South Africa

A hardy Gladiolus that could win over that segment of gardeners who just don't like glads but we suspect they would be glad to grow this. Happy even. Some verging on ecstatic. Smaller statured in leaf and flower, this will make nice clumps with flowers of a clear, soft creamery-butter yellow. Mulch if winter is bitter.

One of the hardier members of the genus, this is a good Zone 7 and sneaking into favorable conditions in upper Zone 6. A smaller species to just a couple feet tall, this Harebell has the typical wiry stems and 4-5 narrow lavender-pink bells which dance in the breeze. Letting this self-sow to create a small, wild meadowlet wouldn't be the worst thing you have done in your garden. Sun and even moisture is about all this easy perennial requires. And pretty much deer resistant too!

Smashing yellow Crocosmia with small but multitudinous flared open flowers. A good clumper with nice vigor. Often we favor the larger flowers but this puts on such a good display of a nice yellow (there are bad yellows) that it is impossible not like this one. It was among the top sellers of our Crocosmias here at the nursery last year and it is because it has that special something. There is much confusion in the trade with a half dozen different but similar cultivars and we have to confess that we are as confused as anyone. We have sold this for years as Crocosmia 'Citronella' but now think we have 'Golden Fleece' based on Goldblatt, Manning and Dunlop who state that the the true 'Citronella' gets 3'-4' tall and this is quite compact at 28"-30". 'Golden Fleece' was introduced in 1993 but no one knows who the breeder was so add murky origins to the melange of mystery.

Crazy species which we coveted at Windcliff and Duane West dug us up a nice chunk - with permission from Dan of course. Weird brown flowers are scented. Differs from the related K. typhoides by having strongly keeled leaves in a non-distichous arrangement. Cool in a nerdy way.

A seldom-encountered Dianthus which hails from the mountains in South Africa where it is commonly known as the Drakensberg Carnation or if you are truly local, Hiokoa-La-Tsela. Apparently the local indigenous use this medicinally as well as in magic - we can't speak to the efficacy of the former but we can say we are transported briefly to another realm when this flowers. Nice pink flowers on slowly spreading mats which is best suited for the rock garden. Good drainage in full sun and hardy to zone 7 and possibly lower.

Love Moraea and a lot of them are winter-growing and too tender for us but this is one that is summer growing and flowering which fits right into the program! Narrow green leaves with a slight tunic at the base, not as flamboyantly netted as in M. alticola. Lovely yellow Iris-like flowers come in succession on stems above the leaves.

A very fine cultivar with large flowers held appealingly over an especially long period. The wide open mid-orange flowers have a darker orange central stripe running down each petal which tends to grab the eye and hold it. It is always fun to watch folks cruise the Crocosmia at a steady pace only to be brought up short by Zambesi.

Perhaps the most architectural of all the Kniphofia, this, with its broad leaves up to 6" wide at the base, makes an impressive statement. This is one of those genus-expansive plants incorporating characteristics of Aloe or Yucca. Pinkish-red buds open to light yellow flowers on this very cold hardy and wet tolerant species.

Near red selection of this cheerful little plant. Rhodohypoxis fill a pot with flowers like few other plants their size and 'Albrighton' is no exception. Ideally suited for container culture, these are easily overwintered in a cool frost-free spot indoors when they are dormant. If growing outside, give them good drainage as prolonged winter wet can be a terminal annoyance. Fortunately in our Port Townsend rain shadow, not a big consideration.

Great little Scroph (Scrophulariaceae) from the Drakensberg Mountains in South Africa. This is rated to zone 6 and grows in rocky areas. A cushion-forming perennial with loads of beautifully detailed scented flowers which open at dusk or on cloudy days. Good drainage.

This is a treasure among Pokers. A small statured species with big time bloom from South Africa introduced to the NW by one of the finest small nurseries in the country, Hedgerows Nursery in OR who have now retired and we are diminished as a result. David and Susie grew exceptional plants nearly perfectly and their level of excellence is what we gauge ourselves against. Of course David cheated with that damned English accent. Back to the plant under discussion -this Kniphofia doesn't know the word quit and after a main heavy spring bloom keeps throwing up flowers spikes sporadically throughout the season given ample water and food. This was a rare plant in just a few localities near Durban in South Africa and is now thought to be extirpated in the wild. Not as hardy as some, this benefits from a good mulch if temps drop into the teens in which case it is happy as a clam.

You don't have to sell your soul to have this in your garden but once you see it, you would be more than willing. New selection from the UK that has to be Lucifer's love child. This is so much better than that old devil. Stout dark sooty stems holding deep burning red flowers with a wide flared corolla that lacks only the smell of brimstone and the wail of sinners. We do get involuntary high-pitched keening from people who see our big display plant so maybe we're just missing the brimstone. Quite difficult to come by, these are single large corms we would typically put into a gallon pot for sale here at the nursery.