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This blueberry relative was an exciting find from a small mostly deforested limestone ridge in Vietnam. It was a small compact 12"-18" shrub growing both in the rocks and epiphytically with orchids on the few trees left. Evergreen with boss white tubular flowers and a red berry sheltered by 3 large red bracts. Edible. This will get larger with longer stems when growing in cushy cultivation.

A gorgeous begonia growing near small cardamom plantings along the trail in the forest heading to higher elevations. Fantastic foliage with dark and sultry clouding and with undersides a vivid red and held by similarly colored stems furred in pale hairs. The white flowers contrast perfectly.
This proved hardy in the beastly 2021-2022 winter with a bit of bark mulch in the Lehman-Russell garden in Seattle. Members of Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy we might add. When we saw new growth appearing there the following spring, we were briefly but enthusiastically afflicted with Steve Martin Happy Feet. A Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy Offering.

Collected by the late Don Jacobs from an especially robust population at the eastern extension of its range in in the Arbuckle Mountains of Oklahoma. This eastern extension our native Western Stream Orchid will soon form a colony of flowering stems with small orange-yellow-brown flowers. Moist to wet rich soil - it's easy!

One of the good rock garden plants that is actually pretty easy to grow. Related closely to our Douglasia of the Olympics, this little jewel from the Pyrennees and Dolomites has yellow flowers nearly covering the foliage in late spring. Good drainage and not terribly dry.

The first all-gold foliage form of our native Prosartes hookeri. These are seed-grown from our fantastic variegated Prosartes hookeri 'Lemonworth' (Thanks Daniel Mosquin for the name!) which we found near Leavenworth WA. Seedlings come up either green or gold and we look forward to planting seed of this gold form.

This Central American epiphytic blueberry relative calls the cloud forests home and enjoys cool conditions with no frost. Brilliant red new growth, tubular soft red flowers with red calyces followed by darkly intriguing fruit. Will develop a caudiform lignotuber in time. This is a visual feast for months on end.

Young plants derived from Tom Mitchell, likely via Crug Farm, and came to us from Aaron Floden - now there is a chain of custody! We first listed this as V. schindleri but now have learned differently with the thought that these might be a hybrid with V. formosanum due to the variation in color, size and tendency to flower young which is a hallmark of the species.

V. schindleri is a very attractive species that is highly variable in flower color in the wild which makes a definitive call on hybridity difficult, especially as we have not observed schindleri in the wild except in the fall as dormant plants with withered foliage which is little help. We can say for sure these young plants will show variation - send us pics when yours flowers - and pictured is one of our older plants in flower. This is quite interesting with the pale petals and darker eye pattern to the center which turns reddish as the seed capsule begins to develop. This will have the familiar albeit fairly narrow pleated leaves and aforementioned flowers in an open and airy arrangement on the 3' flowering stem. A rich moist soil in part shade will be just the ticket and this should be quite hardy.

A very distinct form of this species which was collected in Nepal by Tony Schilling and shared with us by David Mason of Hedgerows Nursery. A good spreader rather than a clumper, the rounded ping-pong paddle leaves offer much as a small-scale groundcover. White to tinged pink flowers in early summer. Deciduous to semi-deciduous, we are inordinately fond of this collection and have it planted at the entrance to our shade garden. This particular collection is quite rare in the trade. Tony used to be the director at Wakehurst and David was deputy director so the chain of provenance custody is just how we like it.

We always think of this as an easy and affordable substitute for orchids as the flowers are reminiscent. In the ginger family, this is easy Asian tuberous plant can be grown in part sun to light shade. It will get a foot or more high and will have a succession of showy purple-pink flowers and clump quickly.

A fine selection of this deciduous Japanese species which was introduced by We-Du Nursery. Sizable flowers of rich purple are the hallmark of this plant and it more than holds it own against more recent hybrids. All Epimediums can't be painted with the same drought tolerant brush and this one appreciates more water than the real drought tolerant species.

Boy oh boy does this one tick the boxes that elicit pavlovian salivation. Endemic to only a few counties in Utah this extremely rare columbine grows in moist rocky crevices in its native habitat, often found hanging like a miniature sun from sheer rock faces, a performance it carries on with aplomb here in our crevice garden. Red and orange starship flowers sure to bring a grin to even the most seasoned plant veterans. 

Love the Rhodohypoxis and this is one that is not that easy to find. A tidy densely clumping bulb which loves good drainage when it is dormant in the winter and ample moisture when growing. Great for the sunny rock garden with some water. Medium pink flowers aging to white.

More widely known as 'Apricot', this is one of the stellar performers in the fall garden where its seemingly artless open display of classically simple single flowers of peachy pink ray petals around a yellow eye belie a scrupulous attention to detailed presentation behind the veil of nonchalance.

An uncommon variety of the standard evergreen Tongue fern found across East Asia. To this already attractive species 'Keikan' adds wide fronds with rippling deeply lobed margins resulting in a striking flame-like effect. Best grown in a well drained location or on a slope where it will happily spread by its trailing rhizomes.

Everything good about this yellow hybrid from David Tristan in the UK. Densely clumping and quite respectful of its allotted space in the garden. Flowers are a rich clear yellow with a good open flared aspect and rounded petals of distinct substance. There is a lot of flower for a compact 24" plant!

Asiatic Hybrid with Gentiana sino-ornata in its past, this is a very fine introduction by Truls and Emma at Wild Ginger Farm. Large white flowers with a few green flecks in the throat are improbable contrast to the dense green fine needle-like foliage in August and September. Rich moist soil in mostly sun. Zone 4b.

Grassy little clumping rhizomatous bulb from South Africa which is easily grown here provided it has good drainage and moisture while in growth and a bit of mulch in winter. Dawn is a broad-petaled fairly large flowered selection in which the white flowers are just touched with pink.

Lily of the Nile. One of the top hybrids bred by Steve Hickman of Hoyland's and is well-regarded among those in the know for its large powder-blue flowers on 30" stems. We have just a few of these and owe thanks to plantsman Jim Fox's courier efforts from the UK and for sharing with us. Jim knows good plants. And tools. And garden supplies. In fact, he wrote a book about just these things which was published by Timber Press in 2013. 'Margaret' is so good that a book plug is the least we can do.

Pretty awesome evergreen fern because not only is it cool, but it increases fast enough to make a statement in the garden before you are in your dotage and have forgotten why you bought this, yet not in that rampaging acreage-eating Borg-assimilating manner that is sometimes described as "a good nursery plant".

Podophyllum or Dysosma – the Asian species are better in Dysosma but when shopping, most people look for Podophyllum when they need to push their shade garden over the top.  This Chinese species was shared with us by our friend and great plantsman Darrell Probst who knows an extraordinary plant when he sees it.  Among our sea of Podophyllum species and cultivars, this stands apart in habit, form and flower.  Upright stems hold green lobed saucers of leaves which cannot be confused with the other green-leafed species.  Beautifully displayed are single white flowers under each leaf which when pollinated, morphs into a glowing orange fruit.  For us, this species stays in a tight crown without the running habit of some other species.  This is good if your space is limited and bad if you want more and of course, we want lots!  Which we don’t have but the scant few we do have in surplus, are here.