We just love the Japanese Gymnaster savatieri ‘Edo Murasaki’, and they have truly been exceptional this spring. As constantly happens, recent taxonomic work has kicked this out of the gym…or more accurately, kicked the gym out of the aster. After years of being a Gymnaster, new DNA tests move it back into the genus, Aster.
Well, Kiss my Gymnaster Read More »
We’ve been fascinated by mayapples of the genus Podophyllum, ever since first studying them in my NC backyard over 60 years ago. It was always a bit disappointing that they went dormant in late May, and often seem to be afflicted by several foliar diseases. It was not until three decades later (mid-1990s) that I
March flowers bring May Apples, along with a Taxonomic headache Read More »
This year, two families of house wrens, Troglodytes aedon, decided that our Pyrrosia fern baskets were the perfect place to raise their young. Two of three baskets outside our bedroom are filled with the sounds of youngsters, constantly bugging their parents for another happy meal. It usually takes less than two weeks from birth to
Finding Home with a Bunch of Ferners Read More »
We hear from so many gardeners that the abundance of deer have been a significant limiting factor in their gardening, by restricting their plant palette. For those who want to continue gardening, there are four options: 1) Grow only deer-resistant plants, 2) Exclude the deer, 3) Hunt the deer, and 4) Use deer deterrent products.
Shepherding Deer Away Read More »
North Carolina State University has long had a commercial peach breeding program, but every now and then, a seedling emerges that may not have store quality fruit, but has instead good ornamental traits. Two of my favorites from their program are below. The first is Prunus persica ‘NCSU Dwarf Double Red’. I first saw this
With Peaches, beauty is more than skin deep Read More »
Arum ‘Chui’, a purported hybrid between Arum italicum (unspotted flowers) and Arum dioscoridis (heavily spotted flowers), is hard to miss as it puts on it’s early spring flowering show. Bothe leaves and inflorescences are heavily spotted on this excellent selection. This gem comes from UK plantsman extraordinaire, John Grimshaw. We’ll probably be chopping into our
Here’s a fun spring color echo in the garden, where Yucca smalliana ‘Bright Edge’ is using Agave ‘Cordial Canary’ as a complimentary skirt and groundcover.
Spring Color Echo Read More »
Jeremy Schmidt’s amazing collection of Aesculus sylvatica, that he named ‘Sylvan Glow’ is looking quite spectacular in the early spring garden. The new growth emerges a screaming coral pink. Now four years old, it’s finally approaching 3′ tall. We’ve taken in few cuttings this spring, in the hopes we can get this to root, so
While many people grow acanthus (bear’s breech) in their garden, I’m betting not many folks have grown the Syrian, Acanthus hirsutus ssp. syriacus. Frankly, we didn’t think this native to Turkey, Syria, and Jordan, would be winter hardy here, but after a decade in the ground, our specimen continues to be quite happy. This is
From Syria with Serious Spines Read More »
Here’s a shot from JLBG this morning of the gardens in front of our Botanical Gardens and Nursery staff building…so many plants (Cercis, Phlomis, Agave, Yucca, Abies bornmuelleriana, Daphne, Chamaerops humilis var. argentea), so little time.
As the garden awakens Read More »
