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1775 products
1775 products
Ahh the beach, sun, salt, spray and....botanizing? What can we say we can't help ourselves, and locally when doing some beachside botanizing what is likely to draw you in is that perfect beach body, hairy and bigheaded, that's right we're talking Carex macrocephala, the big-headed sedge. Normal grassy sedges have edges leaves but with far more flower power than your average Carex. Rare in cultivation so sandy and well-draining if you want to be safe, but will likely tolerate a wide range of conditions like its brethren.
This collection by Crug Farm from Fansipan in Vietnam of this very distinctive clumping grass is especially yummy with showy pink flowers in this form. The evergreen leaves are bold, broad and lightly pleated with the flower heads mingling among the upper reaches of the leaves. Solidly dramatic!
A gem of shrub if you happen to have that very mild garden which we do not. This New Zealander is known as the Scented Broom as the white to pink-lilac pea-like flowers are very fragrant. Flattened green stems share the chlorophyll load with the small leaves. In colder zone 8b gardens, best against a wall.
One of the Asian hornbeams longest in cultivation, as well as one of the most graceful, yet still sadly rare particularly here in the US. Most introductions trace back to the Himalayas and China, whereas this is possibly the first from Vietnam collected and shared with us by Aaron Floden. Gently drooping branches and pendulous catkins give a soft weeping effect (particularly good in this clone) without the messiness of a true weeper. A beauty and with good hardiness for its origins surviving -6 F in Aaron's home garden.
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.
Hybrid seedling arising in Mike and Polly Stone's garden at Askival in Scotland with C. wardii as a parent and likely C. fastigiata as well. This is a very free flowering and upright plant and much easier to grow than either parent. Good drainage with moisture retention in a cool site with good air circulation. Easy-peasy.
Superb free-flowering selection of this tight, low-growing heather relative which covers itself in white bells. Cassiopes need a cool position in an airy acidic soil to perform at their best much like Rhododendrons. Morning sun is ideal and this will be one of those delightful little plants in your garden that makes your pleasure centers light up. Washington to Alaska native.
A collection by Sweden's Goteborg Botanical Garden's 3 Henriks in China's Shaanxi Province at Nan Gong Shan 1250 meters. This is a small tree to 20'-30' with purplish new growth expanding to broadly cordate leaves and early summer pouchy flowers of pale red with yellow striations and purple spotting. Fast growing hardy tropical look. Cutting grown.
Quiet woodlander from east of the Rockies who plays supporting cast to the stars in the shade garden but its absence would cause these same stars to seem to not shine so brightly. Herbaceous Barberry family member, glaucous leaves in spring with meh flowers but lovely, blue fruit in fall just when you need them. Thanks to Charles Kelley for the seed.
We love this plant. One of the first of the hardy Zingiberaceae to bloom and the contrast of reddish bracts and orange-yellow flowers plus the underside of the leaves blushed in red.....mmmmm. We're guessing on cathcartii 'cause it isn't spicata or gracilis. Moist organic soil.
Collected in northern India by the intrepid plant hunting duo of Bleddyn and Sue Wynn-Jones, this species offers some midsummer exotica with yellow flowers emerging from soft red calyces on 2' stems. Yet another hardy-for-us species in the Zingiberaceae that we are enamored with.
Cool member of the true Ginger family, this has torches of soft yellow flowers held above the corn-like foliage. Blooms reliably here unlike a lot of it's kin and we see flowers in July to August in our shade garden. Adds an easy tropical look. This is sometimes seen offered as C. lutea and C. gracilis. Rich soil that stays moist but isn't mucky or waterlogged. Likes a looser. airy soil and best to mulch in fall. A very easy plant which will self-sow when happy which in turn makes us happy.
A collection by Daniel Winkler in Tibet of this demure little true ginger relative. We've always liked this species and saw it growing as an epiphyte on Mt Japfu in Nagaland. Late to start growing in spring, this will produce small yellow flowers from reddish sheaths. Hardy here especially with mulch. Moist.
We are smitten by the hardy gingers which we can grow and flower in our cold pocket garden and Cautleya is a genus that does just that. This species is a graceful member of the genus and ranges from Bhutan to Thailand. This collections hails from Vietnam and is often found growing on rocks, trees or rotting logs. This has the classic presentation for the species with clear yellow flowers and red calyces. We suggest mulching for winter.
A collection from Nepal deemed distinct by Crug Farm Plants in Wales. From terminal bud cones in mid to late summer, yellow-orange flowers spout from prominent red bracts. The foliage is red-tinged underneath and is held on dark stems. Clumps nicely and the species as a whole is of elegant presentation. Moist, rich and mulch if winter is cold.
Cautleya have proved to be excellent plants for the garden here and one of the best is this Wynn-Jones collection from the Darjeeling area in northern India. Good red bracts hold yellow flowers in a tropical embrace during August into September in your temperate garden. Part sun to light shade in rich moist soil. Mulch in winter in case of arctic annoyance.
This is an attention-getter and a performer. A surprisingly hardy true Ginger relative from northern India, this has survived our winters here in western Washington for the last 20 years with no problem. We simply mulch if we get worried. The leaves are tinted maroon underneath and the torch of dark yellow flowers coming out of red bracts in late July and August is an exceptional bit of the tropics. The 'Robusta' form is a bit taller than the typical run of the species and can reach 3' tall. A rich, moist soil that drains in a little sun to bright shade is best. We see this grown in some of the most notable gardens here in the NW which never surprises us. .
A very hardy Ceanothus granted the Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit. If you are going to name something the Glory of Versailles then it had better be good! A deciduous shrub to 6' or 7' high or more and 5' or so wide with soft powder blue panicles of scented flowers mid summer into fall. C. americanus and the Mexican C. coeruleus are its parents.
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.
Little gray-foliaged low small cushiony clumper. Pinky lavender flowers on stems of a few inches in length. Easy and quite hardy.