Himalayas

Oddity from the high alpine meadows of Tibet, China, Nepal and Bhutan which we have grown for a number of years. A tap-rooted species making clumps of narrow green leaves from which stems up to 2' arise in summer each bearing a single curious round head of closely packed small white flowers. A conversation starter for sure. This should be good to zone 5 given where it grows.

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.

Purple Stem Sweet Box, Wonderfully fragrant winter bloomer in December and January whose small white flowers with pink calyces perfume a disproportionate area relative to their size. Narrow alternate evergreen leaves on a plant up to 30" tall but usually shorter. This small evergreen is the same plant offered as var. digyna which has opposite leaves or as var. humilis which is a synonym of var. digyna but the taxonomy shifts like the wind.

Codonopsis are curious things. These are herbaceous vining relatives of Campanula or Bellflowers and seem an unlikely expression of such. From an almost bulbous root arises several tendril shoots which love to twine into surrounding shrubs from which to display their 2" dusky lavender star shaped flowers. Usually the foliage carries a musky scent but true confessions, we can't remember if this species does writing this as we are in the middle of winter. An unlikely armature for such improbable and lovely flowers. Many species of Codonopsis are dug in the wild as their roots are eaten although we wouldn't encourage you to try it. There's carrots in the market after all. These are young plants but should flower this year.

Seedlings from this very good named form of the very variable Anemone obtusiloba which ranges at higher altitudes across the Himalaya into western China. Our mama plant came home with us from Scotland and is notable for larger blue flowers with 3-4 extra petals beyond the usual 5. We expect these youngsters to carry on the family tradition. Starts flowering early in spring with main flush in late spring but sporadic bloom during summer. A small species suited to a larger trough, rock garden or special spot in light shade.

This is a lovely deciduous scrambling twining and vining shrub from Nepal with scented narrow tubular yellow flowers in clusters followed in fall by black pea-like fruit. Quite a nice alternative for the small arbor or trellis on a wall. And we are pretty sure it is deer resistant as well! This has been perfectly fine in Seattle. These are nice big plants.

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.

This collection is from the species elevational limit in the confluence of Tibet, Arunachal Pradesh and Bhutan. This species is well-represented in gardens but from areas with much less cold exposure. Paired pedate leaves of splayed finger-like leaflets and sizable green flower standing proud above with an even prouder erect spadix. The showy red fruit in late summer and fall extends the pride. A durable and easy species in the garden.

This is loving our crevice garden but might be better in our rock garden as the 20" mat of trailing stems clad in small rumpled leaves is a tad big for the crevice. A profusion a creamy, violet-striped erect flowers sporting a purple hooded upper petal. From the Himalaya & Everest National Park, to nearly 15000'.

Seed-grown from a collection by Daniel Winkler near Chonye on the Tibetan Plateau. Widely distributed in Asia and throughout the various 'stans, this remains oddly rare in commerce and is not often cultivated. Thanks to Fran Hawk for flowering and identifying this collection before ours bloomed! Narrow pale lavender tinted falls with soft blue-ish standards.