Berkheya purpurea
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.
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Gladiolus 'Ruby'
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.
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Disporum cantoniense CDHM 14604
Our collection from Guizhou in 2010 of this mouth-watering shade perennial. Branched stems to nearly 3' with large reddish-purple pendulous flowers followed by shiny black fruit. We like this one so much we went back to the same mountain in 2012 and collected more seed! Gonna rock the shade garden.
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Cardamine trifolia
A no-fuss restrained yet refined evergreen Cardamine which is nearly faultless. We haven't found a fault yet but most overachievers are hiding something deep under that charm and industry. Rest assured, this will never go postal in your garden. Dark green dense leaves set off flowers of of purest white in early summer.
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Oxalis magellanica 'Nelson'
Sweet little groundcover whose double white flowers resemble fluffy bits of white popcorn strewn on the leaves. Perfect underplanting for other shade plants to pop up through and great between stepping stones. Gently spreading and not hard to keep in bounds. Darnn near perfect.
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Arisaema consanguineum
Neat species widely distributed from Thailand to China and into the Himalaya to Bhutan. This has stout stems that can reach 4' on old large bulbs with many leaflets arrayed like the spokes of an umbrella. Large green flowers often tinged with purple followed by red fruit. With such a broad range, there is variation in the species
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Anemone nemorosa 'Wilks' White'
One of the larger flowered varieties of Wood Anemone, this has excellent white flowers which are more than enough to stand alone or perfect in a supporting understory role to larger shrubs and perennials.
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Kniphofia 'Shiny Beast'
Our own hybrid introduction which we have trialed for 10 years before releasing a few. A very long bloom period from mid summer into fall. Narrow foliage supports 3'+ stems of rich burnt orange with the individual flowers glistening as if lacquered. Attribution to everyone's favorite 1978 Captain Beefheart album Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller).
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Alstroemeria isabellana
We got this from Maggie at Western Hills some years ago as an Alstroemeria x Bomarea hybrid called 'Fred Meyer'. Thanks to Martin Grantham at UC Davis, we finally have the correct name. This is a rare and surprisingly hardy species from Brazil which does great outside for us. Pink corolla tube with green petals and yellow throat. Not aggressive.
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Lonicera crassifolia SEH 085
A Steve Hootman collection from China of this quite unique creeping Honeysuckle. This is a Kinnikinnik or Arctostaphylos uva-ursi alternative making a mat of small rounded green leaves turning rich purple/red/bronze tones in winter. Small light yellow Honeysuckle flowers are sprinkled throughout. Very cool.
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Hedychium spicatum NAPE 119
A hardy Ginger relative from our seed collection near eastern Bhutan. This is a rare offering of this collection. Narrow petals of white and peach are floral whimsy and always amuse us. Unscented flowers which compensate by having the showiest seed display in the genus. Mulch in winter.
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Reineckea carnea 'Jinfo Jewel' MD 10-171
A distinct smaller form with wider leaves from our collection on the summit of Jinfoshan where it was growing deep moss on top of hard limestone flanged outcrops in a miniature stone forest. We thought this might be a new subspecies but DNA says R. carnea. The scented pink and white flowers are much more visible in this form.
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Coptis omeiensis
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.
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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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Pleione formosana
This is a surprisingly hardy terrestrial Orchid that is quite easy to grow given a couple of rules. Loose crumbly organic/gritty well-drained soil and fairly dry in the winter. We've friends who grow these easily in Port Ludlow unprotected in rotting logs, stumps and deep moss on rocks.
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Bistorta amplexicaulis 'Golden Arrow' syn. Persicaria
Fun newish selection of the recently moved to Bistort from Persicaria with softly golden foliage which is a great backdrop for the 24"-36" flower stems bearing spikes of flowers the same color as Dorothy's ruby slippers. Easy, hardy, bright shade and gangbusters in rich moist soil.
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Crocosmia 'Star of the East'
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.
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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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Ellisiophyllum pinnatum BSWJ 197
Nifty groundcover introduced from Taiwan by Crug Farm in Wales. This is a good spreader though easy to keep in bounds and prefers a loose organic rich soil that doesn't get too dry. Great under shrubs and perennials and forms a feathery dense mat with white starry flowers. Evergreen unless very cold.
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Spiraea morrisonicola PMD
Fantastic little gem from the high mountains of Taiwan collected by our friend Philip MacDougall. Our mama plant is several years old and is a compact dome just 9" high and maybe 12" across. Early summer has this adorned in small dense heads of dark pink flowers edged in pale pink to white.
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Maianthemum tatsienense
False Solomon Seal. This Chinese species is one of our favorites in the shade garden and we delight in its ribbed leaves with elegantly understated small violet daubing at the base of each leaflet followed by the precise detail in the small greenish flowers. In the late summer into fall, it has strut-your-stuff full heads of bright orange fruit.
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Eryngium bourgatii
Sea Holly. One of the best of the lot with great marbled foliage and blue thistlely flowers which are great for drying. Likes a sunny poor soil and is known for laughing disdainfully at Port Townsend deer, the modern rats of the new Millenium. Let this self-sow for best results.
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Begonia hemsleyana
Eye-catching species from China with palmate leaves spritzed with white on top and a bright maroon underneath. The pink flowers are just another layer of adornment as we are always completely satisfied with the leaves alone. Hardy to zone 8 with a little mulch in winter. This is slow to go in the spring, waiting until June but it catches right up.
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