China

A Toad Lily collected in China by our friend Bill McNamara of Quarry Hill Botanic Garden which is a superior foliage plant with bold black mottled leaves which are especially vivid when in new growth. In bright shade to part sun, this has strong and stiff vertical stems which have mid to late summer buff to amber-brown speckled flowers. Pretty cool and the first of the Tricyrtis to bloom for us and we find the vertical seed capsules which carry through into fall to have a supporting if subtle role in the garden. We saw what we think is the same species growing in a lightly shaded ravine on Leigongshan in China in 2010. Tricyrtis are undergoing a good bit of name revisions recently and Bleddyn Wynn-Jones thought this might be a different species when he visited here in August of 2013 but we saw the same collection at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh later in the fall labeled as T. latifolia so there obviously is some taxonomic dust still to settle.

Fantastic and uncommon variant of this choice species. We received this from a friend's garden where their over-fed plant was 40" tall by 6' in a jaw-dropping patch. Pretty much hated them until they gave us a start. Took Bleddyn and Sue Wynn-Jones and Dan Hinkley over there a few years back and they hated them as well. Flying rectangles of green with small red flowers beneath - who comes up with this stuff?

This genus is undergoing a lot of taxonomic revision causing our brains to difforme trying to come to grips. Rectangular leaves reddish abaxially (underside) and adaxially (topside) a satiny olive-green. Small dark violet flowers held below the leaves. Rare thing suitable for the garden theme of mind-bending plants.

This vining monkshood is from our seed collection of this herbaceous vine which was growing in a large shrub hanging out over a stream in a cold rain. The potential for becoming even wetter was pretty good and fortunately, such a risk proved well worth it as this has large blue flowers with a pale white lip. This has been a star in our shade garden flowering in late August into September. Small tuber capable of growing 10' or more this year given good conditions and something to twine on. Deer resistant.

Our collection from a wet alpine meadow in Sichuan at 10,000 feet where this mingled with lepidote Rhododendrons, Primula and Polygonum. A tantalizing array of forms of sino-ornata, but this one's veitchiorum gestalt with its dark blue flowers and somewhat broader foliage kept resisting positive ID, so we are open as always to outside confirmation. Pretty sure there are no papillae on the stems but have not taken a lens to them, so likely just a good dark sino-ornata. Amazing how running a nursery cuts into your hand lens time!

Seedlings from our Cardiocrinum giganteum var. yunnanense 'Big & Pink' which is one of two pink Cardiocrinums known to exist. We have the other one as well. These are hand-pollinated seedlings of this amazing and extremely rare plant and we expect them to be pink as well. They are probably a few years from flowering. One nursery person we know of was quite incensed that we would be selling these as pink saying "How do you know that they won't be white?" to which we replied "We don't but we don't know that they won't be red either." It is the first color break in the genus and there is no precedent to make assumptions other than best guesses and this is our best guess. We had two bulbs flower from this crop this summer and they were pretty darned pink. One came very close to the parent and the other was a notch behind but still way better than anything else out there so we are greatly encouraged. We can't wait seven years for these to flower to see what degree of pink - or not - they will be because the main bulb dies and we start over with offsets and seed. These do produce offsets so even though the bulb dies after blooming, you end up with more bulbs than you started with. This is a plant of temperate climates in China and the Himalayas and likes a lightly shaded, cool and moist situation. These are not planted deep like typical lilies but shallow and will often have their noses above ground as they get mature. We mulch these in winter with a blanket of dairy manure as they are a bit piggy. Oh, and that nursery person who was concerned about our ethics? She ordered one. Plant so the tip of the bulb is exposed and mulch well to keep winter freeze away from the bulb.

No ignoring this Primrose in flower! Some Primula are wee subtle things with no greater effect than the sound of a distant flute teasing the edge of hearing. This Primula is a full triumphant symphony with you sitting in the orchestra pit. Big heads of many nodding orange/yellow fragrant flowers. Rich and moist.

This is the coveted true species unlike the usual Allium sikkimense which is what you get from most seed exchanges. Ours came from Ian Christie in Scotland and with Ian's name as provenance, there is little doubt. Besides we flowered it and it is correct! Thin grassy leaves in dense tussocks with small headed blue flowers in late summer. A Chinese species that is not one of the bulbous summer dormant types but appreciates moisture during the summer and is quite easy despite its relative scarcity.

Beautiful pink flowers on this elegant plant formerly placed in Nomocharis and where they continue to reside in our hearts and minds. Grown from a seed collection in China by the very knowledgeable Bjornar Olsen, this is a very special plant. Some variation from evenly pink to a pale margin on the tepals. Can't select, sorry!

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.

Legendarily beautiful, tricky, and hard to get. So reads my tinder profile and so too reads the story of the fabled blue poppies. Luckily this one makes it ever so slightly easier on the latter two while retaining the first. Baileyi has sometimes been relegated to variety status under M. betonicifolia but either way you name it this Meconopsis is a bit more tolerant of less than optimal conditions, plus once it gets going this particular batch likes to form small clumps or even spread along its apostolic stolons until you are left with a veritable blue sky in amidst your bed of garden treasures. Likes acidic soils, cool summers and coldish winters. Cannot be grown anywhere it gets hot and/or humid in the summer.

Rubus can be scary but with this classy China species, it will be shivers of delight instead of fear. Graham Stuart Thomas "One of the finest of all foliage plants". 4'-8' upright somewhat arching canes. A clumper and not a vine with few small fruits, white flowers and no thorns

This selection of this evergreen Clematis can likely be traced back to Roy Lancaster's introduction of this choice species from his collection L657 from Emeishan in Sichuan which had the distinct central silver splash on the leaflets which makes this extra luscious. Small scented creamy flowers start appearing in late winter here in the Northwest and on mild winters it is not a surprise to be surprised by flowers happening in February although March is pretty much guaranteed. A classic wall plant where it appreciates the buffer and protection afforded by the wall as well as access to plenty of sun. If you don't have a wall, try a tree as this can reach 20 feet or more but is easily kept in bounds by pruning after flowering if you are hardwired for control. Zone 7b or down to Z7 with appropriate siting.

No ignoring this Primrose in flower! Some Primula are wee subtle things with no greater effect than the sound of a distant flute teasing the edge of hearing. This Primula is a full triumphant symphony with you sitting in the orchestra pit. Big heads of many nodding orange/yellow fragrant flowers. Rich and moist.

SHIPPING RESTRICTIONS MAY APPLY
One of the great Mahonia species or Berberis as they are now sometimes known. We saw this growing on Wawushan in Sichuan where it exhibited it's characteristic waxy white underleaf. Loose sprays of pinky-orange flowers in late summer and early fall are followed by nice fruit. Easy and a connoisseurs foliage plant. These are very nice plants needing to get bumped up into gallons shortly and when they do, they will cost a bit more so now is the time!

An excellent introduction if you are into the Araliaceae family and fortunately, there are lots of Araliaddicts out there! This came from the high point in its range with occasional cold exposure and has proven hardy outside here in full sun and wind exposure. Not ideal but that's what we got! Our plant in the shade garden declined so some sun at least is good. Plants have variable evergreen foliage with juvenile plants sometimes expressing more frequently deeply 2-clefted 3-lobed leaves with older plants usually completely entire but not always. And this may be influenced by nutrition and exposure as well. Pale green flowers with white anthers in an umbel followed by black fruit. Sorry, can't select by leaf shape.

Superb little performer from China that is like some sort of impish Thalictrum with short stems to 6" and open umbels of blue and white flowers. The main show is in late spring but the flowers keep coming all summer. Just a sweet bit of conversational perfection along the edge of a path.

Beautiful species from one of our collections in the mountains of Asia. Stately and refined on strong upright 4'-6' stems topped in creamy flowers whose recurved tepals are suffused in freshly churned butter yellow. These vary by clone and can be liberally speckled in fine maroon spots or these can be nearly absent. Kelly is a Libra and can't decide which he likes more while Sue is a Taurus and said we are going to sell a few while that Libra brain makes up its mind.

Pure class. A perennial of the first rank and a true aristocrat which is seldom available. Expensive? You bet and worth it. One of the true pains to produce commercially. This has broad pleated leaves and a tall flower stalk with lots of chocolate maroon flowers. Deer proof. Small but sturdy plants that will need some time before they hit blooming size. As a side note, finding blooming-sized plants of this species is pretty much impossible so don't think we're trying to pull one over on you!

This deciduous and broadly distributed Asian fern boasts alternately pinnate fronds up to nearly 2' long that gives it a certain je ne sais quoi while not straying too far from the archetypical fern appearance. Pair that with its ease, tolerance for deep shade, reliability and you get a surprisingly well-rounded do-er considering its uncommon availability on the market.