This is one of those plants worth the greenhouse space if you can't grow it outside which we can't.  An evergreen vine from Chile where it is the national flower. Big waxy pendant flowers of typically rose red. These normally flower in late summer and fall. and we were entranced by beautiful specimens in bloom when we visited the west of Scotland in the fall of 2013.

Uncommon species which has an understated wowness.  Not flamboyant this nonetheless garners lots of attention with its clusters of copper-orange Pea flowers in mid to late spring which are set off nicely by the dense light green leaves.  Long-lived and choice perennial.

This is one sweet Pea.  Native to the Caucasus Mts, this takes a backseat to its more floriferous and showy cousins for it has simple pairs of pink flowers borne with restraint.  Don't be misled - it is the backseat of a Bentley.  Perfection of leaf and flower in exquisite refinement.

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.

A superb and rarely offered form of Lathyrus vernus, the Spring Bush Pea.  This has long willow-like leaves compared to the typical form and the same lovely violet flowers.  A graceful perennial, this makes a dense clump retaining textural interest long after the flowers fade.

From Cotswold Plants in England via our plant daddy Jim Fox, comes this Azorean endemic formerly known as Microseris ringens.  This has been surprisingly hardy given the Azores are far from being a frost pocket.  Broad green leaves make a dense clump from the eventual multiple crowns, each which supports a succession of yellow daisies in clustered heads on short stems. This is what a Dandelion aspires to be when it grows up.

Pretty awesome evergreen fern because not only is it cool but it increases fast enough to make a statement in the garden before you are in your dotage and have forgotten why you bought this yet not in that rampaging acreage-eating Borg-assimilating manner that is sometimes described as "a good nursery plant".

Our collection in Mogecuo, Sichuan found growing in thick moss atop a large boulder shaded by Rhododendron bureavioides.  Pretty sure on the genus and obviously floundering on the species.  The genus has undergone recent revision and names may not yet be finalized.  Hardy for us and decidous.

One of the hardiest of the Leptospermums which, in time and left alone, will achieve the appearance of a ruggedly handsome small tree. We say this in case you have control issues and mistake shearing for pruning in which case this will be a nice dense ball.  Or square.  Or blob.  Evergreen, nice white flowers, deer-proof, drought tolerant. Thanks to Leptophiliac Ian Barclay for sharing this..

A collection from Mount Imlay in New South Wales of an expected hardier form of the species. Prickly needle-like leaves on a multi-stemmed shrub with white flowers although light pink flowers have been reported in that location. Ours is white so that takes the guesswork out. This should be fine in milder gardens here in the Puget Sound and can take poorly drained situations. Deer do not find this tasty.

Exceptional form of the species we received from the Master Of Leptospermum, Ian Barclay of Desert Northwest. This fast-growing Tea Tree will become a fine large shrub to 15' in mild areas.  Silver-purplish needle-like leaves in summer turn darker purple in fall & winter.  The small white flowers are visual madness.

Evergreen alpine Aussie growing in the same habitat as Snow Gums.  This has billowy gray-green foliage and 1" white flowers borne on last year's wood.  With age the bark exfoliates and reveals a very shiny trunk which adds to the allure.  Sun, good drainage, dryish and phooey to the deer.

Riverine Tea Tree.  This uncommon to cultivation Tasmania endemic is often found along stream banks in its native setting so can take moister conditions than some other species.  White flowers on an evergreen shrub with good flaking bark and getting to 8'-10'.  Deer proof as well.

One of the hardiest Leptospermums, this creeping form is from the alpine areas of Tasmania and has grown for many years at the Arboretum in Seattle. Evergreen leaves with small white flowers, this would be a shame not to have it in the rock garden and a greater shame not to have it spilling over a wall.

Lespedeza bicolor can be an invasive pest but this dwarf version from Japan is a non-invasive pixie.  Small blue green leaflets in 3's on a many-stemmed 12" tall deciduous bush to twice as wide or a bit more.  Cute reddish purple pea-like flowers are perfectly in keeping with the tidy presentation.  From a friend on Cape Cod.

NeGolden yellow are its hallmark in spring to mid summer after which they become a light yellow-green but still an element of light brightness in the shade.  Late in Oct/Nov, this defies conventional wisdom by producing  yellow bottlebrush flowers.

This tasteful perennial from Japan bides its time in the shade garden as the floral hoi polloi scrabble for attention during spring and summer.  Once the fracas has died down, this takes centerstage in Sept/Oct with its intricately constructed buds which open to fuzzy light lavender flowers.

Pinecone Thistle.  Pretty cool 6"-12" tall plant from dry pine woods and wastelands in southern Europe and northern Africa.  The spineless gray-green, thistle-like leaves, are felted gray-white underneath and are a perfect accompaniment to the art project flowers.  Tufts of filamentous purplish flowers erupt from hefty cones of overlapping, feathered brown scales.

Yellow Himalayan Honeysuckle.  A species from NE India and northern Myanmar originally introduced by Frank Kingdon-Ward just over 100 years ago, this is from a more recent US National Arboretum collection.  Yellow flowers over bronzed foliage distinguishes this from the more familiar Leycesteria formosa.

Newer hybrid selection of this New Zealand Iris relative.  Evergreen (except for hard winters) olive green foliage provides a grand setting for the numerous stems of small bright white flowers.  This makes a clump pretty quickly and is great texture in the garden.  This is a performer.

A superb compact and very floriferous plant we got from the sadly late Michael Wickenden at Cally Gardens in Scotland.  This is just about the perfect little container plant with low, dense tuffets of deep green narrow blades of leaves and a profusion of small white flowers on short stems which retain interest long after flowering with their seed heads.

Deeply incised palmate leaves with long finger-like lobes are visually arresting in themselves while the early to mid summer large yellow daisy flowers just piles on the eye candy.  Structure, beauty, form and function - only the most bitter cabbage would fault this for not being edible!

One of those captivating Chinese species.  This has a neat stoloniferous habit sending out runners and making new bulbs so you soon have a grove of Lilies.  Flowers white with dark spots with recurved petals in the classic "Turk's Cap" style.  We love it.

One of those captivating Chinese species.  This has a neat stoloniferous habit sending out runners and making new bulbs so you soon have a grove of Lilies.  Flowers pink with dark spots with recurved petals in the classic "Turk's Cap" style.  We love it.

Very garden worthy little Lily descended from a Crug Farm collection in Taiwan.  This is a fairly compact species with grassy foliage and carnival hat flowers - big white trumpets with maroon stripes on the outside.  Increases well from offsets and blooms when young.  It's all good.

Extremely rare lily native to just a few sites in the southeastern US and discovered by Mary Henry in 1940, known as the Panhandle or Pot of Gold Lily.  This is found growing along streams and  pitcher plant bogs.  It is unusual in that it is adapted to warm winters and high humidity. It is a Turk's Cap type and will be 3'-6' at maturity. The bulbs will make a nice little colony when happy.

Lovely, lovely species with classic Turk's cap shaped flowers of gentle pink with a lavender nuance further enhanced by a sprinkle of darker beauty spots on the downturned face which exhales a light fragrance that takes but the slightest stirring of the air to swirl about in fleeting notes taking this to yet a higher plane of pleasure.  Seed grown

Grown from a seed collection in China by the brilliant plantsman Bjornar Olsen, this is an easy and very pleasing lily.  Turk's cap style flowers are predominately in shades of pink, varying in intensity.  The recurved tepals are pale white on the margins and speckled with deep carmine spots.  Spreads fairly fast, making a lovely patch.

Awesome rare lily known only from NE India where Frank Kingdon-Ward first collected it in either Manipur or Nagaland and named it after his wife whose maiden name was Macklin.  Pale pink flowers in late spring and early summer are a lovely thing indeed on this smaller collector's lily.  Frank's wife must have been an exquisite creature.

This selection of this collector's species merits a very good spot in the garden.  Any selection of the species certainly could lay claim to the best real estate but this strain out of the UK which is a shade or two pinker than typical takes an impossible task of improving upon perfection and makes it possible.