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Iris maven Carla Lankow shared this nice form with us which is smaller in stature than most of its counterparts and has very prominent violet staining to the base of the leaves which is a most attractive feature and more pronounced than other clones we grow. Small blue flowers with a yellow thumbprint on the falls that are quite charming and have an orchid-like quality to them. This is evergreen and prefers a partly shaded to shaded position in moist soil that doesn't waterlog. Hardy through zone 7 and has been grown with coddling and judicious use of microclimates in zone 6 and even zone 5 although in the latter, it is a grudging survival.

We haven't yet flowered this twining Campanula relative which we received as seed labeled Codonopisis - Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh form. RBGE is Mecca for plantspeople with one of the finest collections of plants in the world. This is a herbaceous vine to 6' with likely blue flowers. Zone 6 at least.

Ok, update as of this summer 2016. This has pale yellow-green flowers netted heavily with purple veins and variable leaves ranging from ovate to ovate-lanceolate with leaf margins all over the map running from serrate to crenulate, entire to lobed. Historically this has been regarded as Codonopsis rotundifolia var. angustifolia but Hong in his recent taxonomic revision of the genus now places this in the new species, C. bomiensis. Fits perfectly with his description and photos in the monograph and our thanks to Bob Armstrong for assisting us with identification. Native to China and Tibet, zone 6 for sure and very likely lower.

Pink flowers with a hint of violet that elevates this on the societal color palette preventing it from slipping down to the campy plastic flamingo. The broad petals have a small, white distant star for an eye and are nearly imperceptibly dusted with what could be airborne suspended particles of confectioners sugar lightly settling to rest. In our house, it would be a delicate white tracery as if from floating dog hair.

A collection from Nepal deemed distinct by Crug Farm Plants in Wales. From terminal bud cones in mid to late summer, yellow-orange flowers spout from prominent red bracts. The foliage is red-tinged underneath and is held on dark stems. Clumps nicely and the species as a whole is of elegant presentation. Moist, rich and mulch if winter is cold.

A choice little woodland groundcover from our collection in a high elevation coniferous forest in Yunnan where it grew not far from Primula sonchifola and Megacodon stylophorus. Slow carpeter with white flowers and small pale orange fruit nestled in the nicely textured leaves.. Choice and not invasive by a long shot.

One of our most favored small trees is this princeling of a cornel. Late winter flowers of yellow filamentous buttons followed by perfectly clean white variegation in the leaves and all further accented when the flowers turn into edible reddish fruits in late summer. Extremely hardy species and these are on their own roots and not grafted.

These are from seed from the good hardy form at the UW Arboretum. This makes an impressive multistemmed shrub to 10 or 12 feet fine textured in foliage but what a knockout in bloom. Loads of heavy textured hanging yellow flowers like Kirengeshoma followed by ornate knobbly long bean pods.

Yet another plant to make one pine away for South Island shores, like we needed more reason. Low-mounding Asteraceae shrub from New Zealand (I know I know the longing is increasing). Rounded evergreen leaves with a silvery-white midrib, margin, and underside, new leaves emerge fuzzed in the same glowing argent. Cheery yellow and white daisy flowers in late summer. Drought tolerant and desirous of a dry alpine setting, gonna be pushing it on hardiness here and likely even in 8b but stunning enough to be worth a try at the zone-push in a sheltered location or against a warm wall.

An indispensable Port Townsend plant. This rugged South African is sun, wind and drought tolerant and absolutely hardy here. One of the most admired plants in our border for its profuse display of large yellow to orange daisies on low stems. Good drainage.

Native to the New Jersey Pine Barrens this is a choice prostrate ornamental Cherry. This is a creeper kind of hummocking along getting maybe 18" high by 10' long. Easily kept in bounds by pruning. Small white flowers followed by small black cherries. Great red fall color.

We love this plant. One of the first of the hardy Zingiberaceae to bloom and the contrast of reddish bracts and orange-yellow flowers plus the underside of the leaves blushed in red.....mmmmm. We're guessing on cathcartii 'cause it isn't spicata or gracilis. Moist organic soil.

Bestowed the unflattering common name of "Least Trillium", it's charming appearance tends to disagree, though to be fair to old folkways it is indeed one of the smallest trillium species. One of the stalked trilliums featuring a trio of slightly undulate white petals sometimes tinged with pink subtended by semi-rolled sepals. Yet another case of size matters not.

Giant Pincushion Flower. We saw this used to great effect in numerous cottage gardens in northern England during our coast to coast walk in June-July 2012. Impressive zone 3 perennial whose open, branched stems can exceed 6' tall and bear creamy yellow flowers. Perfect for mixing with lower bushy plant.

Our collection of this most impressive vining Monkshood. Sumptuous flowers of a good blue with a white interior This one is a real cracker and these will easily grow 8'-12' or even 15' tall provided they have something to twine onto. An immense treat in August and September. And deer resistant!

Our collection from Vietnam of this fascinating epiphytic genus.  This was growing on a tree trunk on a small limestone ridge populated by a mix of frost-tolerant and frost-intolerant species.  The hardiness of this remains to be tested here - maybe a warm zone 8b? - but it will be planted out spring of 2024.  Excellent drainage is likely key to improved hardiness and ours is going in a tufa wall.  Spreads by creeping rhizomes and has dimorphic leaves with persistent basal fronds and fertile foliage fronds.

This was quite a pleasing sight as we slogged up the muddy trail of an obscure mountain in Guizhou with the rain coming down and the slopes wreathed in thick fog and the contemplation of setting up a very wet camp later was weighing down our normally plant-happy attitudes which are the norm when out in the field and we were just starting to grumble when we came around a corner and saw looming out of the mist and overhanging the trail, branches of this fine Malus laden with small cheery lemon-yellow crab apples each bejeweled in glittering raindrops and it was like gazing upon a constellation of anti-depressants. What rain? What mud? All is forgotten with a good dose of plant hunter's little helpers. Small trees to 15' with broad, irregular crowns and likely white flowers.

This whimsically named maidenhair reflects its origin via Piping Tree nursery. Diminutive in stature like its pixie namesake and flecked with red as if dabbed by paint from an otherworldly visitor, or perhaps variably expressing a gene controlling pigment production. You say tomato I say Solanum lycopersicum, different strokes for different folks, or ferns, painted by fairies. What was I talking about again? Oh yeah this excellently cute little version of our native maidenhair sure to add charm to any shady spot!

Mountain Ash. Our collection from Dragon's Elbow Mt in Sichuan from 4300 meters where this was a graceful small tree to 25' with pendulous clusters of small pink-flushed fruit. The bipinnate leaves are dainty in appearance with each leaflet quite small and taking on good scarlet-red coloration in fall. Clustered small white flowers in late spring.

A frost-tender gesneriad from China formerly in the genus Briggsia. In the wild, this is found at low elevations growing on mossy rocks in moist shaded positions. This has comparatively big white flowers whose QR code pattern of yellow and red in the throat starts to make sense, telling you things, if you stare at it long enough. Great for the cool greenhouse or African Violet culture.

Madeiran Blueberry. We have the late Art Dome to thank for sharing this Vaccinium native to Madeira with us. He grew this beautifully in his Seward park garden but it really does need a mild garden. Big flowers for a blueberry and lots of tasty fruit. We were all grazing last summer.