Libertia

An interesting 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 has been consistent a performer in our border garden for years and the worst winters fry the leaves which we cut back in spring and then the new growth appears and it blooms very happily and we can't remember we had a bad winter. When we have mild winters it looks great and we don't have to do anything. We mulch the crown of ours when we have an arctic express barreling down upon us just to be on the safe side.

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. This would be an ideal plant for some plant factory to pick up for tissue culture to flood Lowe's and Home Depot with millions of these but we would ask that if there is any inclination to do so, know that Michael was vehemently opposed to this and that his wishes be respected. Because this is the new America, when conscience fails, please consider a gentleman's royalty on each plant to be sent to Cally Gardens.

Evergreen or in this case everorange stiff blades which complement the starry white flowers in late spring makes this New Zealander an invaluble addition to the garden.