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This is the Japanese version of our native False Hellebore. Wonderful broad pleated leaves and when old enough, nice spikes of white starry flowers to 3' or more. This likes a rich moist soil, emerges early in spring and goes dormant by mid to late summer. Deer resistant and very hardy. Young plants.

One of the most durable Penstemons for the rock garden with odd needle-like leaves almost coniferous in appearance but more surprising are the yellow tubular flowers which makes this a garden standout. To quote Katy Perry "This is the boom boom boom." Lean soil that is well drained with little or no supplemental water once established.

Lovely species in the group formerly placed in the genus Dentaria referring to their crinkled molar-like rhizomes. We do enjoy the the color of the purple-pink flowers in early spring but there is a quality of texture and sheen to the leaves that makes us consistently murmur 'I like that plant" whenever we pass by it.

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.

A choice and very dwarf form of the species in which everything is extremely miniaturized. This makes a tightly packed dumpling of dense, tiny leaves with 4" sprays of light pink flowers. Quite ideal for the damp rock garden or trough as this is an alpine form of Astilbe glaberrima endemic to the mountains of Yakushima in Japan. We were curious as to what constitutes the typical form of A. glaberrima and with a bit of noodling, were able to access online the herbarium sheet of this species from 1922 which is the holotype that was the basis for the original description of the species and we saw that it is indeed, a much larger plant. Plants are such great things to be curious about!

This is the Type A of the Soldanella clan which is related to Primroses. It spreads faster, has more flowers, is more vigorous and has more hair on it's petioles - what a show-off! But hey - great rounded evergreen foliage and the light purple fringed fringed flowers would not be out of place in Fairyland. Our friend June Sinclair has this growing in the moss and forest duff atop old second growth stumps and logs in her fabulous woodland garden on Hood Canal. We come home from visiting her with a bad case of stump envy.

Bold gray-green foliaged Chinese Salvia collected by plantswoman June Sinclair. Deciduous species and tough as nails. Multiple arms of flowering stems splay out from the leafy crown bearing many rich purple tubular pouchy flowers. This has been a trooper in our garden. We previously offered this as S. bulleyana but are refining our best guesses. Oh to have more time with a hand lens and the Flora of China.

Ok, here is a weird one. In the family Helwingiaceae there is but one genus, Helwingia which has 3 species. Helwingia has epiphyllus flowers which means they bloom from the midrib of the leaves. This male plant was collected by Hinkley in Sichuan and will be evergreen. Small light pink flowers.

The perfection of presence so inherent to Japan oozes from the stomata of this Nipponese woodlander. Pinkish new growth with lavender tones to the rounded foliage is meant to pair with the simple light lavender flowers. Allied to our eastern Jeffersonia diphylla like a Lexus SUV to a F150 pickup, a comparison not meant to disparage or annoy champions of the lovely J. diphylla. These are from our own divisions.

This tuberous Nasturtium species from Chile is quite remarkable and has become a focal feature in our front rock garden until it goes dormant for the year in late July. The blue digitate foliage with up to 7 small leaflets arranged circularly drape and spill until obscured by yellow flowers in June-July. This is adapted to unstable rock slopes deep roots form new tubers. Plant the dormant bulb in well-drained soil deeper than you think, no, deeper than that, still deeper - there you go! A foot or foot and a half gets it done. Propagation is by seed or by tubers with large ones getting cut up like you are planting potatoes.

Crug Farm collection from Chejudo Island in Korea from a slightly larger form. This was found growing in a shaded dry streambed as just 8" tall plants. The amenities of cultivation has fattened them up nicely and expect 18" or so. Glossy leaves and white bottlebrush flowers. Very cold tolerant.

A graceful Trillium native from Minnesota to Alabama and which has been a very good plant in our garden. White flowers in April above three broad green leaves and can be quite robust getting up to 2 feet tall and making multiple stems per bulb. And the darned thing is seeding itself around in the garden - lucky us! Our own slow propagations - not wild collected.

This smaller Schefflera is a very ornamental species from our collection northern Vietnam from a mountain previously unexplored by westerners. Loose panicles of presumed creamy flowers and black fruit. Similar but different to Schefflera sp. NV 023. Pretty cool! A Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy Offering.

Volcano is perhaps the finest example of one of the finest species of trilliums, taking the already difficult to improve on formula of T. chloropetalum and adorning it with saturated blood red flowers. Unfortunately it is extremely difficult to lay hands on and even our illustrious rare plant powers have none to spare. However these seedlings of Volcano could help you lead you part of the way to the euphoria of Volcano. These are not yet of flowering size so whether the exquisite flowers have been maintained in the genetic mixing pot is still to be determined. What we can vouch for are the incredible leaves on these plants, easily rivalling or surpassing their parent, deliciously dappled with silver and olive, they should serve to tide your lust until the grand reveal of the flowers.

A Plant Select release out of Colorado, this is a vigorous and floriferous selection of the species getting 12"-18" tall and wider. This has myriad tubular, orange flowers that are hummingbird crack which flower for many weeks in summer to early fall. Low water needs, don't kill it with the kindness of rich compost. Another positive is that deer - ours anyway - don't like Penstemon. An ideal rock garden candidate.

A less-common Fairy Wandflower we grew from seed from the late Rod and Rachel Saunders of South Africa. This is a smaller species to 3' and later flowering than most species with its small pink-purple flowers occurring in July and early August. It is useful as weaning species for the hummingbirds so they don't have to go cold turkey when the others are finished.

Midwestern native Hepatica whose name has been changed to Anemone acutiloba or some prefer Anemone nobilis var. acuta. We cling to Hepatica, kicking and screaming. These are from seed from the unparalleled collection at Ashwood Nurseries and are not wild collected plants. This has leaves with sharply pointed lobes and usually white but sometimes pinkish flowers sometimes  well-displayed on erect stems above the leaves. Good plant for the woodland garden where it plays well with the early Trilliums, Cardamines and various early spring ephemera.

A fine Corydalis collected by Hinkley in Sichuan and there is speculation that it might be a flexuosa x elata hybrid. What we know is that it is an excellent garden plant with loads of light blue flowers which puts on quite the show. Best in light shade or morning sun and moist.

Like a true American statesman this plant fulfills none of it's promises and gives you plenty of the unexpected. Contrary to it's common name of Pineapple Lily this is neither pineapple nor lily, luckily the unexpected reality is a shockingly easy South African summer bulb. Attractively lax rosettes of thick strappy light green leaves sometimes freckled red at the base. Flowers in a raucous spike of pink and white stars topped by an unkempt mop of green bracts, almost like a florist's recreation of a pineapple. Easy to please in a sunny spot with decent soil and can tolerate some degree of shade.  

Variegated version of the Broadleaf Griselinia. This New Zealander is an evergreen shrub with laurel-like green apple leaves whose margins are painted in cream as if from a palsied brush. Insignificant flowers bear little mention which is saying something coming from us, Champions of the Botanically Interesting. The foliage is of first-class stand-alone merit and why chance the potential clashing distraction which flowers might bring to a broad-leaf evergreen of this caliber? Excellent shrub responding well to pruning or hedging and suited for mild gardens such as near the water or in urban heat sinks here in the Puget Sound metro area. Try it as a south or west wall plant in areas frustratingly on the periphery of its hardiness range. The straight green-leafed species has been a stalwart at Washington Park Arboretum for decades in Seattle and this version will be no different.