making a dense clump of thin leaves with flared open fiery red-orange flowers held closely together in which the many presents as one to great effect.  A smaller mounding plant than some of its kin.

This has yellow flowers as clean and pure as butter churned by hand by a virtuous and chaste milkmaid on a farm set in the Alps where the cows while away the summer days grazing in meadows alight with wildflowers and the unhurried soft clank of an unseen cowbell becomes music impossible to improve upon.

This exceptionally large flowered selection is going to be a star in any sunny garden where it's unrivaled flower size leaves most other Crocosmias wishing they hadn't been mired in ethical dilemmas and just gone ahead and done the testosterone injections.

This is not commonly grown and only a handful of nurseries in the UK offer this 1918 George Henley introduction and you would be hard-pressed to find anyone in the US. Small flowers touched red on the outside of the tepals and fusing into yellow on the inside presenting a very pleasing two-toned effect.

This UK selection has good ripe tomato red flowers arrayed nicely on the stem and held out horizonatally to optimize viewing. Very accommodating those Brits. The flowers are nicely ranked with some overlap which creates a showy floral synergistic effect. This is a compact grower to just a couple feet tall.

This is a compact Angel's Fishing Rod but it is a lunker in flower power.  This makes a dense evergreen grassy clump which has lots of flower stems bearing pendulous fared pink bells in mid summer.  We have this out in our sunny border and it has been great.  Deer resistant.

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.