Muhlenbergia ‘White Cloud’ flowering now
6
I just snapped this photo of the amazing North American native Muhlenbergia capillaris ‘White Cloud’ in flower here at JLBG. It doesn’t get any better than this.
Search Results for: White flower
Carpet’s of White
Here are a couple of groundcovers that are looking nice in the garden in early March. The first is the Western US native, Cerastium beeringianum (Western Snow in Summer), which is a close relative of the Italian Cerastium tomentosum. We … Continue reading
A Little White Lying Groundcover
False lily-of-the-valley (Speirantha gardenii) is one of our favorite early spring-flowering evergreen groundcovers for shade, but one that just hasn’t caught on with customers. Every time we put this back in production at Plant Delights, we wind up throwing out … Continue reading
Rad Windflower
Flowering now in the woodland garden is this rad little windflower, Anemone raddeana. This Asian native (China, Japan, Korea, and Russia) is a plant you’ll almost never see for sale. First, it flowers in the middle of winter when few … Continue reading
White as China Snow
Chionanthus retusus ‘China Snow’, a heavy flowering selection of Chinese fringe tree has been stunning for several weeks in the gardens at JLBG. This amazing Don Shadow selection is far more floriferous than the species, which was already quite spectacular.
Rhodophiala bifida ‘White Surprise’…and more
We’ll never get tired of growing plants from seed and the anticipation of seeing what unique traits might arise. This week, we were thrilled to “discover” our first white oxblood lily, Rhodophiala bifida in our research trials. We deflowered it … Continue reading
Cyclamen coum in flower
We’d like to sing the praises of the amazing Cyclamen coum. Here are photos from the garden today. These start flowering for us in mid-February and continue until April, after which time, they go summer dormant, re-emerging in fall. The … Continue reading
Open Nursery and Garden Hellebores in flower
If you weren’t able to make it to our Winter Open Gardens and Nursery, here are some hellebore photos we took this morning. The first is the amazing Helleborus ‘Anna’s Red’. We’ll be adding … Continue reading
White-topped sedge
One of our favorite native plants is in full flower in the garden…the unusual white-topped sedge. Dichromena (Rhynchospora) latifolia makes a slowly spreading patch that resembles a carex until the odd white flower spikes occur in mid-summer. Although it usually … Continue reading
Iris cristata in flower
The dwarf native woodland iris, Iris cristata are in flower here today. Iris ‘Montrose White’ was introduced by Montrose Gardens in NC. Iris cristata is native in shade, but flowers much better when given a couple of hours of sun. … Continue reading
Cyclamen coum in flower
II I I wanted to share this photo I just shot of Cyclamen coum in the garden today. It’s been flowering for nearly a month and during that time endured snow, ice, and single digit temperatures. That’s one tough plant! Flower … Continue reading
Caryopteris ‘White Surprise’
I pass our clump of Caryopteris x clandonensis ‘White Surprise’ several times each day and am always impressed with what a great grower it is…and this is before the blue flowers even begin. Here it is in the garden today….I … Continue reading
Sanguinaria canadensis – pink-flowered bloodroot
T We just snapped this photo of a blush pink-flowered bloodroot seedling in our trial beds, that originated from a pink-tinged plant we found in the mountains of Virginia many years ago. The new leaf, flower bud, and outer … Continue reading
Winter Magnolia
Just beginning to open outside our nursery office is the lovely Magnolia platypetala. Our specimen of this amazing Chinese native is now 24 years old. The fuzzy brown buds, which are beautiful in their own right, open to large, fragrant … Continue reading
If you grow it, they may not buy it
One of the frustrating things about growing and propagating plants is when you find an incredible plant, offer it for sale, and virtually no one buys it. Such is the case with the Texas native, Ageratina havanensis, aka: Havana Mistflower, … Continue reading
Do you know Polygonella?
We have been playing around with the genus Polygonella since 2000, but have still only grown 3 of the 11 US species so far. We are fascinated why these native, highly drought-tolerant members of the buckwheat (Polygonaceae) family aren’t more … Continue reading
Damascus Blues
The foliage of Asphodeline damascena is looking absolutely wonderful…like a blue beetle’s wig from the 1960s. This little-known member of the Asphodel family hails from the dry deserts of Turkey and Syria/Lebanon. Other current members of the family include the … Continue reading
A Taste of Honey
Looking stunning now is one of our favorite native shrubs, the golden leaf selection of Hydrangea quercifolia, named ‘Little Honey’. Our plant below is now 19 years old, and measures 4′ tall x 7′ wide. There are few woodland plants … Continue reading
Who Called a Cop-tis?
We love the miniature Coptis japonica var. dissecta in full seed now. This dwarf, evergreen, woodland-growing member of the Ranunculus family (Clematis, Helleborus), has small white flowers in the winter, but we adore the seriously cute seeds heads that are … Continue reading
Splurge with Allegheny Spurge
Flowering in the garden now is the wonderful US native Pachysandra procumbens (Allegheny spurge). Native from Indiana south to the gulf coast, our selection, Pachysandra ‘Angola’ comes from the woods near that well-know Louisiana prison. This stunning evergreen, variegated, slow-spreading, … Continue reading
Splendor in the Cracks – Urophysa
I’m betting that even the most seasoned plant collectors probably haven’t grown or even heard of Urophysa henryi. This odd generic member of the Ranunculaceae family hails from China, where it can be found only in a very few scattered … Continue reading
Escallonia in NC
One of the nice surprises after our 11 degree F freeze was how well our Escallonia ‘Iveyi’ fared. Few people on the US East Coast are familiar with these South American woody members of the Escalloniaceae family. Escallonia ‘Iveyi’ is … Continue reading
“Little” Hariyama
Looking quite lovely atop our crevice garden is Osmanthus heterophyllus ‘Hariyama’. This incredibly heavily-spined seedling of Osmanthus ‘Sasaba’ was brought to the US by plantsman Ted Stephens, who acquired it from Ishiguro Nursery in Japan. Our 15 year old plant … Continue reading
Anchors Away
I’m going to go out and a limb and guess that few people grow Colletia paradoxa…commonly known as anchor plant. Colletia was named to honor French botanist Philibert Collet (1643-1718). I’m not quite sure what we find so fascinating about this … Continue reading
That Won’t Grow Here
Begonia U-521 is a species we got from a customer in Alabama, which has sailed through our winters at JLBG since 2017. Flowering begins for us in early fall, with clusters of large pure white flowers, which hide just below … Continue reading
Soooo Sweet!
Have you ever been seated by someone who exercised no self control when it came to their application of perfume to the point that they left you gasping for fresh air? Well, there’s a shrub with the same degree of … Continue reading
Purr-fect Pussy Toes
We love the miniature silver mats of Antennaria parviflora (little-leaf pussytoes). This little-known North American native (Canada south to Arizona) forms a tiny, 1″ tall groundcover that’s hard to the touch. In spring, the patch is topped with short fuzzy … Continue reading
The Thrilla of Cyrilla
If you’ve been following our blog for a while, you’ll remember we wrote about this amazing native shrub/small tree last summer. Well, it’s cyrilla time again in the gardens at JLBG, when every branch of this amazing semi-evergreen erupts with … Continue reading
Winter Sunburst
Pittosporum tobira ‘Kansai Sunburst’ is looking lovely in the mid-winter garden. This Japanese selection emerges with brightly cream-edged leaves which age to green. This selection came to the US, via the former Asiatica Nursery, which brought so many wonderful Japanese … Continue reading
High on Loquats
We truly love loquats…both to grow and consume. I first met Eriobotrya japonica in 1976 on a walk around the NC State campus with the late Dr. JC Raulston. I was amazed to see a mature 30’+ specimen growing against … Continue reading
Hanoi Honey
The cast iron plant, Aspidistra tonkinensis ‘Hanoi Honey’ has been looking quite stunning recently during its December flowering period. Unlike many cast iron plant that have reddish cinnamon flowers, this dazzler has large bright white flowers that are impossible to … Continue reading
The ultimate BIO plant
In the plant world, plants that have no chance of selling, except to a tiny few crazed plant collectors, are called BIO plants, which stands for “of botanical interest only”. Coptis japonica var. dissecta fits the bill on all accounts. … Continue reading
Spring fireworks
Magnolia officinalis var. biloba ‘Fireworks’ is stunning in the garden, from its dark purple buds to the vivid pink flowers. Typical Magnolia officinalis var. biloba has white flowers, so this amazing plant is most unusual.
Light in the Dark
One of our favorite new small trees is Styrax japonicus ‘Evening Light’…here it is in the JLBG gardens this week. The incredible black foliage serves as a lovely foil for the masses of pure white flowers. This fascinating introduction, was … Continue reading
Confused Sweet Box
We’re not sure why this sweet box is confused, but we love it nevertheless. Flowering now at JLBG with an insane fragrance emitted by the tiny white flowers. Here is our eight-year old evergreen clump in flower now.
Kale by the Sea
When we finally discovered that sea kale (Crambe maritima) is indeed growable in our hot, humid climate, we’ve planted it all around. It’s also been rewarding that people have actually purchased it to try for themselves. Frankly, I’d grow sea … Continue reading
Cabbage Patch Kids
Most gardeners think vegetables when crucifers (brocolli, kale, cabbage, etc.) come to mind, while lawn afficinados, think weedy bittercress, and lab researchers think arabadopsis (the horticultural guinea pig). It’s hard to imagine, but these are all members of the giant … Continue reading
Ballard’s Christmas Roses
The late Helen Ballard of England was one of the early pioneers in developing what we know today as hybrid hellebores. It was only fitting, when one of the breakthrough crosses, a hybrid between the Balkan native Christmas Rose, Helleborus … Continue reading
Clematis – different twists on an old favorite
Clematis ‘Sapphire Indigo’ is such a great plant in the perennial garden. This non-vining clematis makes a short clump that flowers for us from spring through summer. It weaves nicely into nearby neighbors making delightful combinations. Another of our favorites … Continue reading
Aruncus ‘Misty Lace’ and Clematis recta ‘Lime Close’
If you’re looking to add a touch of white to your late spring/early summer garden, here are a couple of photos I took on my recent trip to Walters Gardens in Michigan. The first is one of my favorites, … Continue reading
Hardy Asparagus fern, Asparagus virgatus
I just snapped this photo of the South African Asparagus fern, Asparagus virgatus, in the garden. This is one of my favorite hardy foliage plants. Not only does it provide a nice foil for bolder foliage, but it grows in … Continue reading
Lysimachia clethroides ‘Heronswood Gold’
Lysimachia clethroides ‘Heronswood Gold’ is a virtual beacon in the garden now with its bright gold foliage and pure white flowers. Despite the gold foliage, the vigor is still pretty good, so don’t plant it near other garden wimps, or … Continue reading
Dwarf Paw Paw, Asimina angustifolia
We offered this dwarf paw paw (Asimina angustifolia) from north Florida a few years ago and it didn’t sell particulary well, which is often the case with plants that folks don’t immediately recognize. Well, here is our clump in the … Continue reading
2013 Plant Delights Nursery May Newsletter
Dear PDN’ers Thanks to everyone who took the time to visit during our recent Spring Open House. In contrast to our Winter Open House, the weather was excellent and the threat of rain never materialized. We were delighted to meet … Continue reading
2010 Plant Delights Nursery November Newsletter
Dear PDN’ers: Here at PDN, the year is winding down as shipping ceases at the end of November…except for horticultural emergencies. We’ve spent the last month selecting plants for the new catalog, writing catalog descriptions, and choosing the catalog images. … Continue reading
2009 Plant Delights Nursery March Newsletter
Happy first day of spring! I know many parts of the country are still covered in snow, but at least the calendar now makes it official. It’s been a roller coaster late winter as we opened for our Winter Open … Continue reading
2008 Plant Delights Nursery December Newsletter
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year’s greetings from Plant Delights. We hope you’re having a great holiday season and are already anticipating the upcoming spring season. Much of the country has experienced an early blast of winter, unseen in some … Continue reading
2008 Plant Delights Nursery November Newsletter
Happy fall greetings from Plant Delights to all of you out there in gardening land! We hope you’re enjoying your fall garden as much as we are, unless of course, you’re in a region that has already seen the arrival … Continue reading
2008 Plant Delights Nursery October Newsletter
Greetings from PDN and we hope all is well in your garden. It’s been a challenging time since we last wrote, from Hurricane Ike to the stock market dropping like a hot potato. Our thoughts go out to the people … Continue reading
2008 Plant Delights Nursery September Newsletter
Greetings from soggy NC, where we have had over 13″ of rain during the last couple of weeks and are badly in need of a drying out period…sort of like our friends in much of the Gulf Coast region. Overall, … Continue reading
2008 Plant Delights Nursery August Newsletter
Dear PDN’ers: Greetings from PDN, we hope all is well in your neck of the woods. In the spirit of the late George Carlin…why is it that woods have a neck instead of say, an arm or a foot? Inquiring … Continue reading
2008 Plant Delights Nursery July Newsletter
We hope everyone is having a great summer and preparing for your visit to PDN for our Summer Open House, July 11-13 and 18-20. The gardens look fabulous and I’m sure you’re likely to see a few things that will … Continue reading
2008 Plant Delights Nursery May Newsletter
Greetings from Plant Delights, we hope your spring has been as beautiful as ours…realizing, of course, that some of you in the colder climates are just starting the spring season. We have had wonderful rains and no temperatures in the … Continue reading
2006 Plant Delights Nursery August Newsletter
Greetings from Plant Delights. We hope all is well in your hometown. It’s that time of year and the fall catalog will be on the way on Friday, August 11. If you want to get a head start on your … Continue reading
2006 Plant Delights Nursery May Newsletter
Well, our Spring Open House is over and we’d like to thank those who attended. We didn’t have as many visitors as normal, but this was in part thanks to many folks who did their spring shopping at our winter … Continue reading
2004 Plant Delights Nursery July Newsletter
June started with a bang as we welcomed Horticulture Magazine’s Great Plants, Great Plantsman Symposium to Raleigh. After a wonderful series of talks by speakers such as Tom Fischer (Editor, Horticulture Magazine), Helen Dillon (Ireland), Bob Lyons and Todd Lasseigne … Continue reading
Stirring the Gene Pot
The first photo below is our hybrid century plant, Agave x ocareginae ‘Oh Victory’, from a cross we made in 2014, between Agave ocahui and Agave victoriae-reginae. The plants went in the ground in 2017. Of the eleven seedlings we … Continue reading
The Last Surprises
I posted photos earlier from our lycoris selection back in August, but the season extends through September and into October. Below are some of the later flowering varieties. With a selection of cultivars, you can easily have a lycoris in … Continue reading
Does your Rangoon Creep?
Looking lovely at JLBG now is the purportedly tropical vine, Combretum indicum. Native from a wide range of Southeast Asia, Rangoon creeper is a woody vine that’s shockingly winter hardy, as our plants sailed through last years 11 degrees F–despite … Continue reading
Horehound Butterfly Bush
Everyone grows the Asian butterfly bushes because of their huge flower panicles, but there are some really cool native buddleias that are mostly overlooked. Below is Buddleia marrubifolia from Presidio, Texas. Native to the Chihuahuan Desert, mature plants can reach … Continue reading
More Surprises
More lycoris continue to open every day. Their flowering season coincides quite close with the hurricane season. These amazing amaryllids pop up almost overnight, sans foliage. If you’re curious to take a deep dive into the genus, check out our … Continue reading
Clash of the Titans – One down, and one to go
JCRA’s Amorphophallus titanum ‘Wolfgang’ put on quite a show from June 20-23, and now it’s time for our ‘Homo Erectus’ to shine. We anticipate the blessed event at JLBG/Plant Delights beginning on Friday June 30, but please understand that trying … Continue reading
In Search of Gold
In the crinum lily world, a yellow flower is considered the holy grail by plant breeders, since it only naturally exists in the Australian crinum species, Crinum luteolum. Two other species which occasionally show a yellow blush in the flower … Continue reading
Desperate Aroids – The adventures of Phallicity
The spring garden at JLBG has a number of phallic moments if you’re lucky enough to catch them. Here are a few of our favorites. Below is a color echo we created, using Pig’s Butt Arum (Helicodiceros muscivorus) and Salvia … Continue reading
Very Wet behind the Ears
Despite the impending flooding late last week, Patrick, Zac, and I took off to the mountains of western South Carolina for a few days of botanizing. Despite the monsoon-like rains, we managed to visit seven amazing sites. Below is a … Continue reading
Sasquatch Photinia
We’ve been enjoying our giant Photinia serratifolia, which has been in full flower for the last few weeks in the garden. We love this giant evergreen, which hails from China, Taiwan, Japan, and a few adjacent countries. This behemoth matures … Continue reading
Looking you in the eye…the new Lenten Roses
We continue to be impressed with the continuing parade of new selections of sterile lenten roses, in particular, the clones of Helleborus x iburgensis. These fascinating hybrids that originated at RD plants in England, are crosses of Helleborus x ballardiae … Continue reading
Loropetalum, Loves and Lies
We’ve been fascinated with the woody plant genus Loropetalum since the late J.C. Raulston first distributed the pink-flowered forms, which had just come into to cultivation in the US, back in 1989. Since those original plants were propagated and sold, … Continue reading
More Lenten Roses
Here are some of the latest crop of amazing Helleborus x hybridus to flower in the garden. If you attend our Winter Open Nursery and Garden this week or next, you will see these in person. Plant Delights will also … Continue reading
Houstonia…we have a great plant
Flowering in the garden this week is the fascinating, but little-known Houstonia procumbens. This Southeastern US coastal native (South Carolina west to eastern Louisiana) is a spreading, winter flowering bluet. We collected cuttings in Clay County, Florida in 2003, and … Continue reading
Golden Limo
Looking wonderful in the fall garden is the evergreen Choisya ‘Limo’, known commercially as Goldfingers choisya. This gold-leaved selection is from a cross of two Southwest US native shrubs, Choisya arizonica and Choisya ternata, subsequently referred to as Choisya x … Continue reading
The Un-Buddleia
Most folks have grown butterfly bushes in the genus buddleia, yet few garden visitors recognize this fascinating species from our 1994 botanizing trip to Northern Mexico. I should add that most buddleias on the market are developed from the Asian … Continue reading
A Fungus Among Us
We love fall not just because of the weather, the colorful foliage, the fall bloomers, but also for the fall fungus. It seems like some of the most incredible fungus of the year happens in fall. When we go outside … Continue reading
Mid-Summer Surprises
We’ve just enjoyed peak surprise lily week at JLBG. The lycoris season starts for us in early July and continues into early October, but the last two weeks of August is peak bloom. Below are a few samples from the … Continue reading
Monroe’s Monkey Grass
I wonder if the late Atlanta nurseryman, W.L. Monroe had any idea what would become of his white-flowered monkey grass, that he selected as a seedling and subsequently introduced to the gardening world in 1957? In the 65 years that’s … Continue reading
Miss America
I’m more and more impressed with Hosta ‘Miss America’ each year. Not only is this white-centered hosta amazingly vigorous, but it has one of the finest floral shows we’ve ever seen on a hosta. The steel rod-like upright flower stalks … Continue reading
Afternoon Delights
Plant breeders are an odd sort…people who are never satisfied with their results, and as such are always looking to improve even the most fabulous creation. We’ve been dabbling with crinum lilies for several years, and the first photo below … Continue reading
Struck Gold
Here’s a garden shot at JLBG, using a good bit of gold foliage in addition to flowers. Left to right: Viburnum dentatum ‘Golden Arrow’, Sinningia ‘Amethyst Tears’, Baptisia ‘White Gold’, Canna ‘Tama Tulipa’, Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’ (groundcover), Hibiscus ‘Holy Grail’ … Continue reading
The Cobras of Summer
While most arisaemas flower in early spring, several members of the Franchetiana section of the genus are summer bloomers. There are five species in this section, but the only one that flowers in spring is Arisaema fargesii. Flowering recently are … Continue reading
Korean Celery
I first grew Korean celery for years for the flowers, never realizing it was an edible food crop…a first class edimental! I have a fascination for plants in the Apiaceae family, whose members include Angelica, Queen Anne’s Lace (Daucus), carrots … Continue reading
Adding Vulgarity to the Garden
We love “vulgar” plants, which are good for providing unexpected shrieks from garden visitors. One of our favorite plants for evoking such moments is the European native, Dracunculus vulgaris. For those who took Latin in school, you’ll know that the … Continue reading
Around the world with 130 Styrax
We’ve had a longstanding love affair with the genus styrax, thanks to their amazing spring display of fragrant white bell-like flowers. Of the 130 recognized species, we have so far tried 22, of which 9 remain alive. The first featured … Continue reading
Lack no Colon
I love odd plants, and the southeast native Lachnocaulon (pronounced lack no colon) is about as odd as they come. This bog native, often found growing with pitcher plants, forms a mound that looks like a giant pin cushion. Here … Continue reading
Mama…where do fern babies come from?
If you’re a nursery, and you’d like to offer ferns, the plants at your disposal are somewhat limited. A large majority of ferns sold in America are still sadly dug from the wild. When you see a catalog listing primarily … Continue reading
A Forest of Pink
Magnolia ‘Forest’s Pink’ put on a splendid show this year in early to mid-March. Sold as a cultivar of the Chinese Magnolia denudata, some magnolia experts insist that it’s actually a hybrid, due to the intensity of the pink color … Continue reading
Japanese Princess Sedge
Carex conica ‘Hime’ has been in horticultural commerce for many decades, and remains a superb woodland garden sedge. The evergreen species Carex conica is native throughout Japan, where it occurs in woodland conditions. This variegated selection that goes by an … Continue reading
Ice n’ Roses Dilemma
Below are more of the Ice n’ Roses snow roses flowering now in the gardens at JLBG. These amazing sterile hybrids were created in Germany by the Heuger plant breeding company. They have proven fabulous in our trials, but are … Continue reading
Winter Iris Parade
With a mild winter so far at JLBG, our numerous Iris unguicularis clones have been flowering beautifully. First is the clone Iris unguicularis ‘Francis Wolseley’ and then Iris unguicularis ‘Winter Echoes’. Colors in this species ranges from white to light … Continue reading
In celebration of the obscure
It’s hard to imagine a plant more obscure that the Southeast coastal native Houstonia procumbens. You may recognize the name houstonia as belonging to one of the many more common bluets. Instead, this is a creeping white-et. We’ve had this … Continue reading
Late Summer Rains
We are fascinated with the wonderful genus zephyranthes (rain lilies). Zephyranthes are unobtrusive, summer-flowering bulbs that can fit in any garden, with a flower color ranging from yellow to white to pink. The great thing about zephyranthes is the lack … Continue reading
Who is Walter Flory?
Flowering today at JLBG is Crinum ‘Walter Flory’…not only a superb crinum, but one named after one of NC’s pre-eminent botanists. Dr. Walter Flory (1907-1998) was a botany professor at Wake Forest University. Dr. Flory received his PhD in 1931 … Continue reading
Keeping up the Spirit
In 2009, we first planted the Tom Ranney (NC State) introduction of Hydrangea ‘Spirit’..his creation of a pink-flowered selection of the usually white-flowered NC native Hydrangea arborescens. Here it is today, twelve years later and still looking superb in the … Continue reading
Uun-yaaw \noun\ (Cajun)
We’ve got some really superb unyaaw’s blooming now. Actually, if you’re not of the Cajun persuasion, they’re onions…of the genus Allium. The North American native Allium canadense is quite showy in the late spring/early summer garden. The first is a … Continue reading
Dazzling vulgarities
Flowering in the garden now are the amazing and very rare white-flowered Dracunculus vulgaris. This wild and crazy aroid, which typically has a red/purple inflorescence, hails from the Mediterranean region, centered around Greece and Turkey. The late aroid guru Alan … Continue reading
Sweet as Snow Cream
One of our most popular introductions is Edgeworthia ‘Snow Cream’…a plant we first selected back in 1995…long before more than a handful of gardeners had even heard of the Chinese native genus. The late JC Raulston grew a plant, known … Continue reading
What happened in Glandorf, thankfully didn’t stay in Glandorf
One of several breakthroughs in lenten rose breeding has been the development of the Helleborus x glandorfensis hybrids by the breeders at Germany’s Heuger hellebores. In the town of Glandorf, near the border with Netherlands, these amazing crosses of Helleborus … Continue reading
Icebergs are breaking off, but Iburgs are breaking bad
Another recent dramatic improvement in hybrid lenten roses started at the small mom/pop nursery in England, RD plants. Here, Rodney David and Lynda Windsor created the first known hybrids of Hellleborus x ballardiae (niger x lividus) and Helleborus x hybridus. … Continue reading
2021 January E-Newsletter
We have finally closed the book on a tumultuous 2020, as we turn the calendar page to 2021. Over the past twelve months, it suddenly became not only legal, but required to wear masks in public. So, we quickly learned … Continue reading
Got the blues? If not, we can help.
Amsonia (aka: bluestar) are one of the best temperate genera (18 species) of blue-flowered perennials for the spring garden. We’ve offered quite a few different species and selections through the years, rotating them in and out as propagation successes allow … Continue reading
A Concrete Idea
Unless you’ve been hiding under a piece of concrete, you’ve no doubt heard of our crevice garden experiment, constructed with recycled concrete and plants planted in chipped slate (Permatill). It’s been just over three years since we started the project … Continue reading
Brexit Redux – Part I
With the ink barely dry on the Brexit signing in early February, and well before Coronavirus panic hit, it was time for a return trip to the UK for another round of plant collecting. Accompanying me is Walters Gardens plant … Continue reading
A Little Garden Hanky-Panky Goin’ On
While exploring the garden yesterday, I was admiring the cardinal flowers, Lobelia cardinalis, in the bog garden. Most of the flowers were red, there were a couple that were more magenta and a few blooming white . And then several … Continue reading
Tubing! Hummers! Summer!
The genus Sinningia is a South American gesneriad (African violet and gloxinia relative). Hummingbirds and butterflies just love the tubular flowers of Sinningia, and several species including Sinningia tubiflora, are quite fragrant. Sinningia flowers come in a wide array of … Continue reading
A new redbud to cultivation
Since redbuds were a favorite plant of the late J.C. Raulston, and a feature of the garden that bears his name, I assumed that I had seen or grown all of the known species. Boy was I wrong, as I … Continue reading
New Sterile Hellebores
We are rightly skeptical of great new plant claims, since so many new introductions fail to live up to the marketing hype, so we were cautiously optimistic when we planted our first trial plants of Helleborus x glandorfensis a couple … Continue reading
Peter Grande – A Living Sculpture
Here are a few images from the blessed event, starting when Peter began to open around 2pm Friday 4pm Friday – Do you think this view from below makes his hips look big? Below…a view from above @ 4pm Friday … Continue reading
Double Your Pleasure
Flowering in the woodland garden this week is the diminutive Anemonella ‘Schoaf’s Double’…so very cute. Hardiness is Zone 4a-8b. We’re also working with a new double form that our research horticulturist, Jeremy Schmidt found on a botanizing trip in Tennessee. … Continue reading
Surprise….it’s surprise lily time!
Many gardeners don’t look forward to summer, but we’ve found a cure…plant lycoris! Known as surprise lilies and hurricane lilies, the lycoris bloom season starts in mid-July and continues into mid-September with a procession of different varieties. Winter hardiness of … Continue reading
New Redbuds
I had the wonderful opportunity recently to spend the day with NC State plant breeder, Dr. Dennis Werner in his extensive redbud breeding plots. So far, four redbuds have been named and released, including Cercis ‘Ruby Falls’ (weeping purple leaf), … Continue reading
Baptisias: Great American Natives!
Baptisias, commonly known as false indigo, are North American native members of the pea family and quite drought tolerant once established. They provide amazing architectural form in a sunny garden or perennial border, and are deer-resistant and a butterfly magnet … Continue reading
20% Off Overstock Sale – Fall 2016
We have just completed our fall inventory and found some of the coolest plants didn’t sell in the numbers that we’d hoped, so we’re left with extra inventory. Take advantage of this opportunity to get 20% off on over 125 unique plants, many … Continue reading
Are There Giants in Your Garden?
Colocasias are a genus that can bring a taste of the tropics to your backyard garden. Colocasia ‘Thailand Giant’ is a huge strain of the giant elephant ear that can reach 9′ tall in the wild, and certainly makes its presence known … Continue reading
Do you have a Heart Throb in your Garden?
Hurricane Hermine brought some much needed rain over the weekend. Not only were there some happy gardeners, but the rain lilies are loving it too. Here is a picture of Zephyranthes ‘Heart Throb’ in the garden with its bright 2″ reddish-pink … Continue reading
Bird of Paradise Tree and Buffalo Gourd…two little known horticultural oddities
We hope you’ve received your new Fall 2016 catalog and are enjoying the plants we selected for inclusion. If not, they’re all on-line. It’s been years since we were able to offer one of our favorite garden plants, the Hardy … Continue reading
Unique Color Combinations in the Summer Garden are Hot!!
Canna lilies are a great addition to your sunny summer garden or rain garden. Their large bold leaves come in a variety of colors and variegation patterns, and provide the perfect foil for brightly colored flowers from orange, to brilliant … Continue reading
Crinum ‘Improved Peachblow’
Early June is an amazing time for crinum lilies in the gardens here at Juniper Level and here’s one of our favorites, photographed yesterday. Crinum ‘Improved Peachblow‘ is simply amazing…great flower form, sturdy stems, pink buds that open white, and … Continue reading
New Plants for sale added to the website
We’ve recently added over 60 new plants for sale to the website. These represent plants that we simply can’t produce in large enough numbers for the print catalog including quite a few rarieties. These … Continue reading
New Pink Bloodroot – teaser only
Part of the fun of gardening is growing plants from seed in hopes of finding something new. In the 1990s we found a couple bloodroots, (Sanguinaria canadensis) in the Virginia mountains that had pink buds that opened white…pure white is … Continue reading
Plant Delights Open Nursery and Garden ready
It’s almost time for our first open nursery and garden days for 2015, starting tomorrow, Friday. To create some interesting photographic moments, we’ve spread this white powder all over the garden. Despite what you may have seen on television, PDN … Continue reading
Plant Delights Nursery November 2014 Newsletter
Happy Thanks-Gardening PDNers! As we approach the holidays we are so thankful to share our plant passion with each of you. Thank you for ordering from PDN, reading our blog, and sharing our passion on social media. We are so … Continue reading
Plant Delights Nursery September 2014 Newsletter
Greetings PDN’ers! PDN Fall Nursery News We hope you’ve received your copy of the Fall 2014 Plant Delights Nursery catalog. Kudos to our graphic designer Shari Sasser at Sasser Studios for the catalog redesign and new look. Among other things, the fall … Continue reading
Garden Photography – Photo Capture and Processing Workshop
Anita and I are always looking for ways to improve our photography skills since capturing the essence of a garden in a photograph can be a challenge with all the variables that mix to create a satisfying image. Practice is one … Continue reading
Plant Delights Nursery July 2014 Newsletter
Greetings PDN’ers! We hope you are enjoying your garden this summer and taking time to relax a bit, especially when the temperatures are soaring. JLBG News It was so nice to see and chat with many of you at the … Continue reading
Drink up with a wine cup in your garden.
The wine cups, Callirhoe involucrata are so amazing in the garden, I wish everyone could see them now. These long-flowering, drought-tolerant, vertically-challenged hibiscus cousins are amazing groundcover perennials. Callirhoes come in white, wine-red, and this mauvy form, Callirhoe involucrata var. … Continue reading
Epimedium ‘Splish Splash’
I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to photograph epimediums, but it’s not an easy task…especially the white-flowered cultivars. I was finally able get a decent shot of our Epimedium ‘Splish Splash’ this week and wanted to share it. With … Continue reading
Rohdea chinensis var. chinensis
Here’s a photo of our Rohdea chinensis var. chinensis from Taiwan, flowering in the garden today. The flowers open greenish white and quickly change to this lovely soft orange. The unique floral fragrance is sort of fruit/alcoholic…hardy to really describe. … Continue reading
Ipheion uniflorum ‘Greystone’
Ipheion uniflorum ‘Greystone’ is looking simply superb in our garden now…an introduction from North Carolina’s own Norman Beal. This is the most floriferous white-flowered starflower we grow. Part sun is ideal.
Primula ‘Drumcliff’
Primula ‘Drumcliff’ is flowering now with its unique brown/dark-green foliage and contrasting near white, yellow-centered. flowers.
Cyclamen coum silver leaf form
Here’s a photo of a clump of Cyclamen coum in the garden today. These have been in full flower for over a month now, despite the snow and ice. I can’t imagine a woodland garden without these gems…the key is … Continue reading
Plant Delights Nursery February 2014 Newsletter
Dear PDN’ers It’s hard to imagine winter is finally nearing an end when outside today we see the ground covered in snow with freezing rain forecasted to develop tonight and tomorrow. But to help us remember spring is just around … Continue reading
2013 Plant Delights Nursery February Newsletter
February 2013 Dear PDN’ers, I don’t know about you, but I’ve about enjoyed this winter long enough…and winter megastorm Nemo missed us. While we’ve only had a low temperature of 18 degrees F in Raleigh, very mild by our norms, … Continue reading