Winter is a good time to be Hairy

Looking exceptional in the garden is the selection of the North American native Yucca flaccida ‘Hairy’. Yucca ‘Hairy’ is a Tom Foley selection that we feel is probably the finest clone of Yucca flaccida that we’ve ever seen. It’s truly puzzling why this isn’t an industry staple. Below is a photo of our 20 year old clump, taken recently.

Yucca flaccida ‘Hairy’

Glorious Gloriosa

Our 2008 introduction of a selection of our native Yucca x gloriosa ‘Lone Star’ has been absolutely splendid in the garden as the fall season begins. Yucca x gloriosa is a natural hybrid of Yucca aloifolia and Yucca filamentosa. We absolutely love that these flower spikes appear at a time when most other plants are past their seasonal prime. Winter hardiness is Zone 7a-9b.

Yucca x gloriosa Lone Star in bloom
Yucca x gloriosa ‘Lone Star’

Yucc’ing it up

We’ve been playing around with yucca breeding for almost a decade, and now have hybrids that include from 3-5 different species. Here’s a shot of one of our evaluation beds when it was in full flower recently. Flower spike height ranged from 3′ to 10′. There should be some wild and crazy introductions once our trials are finished.

Image of Yucca in full flower at the JLBG evaluation beds
Yucca in full flower at the JLBG evaluation beds

Feel the Berm

Just over a year ago, we built a new berm garden, adjacent to our Open House welcome tent. Here is that garden today. The soil is composed of 50% Permatill (slate gravel), 25% compost, and 25% native soil). This is in an unirrigated section of the garden. Like all garden spaces at JLBG, no commercial fertilizers are ever allowed. The exceptional drainage and high nutrient content from the compost and Permatill result in an amazing growth rate.

A Walk Through the Garden!

October is a transitional month in the garden, as the plants of summer begin to fade and the stars of the autumn garden begin to shine. Join us Saturday October 8 from 10am – noon for a two-hour class…an interactive outdoor walk through our extensive botanical gardens, discussing the plants in the garden, and how and why they grow.

picture of the garden berms with agave

Garden berm with Agave, Yucca and cactus

These pictures were taken at Juniper Level Botanic Garden today.

picture from the garden - Dahlia, Gladiolus, Silene

The gardens in their fall glory

picture of Charles Grimaldi Angel Trumpet

Brugmansia ‘Charles Grimaldi’ with hundreds of blooms in the garden today

picture from the garden today - Yucca, Colocasia, Muhlenbergia

Yucca and Muhlenbergia blooming in the garden today

Weeping Yucca

Yucca PDN003 (cernua x recurvifolia clump in flower Yucca PDN003 (cernua x recurvifolia) flower spikeHere’s one of our weird hybrids that just finished flowering…a cross of Yucca cernua x Yucca recurvifolia, that has a pendulous inflorescence.  We think it’s pretty cool, but would anyone actually buy it?