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We found this as a raggedy half-dormant plant in the midst of snow on Jinfoshan in 2010. It has taken us a long time since to both offer it and to appreciate its full-green growing season appearance. Staying quite small, only about 8 inches, and with adorably rounded leaves this isn't going to wow anybody but is an absolutely perfect negative space or filler plant carrying on the solomon's seal tradition of playing nice with everything while not taking up quite so much vertical room as the more traditional offerings.

The oldest Polypodium cultivar, indeed the oldest clonal herbaceous plant in cultivation. Originating from a 1668 (That's before Carl Linnaeus and binomial nomenclature for reference) collection by Richard Kayse of a uniquely lacerated Polypodium cambricum on a high rocky cliff where it still grows. Beyond the unbelievably cool opportunity to own such a cool part of horticultural history, the fern itself is gorgeous with well cut bipinnatifid fronds, its easy to see why what began as one plant in one spot has now made its presence known across continents and centuries. 

*Thanks to Neil Frame (@fern.topia) for the photo!

This hybrid offspring of Primulina 'Hisako' is notable for its silver lined foliage reminiscent of ghostly sidewalks on full moon nights. Large purple flowers and compact form round out the package. 

We grow the yellow Primula prolifera and the black cherry P. wilsonii var. anisidora in our shaded bog garden and the bees, to whom we give full credit, created this fine hybrid strain of quite gorgeous Candelabra Primroses. Stone-fruit colored flowers ranging on the spectrum between the two parents.

Long confused with Pyrrosia lingua or simply listed as Pyrrosia sp. there are a few collection of this species floating around the PNW, the key to distinguishing is the fluffy fuzzed rhizomes and the wide prominently veined fronds. It has proved quite vigorous here in pots growing quickly on long rhizomes and would make an excellent stumpery subject as I suspect it does the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden. This particular collection hails from North Vietnam and while we haven't yet trialed it outside we expect it will prove hardy here.

A Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy Offering

The deciduous Photinia beauverdiana is a loose-limbed, sinuous presence in the garden. White flowers are followed by showy clusters of orange-red fruit which hold their position long enough for a slam dunk combination with the autumnal yellow of the leaves. Kelly was standing on a sloped mossy rock stretching to collect a fruit of this for a friend when he fell, holding the fruit safely aloft rather than using his hand to break his fall, and cracked a rib. From that day on, he has trash-talked this graceful species as "That phucking Photinia". A well-loved punchline lost to its taxonomic repositioning into Pourthiaea, well those 'Pour' taxonomists are just gonna have to suck it up cause we give everything for the bit here.