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Very cool South African bulb grown from seed we received from English plantsman Harry Hay many years ago. Harry was a discriminating collector of plants and generous in sharing. This has broad strap leaves and tall stems bearing pendulous flowers of softly muted green. Truly regal. This has been amply hardy for us and appreciates a bit of shade from the hottest part of the day and will do well on an eastern aspect which where we have ours planted on our sunny border. 

The devilish trident form leaves of this Japanese cultivar brought to the US by Barry Yinger have that alluring femme fatale combination of danger and beauty. While the name translates to bamboo leaf referring to its resemblance to trifoliate bamboos the latter would certainly have far less of a presence in human culture if they were as unfriendly as this impostor. Think of the screening you could make to keep those pesky neighborhood kids from tromping on your tender goodies. Comes with all the traits you expect from Osmanthus, tough, easy, fragrant flowering. One of the coolest in a vast sea of cultivars.

A royal fern whose lineage through fern royalty was unspoilt until it graced our worn proletariat hands. The original plant of this form with tripinnate leaves, meaning one extra degree of division resulting in a feathery look, was found in Kerry, Ireland but subsequently lost to cultivation. 90 years later British pterido-maniac Martin Rickard chanced upon another in a ditch in that same county. From there it passed to local fern celebrity Sue Olsen and through her Hardy Fern Foundation to the Elisabeth Miller garden where its current caretaker Richie Steffen graciously bestowed upon me one single frond from which come all of these spore-grown plants. Don't worry if the fronds are not yet fully feathered, its a trait that develops and strengthens with age.

Oxalis griffithii is an uncommon woodland clumper from Japan with single white flowers typically. Rarely can you find the double white form which is quite choice. Scarcer than hen's teeth is the double flowered pink form which marks you as a collector of the highest caliber. This is one of those botanical treasures where feeling smug is justified.

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. Darn near perfect.

The enemies to lovers trope never gets old in my opinion, and we do our part to contribute by growing this twee South African delight. Banish thoughts of weedy wood-sorrel from your fraught gardening mind and simply embrace the saccharine sweet candy stripe flowers of this bulbous species.  While unfortunately frost tender these are quite easy and adaptable as a houseplant, where it provides a pop of winter color in Dec-Feb. Goes dormant in Summer but the unique three-finger foliage arrives in Fall.