The
Umbrella Plant is Big and Bold, grown for its foliage which is
GORGEOUS in Fall. Makes a fine marginal water plant. Grows in sun or
shade, but soil must be moist. Pink or white flowers appears in
spring before foliage.
Dense
dwarf mats of fleshy, dark green needle foliage w/ many large, stem
less flowers of rich yellow w/ a prominent white eye. From South
Africa. Needs full sun in Scree Beds or Rock Gardens and of course,
very well-drained soil. Just blooms and blooms and blooms!
"My wife and I are extremely pleased with the plants we ordered from you. They arrived today and I downloaded your instruction sheet. We will be ordering from you again."
Low
growing perennial succulent with brilliant, shining rose-purple
flowers ALL SUMMER HARD! One of our most spectacular plants. Use for
ground cover, erosions control but give it very well-drained soil.
Also spectacular in a low, wide pot or trough. Drought
tolerant.
Soil:
Well-drained H: 5-7" W: Indef.
B/M: Rose pink// 6-10
Ralston
Arboretum says the correct spelling is D. herbeum and thus noted but
it's more well known as D. hebeau. An extremely drought
tolerant succulent, not tolerant of wet feet. It's an
aggressive little fellow in the rock garden, blooming hard all
summer starting in April and persisting until Frost.
Evergreen.
Soil:
Very well-drained
H: 4-6" W: Indef. B/M:
White/5-10
A vigorous mat forming succulent described by some as an improved Delosperma cooperi, that literally smothers itself in magenta blooms, sports flatter, green foliage and it's MUCH shorter than D. cooperi. Also, it looks good in winter. This will be the plant to compare other Delospermas to!
A Colorado Plant Select introduction named for Denver Bot. Garden's former director.
Soil: Very well-drained
H: 3" W:
18" B/M: Fuchsia/
6-10
Forms
a dense succulent mat of foliage that from April until frost is just
smothered with hot pink blooms. Needs well-drained soil, sun
and not much else! Not as much of a spreader as some and much
more rare -- seldom seen in the trade.
Native
to the hot, dry climates of South Africa, these succulent,
drought-tolerant plants have splendidly showy, daisy-like flowers.
The mat-forming plant's fleshy leaves will tumble over rock walls or
edges of container gardens. More cold-tolerant than other Delosperma. Showy yellow flowers are splendidly showcased by
rich-green, dense foliage.
A named form of the species from Berkely Botanical
Gardens that looks stunning
trailing over a wall which it will do! Great as a evergreen
groundcover with all summer yellow flowers (place 24" apart).
Foliage turns a beautiful red in winter. Small bright yellow
flowers in profusion. More
cold-tolerant than other Delosperma. There are
those who say this and the species are one and the same.
Delosperma
sutherlandii is one of the largest flowering magenta iceplants from
South Africa. Pink flowers very similar to cooperi, possibly a
little less hardy but showier with larger flowers, great for a hot
sunny site. Doesn't like winter wet. (Well, gosh, who does
really...)
Soil:
Very well-drained H: 4-6" W:
Indef. B/M: Pink/ 6-8
One
of our favorite Delphiniums 'cause it thumbs it's nose at heat and
humidity, of which we have a plenty! Beautiful 1" long
Gentian Blue to Purple Larkspur type blooms in this East Coast
Native over a period of 2 months from July through September.
This species blooms later, is
taller and has more abundant
foliage than most other native U.S. larkspurs. Altogether, a
well, must-have especially for the cottage garden. Best in
mass but that will happen with time as it gently self-seeds.
Soil:
Ave. to moist but well-drained H: 4-6' W:
1-2' B/M: Gentian blue/7-9
Belladonna
delphiniums are MUCH better for our area w/ it's hot summers.
Upright, branching perennial, w/ cup-shaped, deep gentian blue
flowers. If you're not having luck w/ delphiniums, this is the one
to try. Seldom needs staking. Elegant treasures with a stately
appearance.
A
rare NATIVE woodland plant (nursery propagated), often
frequenting limestone areas or rich, wooded slopes. Deeply cleft
leaves with flowers that range from deep purple to blue to rarely white.
This is a fabulous, underused, easy native that's wonderful in mass,
which will occur gradually. Toxic to cattle if you keep
cattle in your garden... :-) Summer Dormant!
Atypical
Roots
Soil:
Light, rich, Well-drained H:
8-12" W:6-8"
B/M: Blue to Purple/ 4-5
Dentaria diphylla is under it's
new name Cardamine diphylla
Dentaria laciniata is under
it's new name Cardamine concatenata
Fall
Daisies - Dendranthema now renamed back to their original name
Chrysanthemum
They're
called once again, Chrysanthemum BUT they're not the Fall Mum that you
can find everywhere including the grocery store! These are
fabulous long lasting Perennials. You may remember,
they WERE originally called Chrysanthemums and then over a 3 year
period, we were told by the folks in charge of Botanical nomenclature
and classifications to change them to their new names. Tag
makers and sign makers and plant growers all gradually made the
switch. And then, about a year later after the official
switch date, they changed the classification BACK to
Chrysanthemums! Argh-h-h-h-h-h! We liked them under their
previous 'new' names.
People didn't confuse them with the inferior, not too perennial, fall Mums.
Dendranthema are now back on the Ce-Ci
Page under their old, now new name Chrysanthemum!
A
long blooming Perennial in a Genus that is mostly annoying!
Common names such as Hitch-hikers, Tick Trefoil and Beggar's Lice,
all allude to their seed's ability to stick to clothing as you walk
by. D canadense does as well BUT has such large panicles of
pea-like flowers and is so pretty, you'll ignore it's one little
flaw and place it back in your bed so you don't rub against the
seeds. Showy Tick Trefoil
is a host plant for the caterpillars of many butterfly species,
including Silver-spotted & Long-tailed Skipper, Hoary Edge, Clouded
Sulphur, Northern Cloudy Wing and Eastern
Tailed Blue. And the seeds are eaten by many animals
including deer so, consider that as a plus or a minus! This
member of the Pea family adds Nitrogen to the soil. Most
attractive in colonies. Blooms fade from purple thru rose to
blue after pollination so various colors are on the plant at one
time.
Soil:
Most any, moist to dry, poorly drained; likes acid
soil H: 24-48"
W:12-15" B/M: Rose/7-9
Evergreen, strap-like foliage. Leaves are variegated
green and white and can grow to 4 feet long. Flowers in summer with
panicles of star-shaped, blue/purple flowers. The yellow stamens
provide an excellent color contrast. Followed by electric blue
flowers. From Austrailia
Soil: Well-drained
H:12-24" W: 24" B/M:
Steel blue/Mid Spring
Dianthus
and their Common
Name - Pinks:
It has nothing at all to do
with the color Pink, although many 'Pinks' are Pink! It's
because the blooms often have fringed flower petals that look as if
they've been cut with 'Pinking Shears'.
Perennial
Plant of the Year 2006. Charming,
a familiar addition to cottage gardens, with handsome foliage and
sometimes a delightfully spicy, clove-like fragrance. A hybrid from
a family native to the Cheddar Gorge in England. Very fine
blue-green foliage with magenta flowers. Blooms summer through Fall!
One of the VERY BEST dianthus in the trade! DOES WELL IN THE
SOUTH.
Dianthus japonicus Evergreen Japanese Dianthus
Zone: 5-7 probably warmer
We've
never met a single person who could recognize this as a Dianthus
upon first seeing it! Shiny, almost waxy deep green leaves
look nothing like the 'Pinks' your grandmother grew! Short
lived (the classic, blooms itself to death) but no matter, it self
seeds so once you have one... The bonus, the pink form
occasionally produces white blooming plants as well and vice versa.
Does well in the South.
Soil:
Well-drained
H: 8" (12-24" IB) W: B/M: Pink/All
season
As
above but with snow white blooms all season. This is just a
stunning plant year round. Even in winter, the evergreen
leaves take on burgundy hues and have attractive seed heads.
Soil:
Well-drained
H: 8" (12-24" IB) W: B/M:
White/All
season
A
great little dianthus with dark pink blooms and a darker eye.
Ruffled edges. Self seeds very true so you get more of this great
plant. Very rare -- when I go Online to search for this plant, I get
two listings -- both of them Lazy S'S Farm! This has
been a dependable performer for us in high heat and humidity because
of the fact that it just keeps seeding and replacing itself with
babies that look just like Mama!.
Modern
'border pink' with bluish green foliage. Bears vanilla-scented,
single white ruffled flowers that open from brown buds, from spring
to summer. MORE HEAT TOLERANT than many pinks. This is a great
dianthus!
This plant goes way back to 1690!
Not to be confused with 'Pheasant's Ear' which didn't appear for
another hundred years or so! Semi-double fringed white flowers with reddish-purple center. Occasional liming may be necessary to keep Ph close to neutral. Prune back after flowering to get repeat bloom thru summer.
Extremely fragrant!
Soil:
Well-drained H: 10"
W: 12" B/M: White with reddish
purple center/5-6
A
heritage pink from 1820's with numerous, lovely shell-pink, double, fringed flowers emitting a HEAVENLY
PERFUME and gray-blue foliage. Shear after flowering for repeat blooms.
Place
this in a suit buttonhole in the morning. It will still be pumping
heavenly fragrance when you sit down to dinner at night!
THIS IS HANDS DOWN OUR BEST PERFORMING Dianthus. It's long lived, it blooms several
times and it simply ignores our heat and humidity.
Note: It's a 'Reclining Dianthus' -- sort of like a gorgeous old movie
star reclining on a divan -- and then she stands up elegantly at the
end of the stems and blooms, as if to say in a proper British accent,
"There now dear, aren't I just lovely?"
So be prepared
-- it looks like a
'Dianthus on a Rope' in a pot the first year -- not impressive at all --
but,
oh my, what she does in the garden after the first year! Gorgeous trailing over a rock wall. In a
vase, it will perfume your house. Grown in olden days by Thomas Jefferson, a
well-known 'local' gardener in our area ... :-)
From the Drakensburg Mountains in South Africa.
A creeping perennials with a mass of short, uprights racemes of
salmon rose with a dark blotch in the 'bonnet' from early midsummer
until first frost. Beautiful in a rock garden where so many
plants bloom and are done! Drought tolerant, it needs
well-drained soil. Stoloniferous. Difficult to get
through the winter unless sited perfectly BUT the little bugger just
blooms it's head off so worth trying -- if you can get it right, it
will bloom itself silly. They want full sun but like Clematis
and Fuchsia, cool roots, so mulch. Probably does better than
'Coral Canyon' in the deep south.
Wiry
stems with pink oval flowers. Blue-green narrow foliage. A cloud of
soft pink blooms late SPRING to FROST! Finally a hardy Diascia. This
heat tolerant introduction from South Africa has a wide tolerance of
soil & exposure. By far the toughest performer in this novel
genus of ever-blooming wildflowers. Plant Select® from Denver Bot.
Garden. Hardier than the species from when it came!
Exceptional tolerance to heat and cold.
A new
Fern Leaf Bleeding Heart that sets the standard! Compact
mounds of of feathery blue-gray foliage (reminds me of an Artemisia
it's so finely cut) blooming consistently the entire season from
mid-spring through frost with lots of deep rose-red, heart-shaped
blooms that are a cut above previous offerings. Tips of blooms
turn up edged in white. Ohmygosh! Gottaseeit --
gottahaveit!
Soil:
Moist but well-drained H: 10-12" W: 12"
B/M: Rose Red/5-10
A
classic native woodland plant with wonderful cut leaf foliage and
pink blooms ALL summer. Likes moist but well-drained NEUTRAL
soil which most folks don't think of in the woodland setting.
One of a very few shade plants that bloom all summer.
A older but rarely
offered dwarf variety with clusters of pink, pendulous blooms and
glaucous grey leaves. The compound leaves are fringed, finely
cut and delicately beautiful in the very grey green.
Eventually forms a nice patch, spreading by rhizomes and seed.
Award of Garden Merit.
Probably the hottest Bleeding Heart on the market.
Mounds of blue-green ferny, foliage with small white flowers in spring and THROUGHOUT THE
SUMMER in cooler zones. A much improved form over D. eximia 'Alba'. More vigorous.
Raspberry
red buds develop intense red, fluorescent bell-shaped flowers.
Compact plant with blue, fern-like leaves. Major bloom in spring
& fall with intermittent blossoms in between. Will take direct
sun if moist. Beautiful, cut foliage. A Western Bleeding Heart
cultivar. Needs neutral soil -- lime if needed.
Deeply
cut, fern-like, grayish-green foliage with nodding, cherry red,
heart-shaped bloom carried above the foliage. Blooms in spring
in warm areas but in cooler areas, will bloom all season. In
the warmer zones, it may come back for a Fall encore. With
adequate moisture, foliage is attractive all season, giving a
groundcover effect. Thought to be a hybrid between D. eximia
and D.formosa. Varies, but generally grows about 13"
tall.
Soil:
Moist but well-drained H: 12-18"
W: 12-18" B/M: Cherry Red/
Spring plus (see above)
This
plant has been a garden favorite for years. A fairly tall grower.
Prefers moist, woodland soil & no direct sun. But will take more
sun than you might expect, if that's the only spot you have. Will go
dormant earlier. The more you water them, the later they go
summer dormant.
Though a common plant in the garden, it's from Asia.
Atypical
Roots
Soil:
Moist but well-drained H: 40" W: 24"
B/M: Very dark pink/
5-6
Blooms
are exquisitely delicate & the white has an entirely different
character than the pink. Prefers moist, woodland soil & no
direct sun. But will take more sun than you might expect, if that's
the only spot you have. Will go summer dormant earlier. Though a common
plant in the garden, it's from Asia.
Atypical
Roots
"An
electric beacon in the garden from Nori Pope of Hadspen House
Nursery in Castle Cary, England. Peach-colored stems hold exquisite,
brilliant, metallic gold leaves. Rich rose-pink flowers emerge soon
thereafter. One of the most stunning plants in our spring garden.
Summer dormant. Voluntary royalty to breeder. Not for resale into
Canada." Terra Nova
Atypical
Roots
A
wonderful new Cut-Leaf bleeding heart with a marvelous blue cast to
the foliage. Place it beside Baccanal, Luxuriant, etc. and you can
pick it out every time due to the much bluer foliage which is even
more cut and finer textured than the others. Sterile so the
carmine rose blooms just keep coming and coming all season in cool
areas. Does want moisture
but in well-drained soil. The parents include Dicentra peregrina
from Japan crossed with D. formosa subsp. oregona crossed with D.
eximia. Also the bloom itself is
much improved over other cut-leaf Bleeding Hearts. This one
sets the standard for everblooming Bleeding Hearts.
Soil:
MOIST but well-drained H: 6-8"
(10-12"IB) W: 8-12"
B/M: Carmine rose/ 5-6 + (5-9 in cool zones)
$8.99 Qt.
Dictamnus
albus (fraxinella) White Gas
Plant Z: 3-8
Among the sturdiest & longest-lived of perennials, & slowest to establish. Takes 3-5 years, but then they're yours for life. Handsome foliage, a delightful tart fragrance and crowns with attractive flower spikes. The kind of plant you can build a border around. Taprooted. Does not like to be
moved. 1st year plants.
Atypical
Roots
Among the sturdiest & longest-lived of perennials, & slowest to establish. Takes 3-5 years, but then they're yours for life. Handsome foliage, a delightful tart fragrance and crowns with attractive flower spikes. The kind of plant you can build a border around.
Taprooted. Does not like to be
moved. 1st year plants.
Atypical Roots
Soil: Well-drained
H: 30" W: 20"
B/M: Pink/Summer
Note, while Digitalis - Foxglove is used in heart
saving medicines, all parts are poisonous and probably
shouldn't be in gardens where children are too young to appreciate
that concept.
Perennial
best treated as a biennial, w/ long, slender spikes bearing many
funnel-shaped, pale orange-brown & white flowers in mid-summer
above basal rosettes of oval, rough leaves. Reseeds charmingly.
Takes any soil but very wet or very dry. In mass, gorgeous. The
effect is quite like Eremurus or Foxtail lilies. Truly lovely in a
group.
Soil:
Moist but well-drained H: 36-48" W: 18"
B/M: Yellowish w/
rusty red 7-8
Gold
Crest has dark shiny semi-evergreen leaves with continuous yellow
bell-shaped flowers. This sterile perennial grows to about 18" tall
and because it's sterile it blooms all summer!
Exploited commercially for the widely used cardiac drug, digaxin, used to treat congestive heart failure. White flowers with bold brown veining are born on 3 foot spikes, usually singular, followed by many seeded capsules. Perennial with biennial tendencies --
self-seeds well, however, so once you have it, you have it!. (Best used medicinally by experts.)
This foxglove is stunning in mass.
This
is a true perennial foxglove -- not a biennial with lovely soft
yellow tubular blooms with flared lips that make a delightful
addition to flower arrangements. Self seeds but not a pest.
This
is a cross that CAN occur naturally in our garden and has produced one
spectacular plant Digitalis
'LSS Just Peachy'. The seedlings often have more of
the characteristics of D. lanata which is so gorgeous but with
varying degrees of peach coloration but some look just like the
other parent, D. lutea. So if you like D. lanata and D. lutea
and are up for a surprise, try this! Note the photo at the
left is the exact same occurrence in our friend Jack's garden that
CAN happen when. D. grandiflora and D. lanata are grown together BUT
it's not a guarantee. You'll get either D. lanata, or D.
grandiflora or if you're lucky, a wonderful surprise!
Digitalis obscura Sunset®,
Dusky Maid or Willow Leaf Foxglove
Zone 4B-9
A
charming evergreen form of foxglove that looks more like a Penstemon
than a Foxglove. One of the most distinctive of the foxgloves
with an almost shrubby base of multiple rosettes of smooth, leathery
textured leaves. A short lived self-seeding Perennial it will
(like most Foxgloves) perform as a Perennial if deadheaded before it
sets seed and will continue to bloom and try to set seed, extending
the bloom season almost all summer. Or you can let it set seed
and maintain it's presence in your garden with seedlings which will
come true if no other Foxgloves are nearby. Ideally, if
you conscientious, dead head several time to extend bloom and THEN
let it set seed -- you'll get the long bloom times and babies to
boot! Unlike most Foxgloves, it takes full sun.
Endures drought and hot summers.
Soil:
Well-drained H: 14-24" W: 15-20"
B/M: Burnt orange/5-6 (or all summer if deadheaded).
From the mountains of Spain, a perennial foxglove with 1/2" flowers in dense racemes. Good for NATURALIZING in a partly shaded area. Self seeds where leaf cover is not too deep. Takes any soil but soaking wet or very dry.
Soil: Moist but well-drained
H: 24-36" W: 12" B/M: Brown
purple/ 6-7
$8.99 Qt.
Digitalis
purpurea 'Pam's Choice' White &
Burgundy Foxglove Zone: 4-9
Large
white Bells with a distinct Burgundy throat. This is a
Biennial Foxglove, however, if you cut it back after blooming and
before it sets seed, it will behave like a Perennial or you can keep
it isolated from any other Digitalis and the seedlings will bloom
true -- either way, you can keep it in your garden once you get a
"start"! One of the best new foxgloves found in recent years.
Extremely dramatic in mass.
Soil:
Moist but well-drained H: 36" IB W:
B/M: White/6-7
Narrow
silvery leaves with spires of soft pink flowers. Raspberry
rose-colored flowers in early summer are carried over a trim mat of
furry leaves. Wow! This cousin to the familiar foxglove is a true
perennial & thrives in a variety of sites and soils. Heat
tolerant. NEW. Blooms for 4 weeks in June & again in FALL! No
staking! Plant Select® Introduction.
Soil:
Well-drained
H: 12-15" W:
8-12" B/M: Rose 6-7 +
AKA, Polygonatum
cyrtonema. Rhizomatous perennial w/ lance-shaped, glossy, dark green
leaves. Lemon-scented white flowers w/ pale green out tips that are
slightly reflexed are borne singly or in pairs in early summer. From
China. This is a gorgeous, gorgeous plant & very pest free.
Rhizomatous, evergreen closely allied to our Polygonatum.
A
delightful new Fairy Bells to the trade that's Evergreen. New
bamboo-like shoots arise from the previous year's evergreen foliage
in early spring, often with a purple tint as they emerge. This
unique woodland plant quickly unfurls into a multi-branched clump,
topped in late spring with cream or chartreuse bell-like flowers
followed by glistening blue black long lasting fruit.
Introduced by Dan Hinkley.
Disporum
cantoniense 'Night Heron' Burgundy
Chinese Fairy Bells Zone:
5-9
Discovered
and introduced by Dan Hinkley, with lustrous evergreen deep dark
burgundy foliage and stems as they emerge. With the heat of
summer (depending on how hot), it will develop a more green hue,
purple tinted green in cooler areas. Creamy green-yellow
bell-shaped blooms appear atop tall stems in early summer and are
followed by purple-black fruit. Looks a bit like a
bamboo. The foliage in mass is extremely beautiful especially
in spring when all else is spring green. Best in bright or
part shade with no direct afternoon sun. Although evergreen,
foliage will gradually go ground-ward and is best cut back to the
ground in February.
Disporum flavum
(D. uniflorum & D. sessile var flavens) Korean
Fairybells Zone: 4-9A
Rare
but in the trade under a number of aliases, it's true name is
Disporum flavum. It emerges in late spring with the multiple
flower buds almost immediately visible on each stem and blooming
quickly thereafter with large, showy yellow bells. To the
uninitiated, it looks like a large Solomon Seal. It takes 2-3 years
to develop a good root system and can occasionally be divided after
that. Easily, the most impressive of the genus for
blooms. The yellow bells are followed by black berries in
summer.
Soil: Rich,
moist but well-drained
H: 24-30" W: 24" B/M: Buttercup
Yellow/Late Spring
This
U.S. Native is rare and unknown and one of our most charming.
Nodding white bloom with purple spots like a tricyrtis give way to
3-lobed tan fruits with rough skin. AKA. Fairy Bells because
the dainty flowers hang at the tips of the stems. These rhizomatous
lilies, like Polygonatum and Uvularia thrive in moist, dappled
deciduous woods, particularly on slopes. American
Disporums have been reclassified to a new genus -- Prosartes --
leaving the Chinese Disporum in that Genus -- differences are not
visible to the naked eye, but rather chemical/microscopic.
This is a robust little plant w/ foliage that is mid green, brightly
striped w/ silver & margined w/ white. In autumn the whole plant
turns to bright gold w/ the variegated leaves taking on vivid,
almost fluorescent tones. Black berries in Fall. Stoloniferous but still
polite! This is D. pullum not the often sold D. sessile 'Variegata'
which is taller and a bit of a thug.
Soil:
Well-drained H: 10-12" W: Indef.
B/M: Creamy white/ Spring
Water
well when in active growth. DORMANT IN SUMMER. This is
stunning in mass and gradually self-seeds and multiplies to do that
if happy.
Atypical Roots
Soil:
Humusy, moist but well-drained H:12-18"
W:6" B/M: Pink/ Spring
The
common name describes the swept-back pink
petals trailing the "Star" -- a cluster of yellow stamens.
Resembling a small orchid, it dances in the air on pliable stems.
Prefers light shade & cool, damp soil rich in humus. Water well
when in active growth. DORMANT IN SUMMER. Atypical
Roots
Soil:
Humusy, moist but well-drained
H: 8-18" W: 9-12" B/M:
Pink, lilac to white/
4-6
The
common name describes the swept-back white
petals trailing the "Star" -- a cluster of yellow stamens.
Resembling a small orchid, it dances in the air on pliable stems.
Prefers light shade & cool, damp soil rich in humus. Water well
when in active growth. DORMANT IN SUMMER. We've just selected
out some white forms. The species can bloom pink to lilac to
white and these are white.
Atypical
Roots
Prostrate foliage. Yellow
flowers in April and again in October. Choice rock garden plant
because so many rock garden plants bloom only in spring. But not
this little work-horse. Once isn't enough! Hardy enough to live in
containers. Particularly eye-catching in an 'Alpine
Trough'
This
enchanting Dracocephalum boasts brilliant blue Snapdragon-like flowers, each
highlighted with a light blue lip. Needle-like leathery green
foliage forms compact durable 1' clumps, long-lived perennial.
Great for infilling crevices in the rockery.
Another
enchanting Dracocephalum, it's the white form of the above. Showy
snow white flowers but the lower lip has just a blush of blue over
12" tall, 2 foot wide clumps. Butterflies just love it and
deer just walk on by!
Lamium-like, dark violet-blue hooded flowers. Wrinkled green foliage remains attractive through summer. Prefers moist partial shade. From Siberia forming a clump of rounded dark green leaves and large purple-blue hooded flowers on 12" stems.
Well,
it's hard to improve on this fabulous species but 'Blue Dragon' is
an improvement with bigger, bolder blooms. Takes DRY SHADE!
Every garden should have a couple of Dracocephalums. Cold
hardy enough to live in containers in most of the country.
A
wild, ruffled purple vase-like bloom, up to 18" across, with a dark,
central spathe that brought the 'King of Horticultural Comedy' Tony
Avent to dub this plant the 'Viagra Lily'. Speckled, leopard-like
stem supports gorgeous summer dormant foliage. Very rare! Also
available in quarts.
Atypical
Roots
Soil:
Well-drained H: 36" W: 12"
B/M: Purple/ 3-4
Dryopteris
(Log Fern, Autumn Fern, Leather or Eastern Wood Fern) are listed
on the Ferns Page:
Forward to the next group of Perennials: E
Perennials
Gift
Certificates
Click
on the
Plant Name for Large Photos (Lots of folks
still have dial up so this page only has small photos!)
The
Umbrella Plant is Big and Bold, grown for its foliage which is
GORGEOUS in Fall. Makes a fine marginal water plant. Grows in sun or
shade, but soil must be moist. Pink or white flowers appears in
spring before foliage. 
Dense
dwarf mats of fleshy, dark green needle foliage w/ many large, stem
less flowers of rich yellow w/ a prominent white eye. From South
Africa. Needs full sun in Scree Beds or Rock Gardens and of course,
very well-drained soil. Just blooms and blooms and blooms! 
Low
growing perennial succulent with brilliant, shining rose-purple
flowers ALL SUMMER HARD! One of our most spectacular plants. Use for
ground cover, erosions control but give it very well-drained soil.
Also spectacular in a low, wide pot or trough. Drought
tolerant. 
Ralston
Arboretum says the correct spelling is D. herbeum and thus noted but
it's more well known as D. hebeau. An extremely drought
tolerant succulent, not tolerant of wet feet. It's an
aggressive little fellow in the rock garden, blooming hard all
summer starting in April and persisting until Frost.
Evergreen.
A vigorous mat forming succulent described by some as an improved Delosperma cooperi, that literally smothers itself in magenta blooms, sports flatter, green foliage and it's MUCH shorter than D. cooperi. Also, it looks good in winter. This will be the plant to compare other Delospermas to!
A Colorado Plant Select introduction named for Denver Bot. Garden's former director.
Forms
a dense succulent mat of foliage that from April until frost is just
smothered with hot pink blooms. Needs well-drained soil, sun
and not much else! Not as much of a spreader as some and much
more rare -- seldom seen in the trade.
Native
to the hot, dry climates of South Africa, these succulent,
drought-tolerant plants have splendidly showy, daisy-like flowers.
The mat-forming plant's fleshy leaves will tumble over rock walls or
edges of container gardens. More cold-tolerant than other Delosperma. Showy yellow flowers are splendidly showcased by
rich-green, dense foliage. 
A named form of the species from Berkely Botanical
Gardens that looks stunning
trailing over a wall which it will do! Great as a evergreen
groundcover with all summer yellow flowers (place 24" apart).
Foliage turns a beautiful red in winter. Small bright yellow
flowers in profusion. More
cold-tolerant than other Delosperma. There are
those who say this and the species are one and the same. 
Delosperma
sutherlandii is one of the largest flowering magenta iceplants from
South Africa. Pink flowers very similar to cooperi, possibly a
little less hardy but showier with larger flowers, great for a hot
sunny site. Doesn't like winter wet. (Well, gosh, who does
really...)
One
of our favorite Delphiniums 'cause it thumbs it's nose at heat and
humidity, of which we have a plenty! Beautiful 1" long
Gentian Blue to Purple Larkspur type blooms in this East Coast
Native over a period of 2 months from July through September.
This species blooms later, is
taller and has more abundant
foliage than most other native U.S. larkspurs. Altogether, a
well, must-have especially for the cottage garden. Best in
mass but that will happen with time as it gently self-seeds.
Belladonna
delphiniums are MUCH better for our area w/ it's hot summers.
Upright, branching perennial, w/ cup-shaped, deep gentian blue
flowers. If you're not having luck w/ delphiniums, this is the one
to try. Seldom needs staking. Elegant treasures with a stately
appearance. 
A
rare NATIVE woodland plant (nursery propagated), often
frequenting limestone areas or rich, wooded slopes. Deeply cleft
leaves with flowers that range from deep purple to blue to rarely white.
This is a fabulous, underused, easy native that's wonderful in mass,
which will occur gradually. Toxic to cattle if you keep
cattle in your garden... :-) Summer Dormant!
A
long blooming Perennial in a Genus that is mostly annoying!
Common names such as Hitch-hikers, Tick Trefoil and Beggar's Lice,
all allude to their seed's ability to stick to clothing as you walk
by. D canadense does as well BUT has such large panicles of
pea-like flowers and is so pretty, you'll ignore it's one little
flaw and place it back in your bed so you don't rub against the
seeds. Showy Tick Trefoil
is a host plant for the caterpillars of many butterfly species,
including Silver-spotted & Long-tailed Skipper, Hoary Edge, Clouded
Sulphur, Northern Cloudy Wing and Eastern
Tailed Blue. And the seeds are eaten by many animals
including deer so, consider that as a plus or a minus! This
member of the Pea family adds Nitrogen to the soil. Most
attractive in colonies. Blooms fade from purple thru rose to
blue after pollination so various colors are on the plant at one
time. 
Evergreen, strap-like foliage. Leaves are variegated
green and white and can grow to 4 feet long. Flowers in summer with
panicles of star-shaped, blue/purple flowers. The yellow stamens
provide an excellent color contrast. Followed by electric blue
flowers. From Austrailia
Perennial
Plant of the Year 2006. Charming,
a familiar addition to cottage gardens, with handsome foliage and
sometimes a delightfully spicy, clove-like fragrance. A hybrid from
a family native to the Cheddar Gorge in England. Very fine
blue-green foliage with magenta flowers. Blooms summer through Fall!
One of the VERY BEST dianthus in the trade! DOES WELL IN THE
SOUTH.
We've
never met a single person who could recognize this as a Dianthus
upon first seeing it! Shiny, almost waxy deep green leaves
look nothing like the 'Pinks' your grandmother grew! Short
lived (the classic, blooms itself to death) but no matter, it self
seeds so once you have one... The bonus, the pink form
occasionally produces white blooming plants as well and vice versa.
Does well in the South.
As
above but with snow white blooms all season. This is just a
stunning plant year round. Even in winter, the evergreen
leaves take on burgundy hues and have attractive seed heads.
A
great little dianthus with dark pink blooms and a darker eye.
Ruffled edges. Self seeds very true so you get more of this great
plant. Very rare -- when I go Online to search for this plant, I get
two listings -- both of them Lazy S'S Farm! This has
been a dependable performer for us in high heat and humidity because
of the fact that it just keeps seeding and replacing itself with
babies that look just like Mama!. 
Modern
'border pink' with bluish green foliage. Bears vanilla-scented,
single white ruffled flowers that open from brown buds, from spring
to summer. MORE HEAT TOLERANT than many pinks. This is a great
dianthus! 
This plant goes way back to 1690!
Not to be confused with 'Pheasant's Ear' which didn't appear for
another hundred years or so! Semi-double fringed white flowers with reddish-purple center. Occasional liming may be necessary to keep Ph close to neutral. Prune back after flowering to get repeat bloom thru summer.
Extremely fragrant!
A
heritage pink from 1820's with numerous, lovely shell-pink, double, fringed flowers emitting a HEAVENLY
PERFUME and gray-blue foliage. Shear after flowering for repeat blooms.
Place
this in a suit buttonhole in the morning. It will still be pumping
heavenly fragrance when you sit down to dinner at night!
From the Drakensburg Mountains in South Africa.
A creeping perennials with a mass of short, uprights racemes of
salmon rose with a dark blotch in the 'bonnet' from early midsummer
until first frost. Beautiful in a rock garden where so many
plants bloom and are done! Drought tolerant, it needs
well-drained soil. Stoloniferous. Difficult to get
through the winter unless sited perfectly BUT the little bugger just
blooms it's head off so worth trying -- if you can get it right, it
will bloom itself silly. They want full sun but like Clematis
and Fuchsia, cool roots, so mulch. Probably does better than
'Coral Canyon' in the deep south.
Wiry
stems with pink oval flowers. Blue-green narrow foliage. A cloud of
soft pink blooms late SPRING to FROST! Finally a hardy Diascia. This
heat tolerant introduction from South Africa has a wide tolerance of
soil & exposure. By far the toughest performer in this novel
genus of ever-blooming wildflowers. Plant Select® from Denver Bot.
Garden. Hardier than the species from when it came!
Exceptional tolerance to heat and cold.
A new
Fern Leaf Bleeding Heart that sets the standard! Compact
mounds of of feathery blue-gray foliage (reminds me of an Artemisia
it's so finely cut) blooming consistently the entire season from
mid-spring through frost with lots of deep rose-red, heart-shaped
blooms that are a cut above previous offerings. Tips of blooms
turn up edged in white. Ohmygosh! Gottaseeit --
gottahaveit! 
A
classic native woodland plant with wonderful cut leaf foliage and
pink blooms ALL summer. Likes moist but well-drained NEUTRAL
soil which most folks don't think of in the woodland setting.
One of a very few shade plants that bloom all summer.
A older but rarely
offered dwarf variety with clusters of pink, pendulous blooms and
glaucous grey leaves. The compound leaves are fringed, finely
cut and delicately beautiful in the very grey green.
Eventually forms a nice patch, spreading by rhizomes and seed.
Award of Garden Merit.
Probably the hottest Bleeding Heart on the market.
Mounds of blue-green ferny, foliage with small white flowers in spring and THROUGHOUT THE
SUMMER in cooler zones. A much improved form over D. eximia 'Alba'. More vigorous. 
Raspberry
red buds develop intense red, fluorescent bell-shaped flowers.
Compact plant with blue, fern-like leaves. Major bloom in spring
& fall with intermittent blossoms in between. Will take direct
sun if moist. Beautiful, cut foliage. A Western Bleeding Heart
cultivar. Needs neutral soil -- lime if needed. 
Deeply
cut, fern-like, grayish-green foliage with nodding, cherry red,
heart-shaped bloom carried above the foliage. Blooms in spring
in warm areas but in cooler areas, will bloom all season. In
the warmer zones, it may come back for a Fall encore. With
adequate moisture, foliage is attractive all season, giving a
groundcover effect. Thought to be a hybrid between D. eximia
and D.formosa. Varies, but generally grows about 13"
tall.
This
plant has been a garden favorite for years. A fairly tall grower.
Prefers moist, woodland soil & no direct sun. But will take more
sun than you might expect, if that's the only spot you have. Will go
dormant earlier. The more you water them, the later they go
summer dormant.
Though a common plant in the garden, it's from Asia.
Blooms
are exquisitely delicate & the white has an entirely different
character than the pink. Prefers moist, woodland soil & no
direct sun. But will take more sun than you might expect, if that's
the only spot you have. Will go summer dormant earlier. Though a common
plant in the garden, it's from Asia.
"An
electric beacon in the garden from Nori Pope of Hadspen House
Nursery in Castle Cary, England. Peach-colored stems hold exquisite,
brilliant, metallic gold leaves. Rich rose-pink flowers emerge soon
thereafter. One of the most stunning plants in our spring garden.
Summer dormant. Voluntary royalty to breeder. Not for resale into
Canada." Terra Nova
A
wonderful new Cut-Leaf bleeding heart with a marvelous blue cast to
the foliage. Place it beside Baccanal, Luxuriant, etc. and you can
pick it out every time due to the much bluer foliage which is even
more cut and finer textured than the others. Sterile so the
carmine rose blooms just keep coming and coming all season in cool
areas. Does want moisture
but in well-drained soil. The parents include Dicentra peregrina
from Japan crossed with D. formosa subsp. oregona crossed with D.
eximia. Also the bloom itself is
much improved over other cut-leaf Bleeding Hearts. This one
sets the standard for everblooming Bleeding Hearts.
Among the sturdiest & longest-lived of perennials, & slowest to establish. Takes 3-5 years, but then they're yours for life. Handsome foliage, a delightful tart fragrance and crowns with attractive flower spikes. The kind of plant you can build a border around. Taprooted. Does not like to be
moved. 1st year plants.
Among the sturdiest & longest-lived of perennials, & slowest to establish. Takes 3-5 years, but then they're yours for life. Handsome foliage, a delightful tart fragrance and crowns with attractive flower spikes. The kind of plant you can build a border around.
Taprooted. Does not like to be
moved. 1st year plants.
Perennial
best treated as a biennial, w/ long, slender spikes bearing many
funnel-shaped, pale orange-brown & white flowers in mid-summer
above basal rosettes of oval, rough leaves. Reseeds charmingly.
Takes any soil but very wet or very dry. In mass, gorgeous. The
effect is quite like Eremurus or Foxtail lilies. Truly lovely in a
group. 
Gold
Crest has dark shiny semi-evergreen leaves with continuous yellow
bell-shaped flowers. This sterile perennial grows to about 18" tall
and because it's sterile it blooms all summer!
With
the largest bloom of the Perennial Foxgloves, this one is a gentle
self seeder with huge big lemon yellow blooms. Delightful and
long-lived.
Exploited commercially for the widely used cardiac drug, digaxin, used to treat congestive heart failure. White flowers with bold brown veining are born on 3 foot spikes, usually singular, followed by many seeded capsules. Perennial with biennial tendencies --
self-seeds well, however, so once you have it, you have it!. (Best used medicinally by experts.)
This foxglove is stunning in mass.
This
is a true perennial foxglove -- not a biennial with lovely soft
yellow tubular blooms with flared lips that make a delightful
addition to flower arrangements. Self seeds but not a pest.
This
is a cross that CAN occur naturally in our garden and has produced one
spectacular plant 
A
charming evergreen form of foxglove that looks more like a Penstemon
than a Foxglove. One of the most distinctive of the foxgloves
with an almost shrubby base of multiple rosettes of smooth, leathery
textured leaves. A short lived self-seeding Perennial it will
(like most Foxgloves) perform as a Perennial if deadheaded before it
sets seed and will continue to bloom and try to set seed, extending
the bloom season almost all summer. Or you can let it set seed
and maintain it's presence in your garden with seedlings which will
come true if no other Foxgloves are nearby. Ideally, if
you conscientious, dead head several time to extend bloom and THEN
let it set seed -- you'll get the long bloom times and babies to
boot! Unlike most Foxgloves, it takes full sun.
Endures drought and hot summers. 
From the mountains of Spain, a perennial foxglove with 1/2" flowers in dense racemes. Good for NATURALIZING in a partly shaded area. Self seeds where leaf cover is not too deep. Takes any soil but soaking wet or very dry.
Large
white Bells with a distinct Burgundy throat. This is a
Biennial Foxglove, however, if you cut it back after blooming and
before it sets seed, it will behave like a Perennial or you can keep
it isolated from any other Digitalis and the seedlings will bloom
true -- either way, you can keep it in your garden once you get a
"start"! One of the best new foxgloves found in recent years.
Extremely dramatic in mass.
Narrow
silvery leaves with spires of soft pink flowers. Raspberry
rose-colored flowers in early summer are carried over a trim mat of
furry leaves. Wow! This cousin to the familiar foxglove is a true
perennial & thrives in a variety of sites and soils. Heat
tolerant. NEW. Blooms for 4 weeks in June & again in FALL! No
staking! Plant Select® Introduction. 
AKA, Polygonatum
cyrtonema. Rhizomatous perennial w/ lance-shaped, glossy, dark green
leaves. Lemon-scented white flowers w/ pale green out tips that are
slightly reflexed are borne singly or in pairs in early summer. From
China. This is a gorgeous, gorgeous plant & very pest free.
Rhizomatous, evergreen closely allied to our Polygonatum. 
A
delightful new Fairy Bells to the trade that's Evergreen. New
bamboo-like shoots arise from the previous year's evergreen foliage
in early spring, often with a purple tint as they emerge. This
unique woodland plant quickly unfurls into a multi-branched clump,
topped in late spring with cream or chartreuse bell-like flowers
followed by glistening blue black long lasting fruit.
Introduced by Dan Hinkley.
Discovered
and introduced by Dan Hinkley, with lustrous evergreen deep dark
burgundy foliage and stems as they emerge. With the heat of
summer (depending on how hot), it will develop a more green hue,
purple tinted green in cooler areas. Creamy green-yellow
bell-shaped blooms appear atop tall stems in early summer and are
followed by purple-black fruit. Looks a bit like a
bamboo. The foliage in mass is extremely beautiful especially
in spring when all else is spring green. Best in bright or
part shade with no direct afternoon sun. Although evergreen,
foliage will gradually go ground-ward and is best cut back to the
ground in February.
Rare
but in the trade under a number of aliases, it's true name is
Disporum flavum. It emerges in late spring with the multiple
flower buds almost immediately visible on each stem and blooming
quickly thereafter with large, showy yellow bells. To the
uninitiated, it looks like a large Solomon Seal. It takes 2-3 years
to develop a good root system and can occasionally be divided after
that. Easily, the most impressive of the genus for
blooms. The yellow bells are followed by black berries in
summer.
This
U.S. Native is rare and unknown and one of our most charming.
Nodding white bloom with purple spots like a tricyrtis give way to
3-lobed tan fruits with rough skin. AKA. Fairy Bells because
the dainty flowers hang at the tips of the stems. These rhizomatous
lilies, like Polygonatum and Uvularia thrive in moist, dappled
deciduous woods, particularly on slopes. American
Disporums have been reclassified to a new genus -- Prosartes --
leaving the Chinese Disporum in that Genus -- differences are not
visible to the naked eye, but rather chemical/microscopic.
This is a robust little plant w/ foliage that is mid green, brightly
striped w/ silver & margined w/ white. In autumn the whole plant
turns to bright gold w/ the variegated leaves taking on vivid,
almost fluorescent tones. Black berries in Fall. Stoloniferous but still
polite! This is D. pullum not the often sold D. sessile 'Variegata'
which is taller and a bit of a thug.
Water
well when in active growth. DORMANT IN SUMMER. This is
stunning in mass and gradually self-seeds and multiplies to do that
if happy.
The
common name describes the swept-back pink
petals trailing the "Star" -- a cluster of yellow stamens.
Resembling a small orchid, it dances in the air on pliable stems.
Prefers light shade & cool, damp soil rich in humus. Water well
when in active growth. DORMANT IN SUMMER. 
The
common name describes the swept-back white
petals trailing the "Star" -- a cluster of yellow stamens.
Resembling a small orchid, it dances in the air on pliable stems.
Prefers light shade & cool, damp soil rich in humus. Water well
when in active growth. DORMANT IN SUMMER. We've just selected
out some white forms. The species can bloom pink to lilac to
white and these are white.
Prostrate foliage. Yellow
flowers in April and again in October. Choice rock garden plant
because so many rock garden plants bloom only in spring. But not
this little work-horse. Once isn't enough! Hardy enough to live in
containers. Particularly eye-catching in an 'Alpine
Trough' 
This
enchanting Dracocephalum boasts brilliant blue Snapdragon-like flowers, each
highlighted with a light blue lip. Needle-like leathery green
foliage forms compact durable 1' clumps, long-lived perennial.
Great for infilling crevices in the rockery. 
Another
enchanting Dracocephalum, it's the white form of the above. Showy
snow white flowers but the lower lip has just a blush of blue over
12" tall, 2 foot wide clumps. Butterflies just love it and
deer just walk on by!
Lamium-like, dark violet-blue hooded flowers. Wrinkled green foliage remains attractive through summer. Prefers moist partial shade. From Siberia forming a clump of rounded dark green leaves and large purple-blue hooded flowers on 12" stems.
Well,
it's hard to improve on this fabulous species but 'Blue Dragon' is
an improvement with bigger, bolder blooms. Takes DRY SHADE!
Every garden should have a couple of Dracocephalums. Cold
hardy enough to live in containers in most of the country.
A
wild, ruffled purple vase-like bloom, up to 18" across, with a dark,
central spathe that brought the 'King of Horticultural Comedy' Tony
Avent to dub this plant the 'Viagra Lily'. Speckled, leopard-like
stem supports gorgeous summer dormant foliage. Very rare! Also
available in quarts.
.jpg)
