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Itea
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Sun to Light Shade Zone: 6-8, at least 18" tall Origin: USA
Need little green buns in your rock garden? "No F...ing way!" is the comment I get most often when trying to tell to folks that Itea 'Shirley's Compact' is really an itea. This dwarf selection was discovered by the late Shirley Speight, formerly of NC's Biltmore House. Our 10-year-old clump is a staggering 18" tall x 3' wide. This shrublet has midget 1" long twisted leaves and really midget flowers that can only be seen with a magnifying glass. Itea 'Shirley's Dwarf' is quite vigorous for its stature, but it took years to have enough cuttings to offer...ideal for the miniature railroad folks. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #05906
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Jasminum
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Sun to Part SunZone: 7-9 120" tall Origin: China
Open House/Web-Only!
This superb form of the Chinese scrambler, Jasminum officinale, comes from Fromefield Nursery in the UK. Unlike the species that has green leaves, this seedling boasts brilliant gold foliage that holds beautifully even in our hot, humid summers. The stems are also home to deliciously fragrant flowers throughout the summer. As a gesture of forced integration, we encourage Jasminum 'Frojas' to scramble through other colored foliage plants, such as purple loropetalum and smoke tree. Each branch can reach up to 10' in length when happy or can be kept shorter with a pair of sharp clippers. Lest we forget, tea from this gem is drunk for its aphrodisiac qualities, and who could forget that carrying the flowers attracts money and wealth. Attract a little bit our way, if you please.
Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #06245
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Jeffersonia
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Light Shade to ShadeZone: 5-8 10" tall Origin: USA
From Canada, south through Alabama, comes this unique native that was named after our third president, Thomas Jefferson, since it flowers on or near his April 13 birthday. This bizarre perennial member of the barberry family makes a superb specimen plant for the woodland garden. In late spring, the dusty green leaves (resembling a fat bow tie) emerge alongside the 1' tall scapes of pure white flowers. Twin leaf prefers a slightly moist but well-drained site in the woodland, and seems to have a preference for neutral to alkaline conditions. Our plants are nursery-propagated from seed. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #03494
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Light Shade to ShadeZone: 4-7a, at least 12" tall Origin: Korea, Manchuria
NEW!
This Korean counterpart of our native Jeffersonia starts its life in early spring when it produces numerous stalks of upfacing blue-lavender cupped flowers. Just as the flowering ceases, the foliage emerges from the tight clump, resembling a nicely lobed Sanguinaria canadensis (bloodroot). Jeffersonia dubia prefers well-drained, but slightly moist soils and a pH near neutral. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #08920
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Juncus
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Part Sun to Light ShadeZone: 4-9 8" tall Origin: USA
Open House/Web-Only!
We are pleased to offer one of the truly unique plants in the plant kingdom. The corkscrew rush brings back all kinds of memories from rushes to corkscrews...hmmm. The narrow, glossy green, pencil-thin stems spiral outward from the clump to 8" in all directions...like the hairdo of a punk rocker on 10-10-10 fertilizer! This is a great deer-resistant accent plant that collectors dare not do without. Corkscrew rush prefers to be sited in a bog or, at least, a very moist environment. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #00788
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Sun to Part SunZone: 4-10 15" tall Origin: Europe
Open House/Web-Only!
Way cool! I first spotted this fascinating deer-resistant bog plant in England several years ago at the garden of the introducer, Joe Sharmon. Unlike the small corkscrew rush, this was virtually a corkscrew rush on steroids...with dusty blue foliage! Each 2' wide clump resembles an upside-down dish of 3-day-old blue spaghetti. We have enough to share with contorted gardeners everywhere! Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #02925
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Juniperus
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SunZone: 5-9 8" tall Origin: Japan
Open House/Web-Only!
This amazing Brookside Gardens release is still quite rare in the trade...except in variegated plant circles. This groundcover shore juniper has the typical green shore juniper foliage, except that it is heavily splotched bright gold. We have not found the gold pattern to either fade, burn out, or revert, as is the case with many such streaked plants. A large patch of Juniperus 'Sunsplash' is a very cool feature in the garden...expect a 5' wide patch in 3 years. As with all shore junipers, good drainage is essential to good health. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #03993
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Kalimeris
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SunZone: 5-9 15" tall Origin: China, Japan, Korea
Open House/Web-Only!
(syn: Boltonia incisa) This easy-to-grow Asian native makes a nice clump, to 15" tall, topped from June until October with 1" light blue, aster-like flowers. Just like its cousin, Asteromoea mongolica (Kalimeris pinnatifida), Kalimeris incisa is a great garden subject and is very tolerant of a wide range of garden conditions from dry to moist. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #05764
SOLD OUT
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Sun to Part SunZone: 6-9 20" tall Origin: Asia
Open House/Web-Only!
(syn: Asteromoea mongolica) A favorite of the late garden writer Elizabeth Lawrence, this wonderful, slowly spreading perennial arises in spring with 20" tall stems, clothed with apple-green, serrated foliage, then is topped with creamy white, fully double, 1" chrysanthemumesque flowers throughout the summer...whew! If you look closely enough, you will notice a light lavender blush to the lower ring of petals...that's for you designer types. Kalimeris blends well into any perennial border as it works to soften dramatic color contrasts. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #01219
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Kniphofia
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SunZone: 6-9 36" tall Origin: S. Africa
Open House/Web-Only!
Haven't you secretly longed to cuddle up in the perennial border with a bleached blond but didn't have the nerve? If so, your fantasies have been answered. Kniphofia 'Bleached Blonde' is an introduction from the former Olympic Coast Garden that makes a 2' tall x 2' wide clump of narrow green foliage, topped in late May with 3' tall spikes of creamy yellow. We often get summer rebloom if the old flower spikes are removed. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #07308
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SunZone: 6-8, at least 24" tall Origin: S. Africa
Open House/Web-Only!
As Monty Python's troupe would say, "And now for something completely different." From South Africa's famed Drakensberg Mountains comes this most unusual poker, whose narrow, fleshy, grass-like leaves form a loose upright green clump. The clumps are topped in late spring with narrow 2' tall spikes of lightly fragrant, pure white flowers that resemble holiday sparklers. Kniphofia buchananii has an esoteric cuteness...just think of it as the Charlie Brown's Christmas tree of red hot pokers. This species is ideal for small gardens, which can be the perfect excuse for indulging in an esoteric cuteness fetish. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #07673
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Sun to Part SunZone: 5b-7, at least 24" tall Origin: S. Africa
Open House/Web-Only!
We saw this growing from moist peaty seeps up to 8000' in elevation at South Africa's only ski resort during our 2005 expedition. When we first saw the evergreen glaucous foliage and splendid architectural form (like a blue octopus after rigor mortis sets in), we realized this was indeed something special. Although I'd grow this species for the foliage only, the clumps are topped with 4' tall spikes of huge toilet brush-sized pokers in July/August. Each poker is bright orange at the top with a distinctive wide yellow band at the bottom of the flower. Kniphofia caulescens has proven to be amazingly easy to grow in typical garden conditions, so give it a try. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #04904
SOLD OUT
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SunZone: 6-9 36" tall Origin: S. Africa
Open House/Web-Only!
Kniphofia 'Elizabeth Pierce' is a vigorous growing Olympic Coast Garden introduction with 3' tall spikes of buttery yellow flowers that top the narrow green-leaf clump from mid-May until mid-June...very attractive. The plant was named after the nursery owner's mother. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #07310
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SunZone: 6b-8, at least 30" tall Origin: Hybrid
Open House/Web-Only!
It's time to ante-up for the newest poker in town. From L.C.J. van Delft of Holland comes a new compact poker that produces an abundance of 30" tall, bright orange (RHS 24A) pokers, starting in late spring. This has proven to be a splendid early spring-flowering (April/May in NC) selection in our trials. Pot size: 2 qt. (1.892 L) #05773
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SunZone: 6-10, guessing 84" tall Origin: Hybrid
Thanks to Jim Massey for sharing this killer poker that he got from "Lola." Kniphofia 'Lola' is, as we say in the South, a real honker. In other words, it's big, it's bodacious, it's the Bo Derek of the red hot pokers. Our amazing clumps are 5' tall x 5' wide with 6-7' spikes of orange flowers in midsummer. This is not for the small garden, small people who are easily intimidated, or those who have been diagnosed with a heart condition. If you want to make a loud statement and you have plenty of room, invite "Lola" into your garden! Pot size: 2 qt. (1.892 L) #04345
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SunZone: 6-10, guessing 24" tall Origin: Hybrid
We first picked up this fine dwarf poker in the UK, but it has since performed admirably in our climate, so we are delighted to share. The narrow, grass-like foliage gives rise to 2' tall, narrow spikes of coral-red flowers in July. Kniphofia 'Nancy's Red' is a charming plant, in scale for even the smallest of gardens. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #04580
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SunZone: 7-8, at least 20" tall Origin: S. Africa
Open House/Web-Only!
This little-known South African species has been one of the top performers in our poker trials. The small clump of linear green foliage is topped in July with attractive 20" spikes of lime green...an unusual color, but one that is great for creating amazing color combinations. Pot size: 2 qt. (1.892 L) #06054
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SunZone: 7-10, at least 36" tall Origin: S. Africa
This late-flowering South African red hot poker, native to coastal marshes, garnered all the attention at our September Open House. Instead of a typical poker-like flower head, K. rooperi boasts a broad, squatty head (like a former prez's womenfolk). Each flower head is exquisitely patterned yellow at the bottom and bright orange all the way to the top. For us, the 3' flower spikes of K. rooperi begin in August and continue through October. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #03036
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SunZone: 7-9 36" tall Origin: Hybrid
Once again, we have built up enough stock of Norman Beal's excellent introduction, originating in the garden of Sally and Pat Patterson of Sanford, NC. K. 'Sally's Comet' starts blooming in late spring, and will often rebloom through the summer (moisture dependent). This vigorous grower produces sturdy 3' tall flowering spikes of pure bright yellow...we predict star status for this new poker! Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #01677
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SunZone: 7-10, at least 36" tall Origin: Hybrid
The wonderful 1980s introduction was selected by John Metcalf of Four Seasons Nursery in the UK. It's taken us 10 years to build up enough stock of this great kniphofia to be able to share, so don't delay in case we run out. Compared to the larger pokers, the narrow green leaves on this winner of the RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) Award of Garden Merit make a smallish, 2' wide clump. Starting in June (NC), the 3' tall, narrow flower stalks end in ivory flowers with an orange top...a very unusual color combination in pokers. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #06337
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| <Iris] | [Lantana - Lilium> |
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