It was the plant that haunted my dreams. With its deeply pleated,fan shaped foliage, so similar to an Elizabethan collar, and sublime pink and white flowers that look like some form of sugary confectionary, I knew that one day it would be mine! I’m taking about Cypripedium formosanum, and on Thursday morning, during a whirlwind trip to Lost Horizons, destiny intervened [perhaps this is the intervention I was talking about?] and our paths crossed long enough for me to grab one up and add it to my treasure trove! One can never visit this superlative woodland nursery without coming away with a clutch of rare and unusual beauties!
A Daniel Hinkley collection of Disporum uniflorum – one that he says outperforms the more common D. flavens. I adore the genus, and from the looks of this swollen bud, it is going to be a showstopper when it unveils its acid yellow pendulous blooms!
The sublime Japanese terrestrial orchid Bletilla striata is about to bloom. Its divine two tone flowers with their petulant lower lip are always a conversation starter in the garden!'
Acer shirasawanum ‘Aureum’ was the plant that initiated the term ‘Fabulously chartreuse’ for me, so it should come as no surprise that it should make its way into the garden in a most dramatic manner! Having it on my veranda is like waking up every morning to sunshine! I can’t imagine there being too many dreary days with this dazzler around!
On a recent plant shopping expedition I came face to face with yet another one of my ultimate wishlist plants – Cercis canadensis ‘Greswan’ – an improved selection of ‘Forest Pansy.’ Deep purple, heart shaped foliage emerges once these charming pink flowers dissipate for the season, and the tree itself is said to be hardier by a full zone when compared against ‘Forest Pansy’ which is music to this addict’s ear! Yup. It too came home with me!
A postage stamp sized property insinuates itself when choosing trees and shrubs. Such was the case with Larix kaempferi ‘Little Bogle’ – an extremely contorted semi dwarf selection of yet another favourite genus! His diminutive stature was the complete opposite of his ‘larger’ cousin Larix decidua ‘Horstmann’s Recurva’ which resides on the other side of the garage. I enjoy when my ‘family’ can incorporate cousins within various genera!
Azalea ‘Northern Lights’ won me over with her sublime pink blooms. I don’t have a lot of pink in the garden and was feeling girlish delight when we crossed paths like strangers.
One of my avourite plant combinations combines Diphylleia cymosa and Syneilesis aconitifolia – combining large palmate leaves with deeply lobed, shredded foliage. The combination has always stopped visitors to the garden dead in their tracks!
I came close to losing Disporum brachystemon last year through sheer carelessness, but managed to save it – luckily so, as it appears to be ready to bloom. I love its rich wine coloured flowers! Now I must patiently wait for it to bulk up for me. There is a staggeringly stupendous specimen planting at Lost Horizons that first brought this amazing plant to my attention!
Sweet Baby Jesus, who’s the dude with the dirty fingernails! The above two photos are of Lilium martagon, both of which appear to be building up blooms. One I have had for close to five years, and the other was yet another divine treasure that made its way home with me on Thursday!
The diminutive Polygonatum verticcilatum has bulked up considerably over the past winter. One of my all time favourite genera, I seem to find one or two new selections every year! I wonder what will find its way home with me this year?
As promised in the last post, here are some of the adorable Epimedium blooms that continue to captivate me this year!
Epimedium ‘Windfire’ literally brought me to my knees in ‘hoophouse d’ on my Thursday morning sojourn to Lost Horizons. I want to say it is new to his collection this year. Just look at those amazing flowers!
Loree, is my blatant attempt at seduction working, even remotely on some subconscious level?
Sweet Baby Jesus, look at the time! I need to be up and helping Sasha and Jon with the morning watering before the crowds descend. Thanks for dropping by! It feels so good to have the camera in working order again….. now about that intervention!
This particular cultivar is Davidia involucrata ‘Iseli’s Fastigiate’ a stunning release from Iseli Nursery in Oregon. I love the notion that it will remain relatively slim in stature. I literally backed into it on a recent nursery crawl to one of our suppliers at work. I had my eye set on securing a pair of Acer shirasawanum ‘Aureum’ specimens which, thanks to our stunning specimen that anchors the rare and unusual Arboretum styled display garden, has become somewhat of an overnight sensation!
You know you’ve stumbled upon something rare and unusual when it comes with a ID tag but no price, and a quick scan through the catalogue turns up nothing! I went inside and asked the desk staff if they knew the price, and luckily Brent was within hearing distance. He knew that I knew exactly what I’d stumbled upon and a quick database inquiry reassured me that it would be coming back with us! As Mastercard so eloquently stated, ‘some things in life are priceless!’ Case in point! Luckily he will reside in a spot where he will be able to grow to his full and majestic height, and hopefully he will reward us with a jaw dropping display of his white bract handkerchief like flowers in coming years! I thought I was on cloud nine when we started the new display gardens, but now I’m confident that I’ve reached the moon! Is there anything new and exciting in your garden that you cannot keep to yourself a moment longer?
