Hybrid

From manic hybridizer Darrell Probst comes this herbaceous Asian Hydrangea relative. Softer blue than D. caerulea but with leaves showing a distinct Camel Toe cleft attesting to D. bifida affinity. (Had a friend who was Wardrobe Mistress for PNW Ballet and Camel Toes were her bane) The fertile flowers on this are a study in intricacy and worth bending over for. I meant that the plant is short and not because it is 16 bucks! Sheesh. Can't believe you were thinking that. This likes some light shade a good soil that doesn't dry but drains.

From great plant friends in Scotland, this showy cross of two fine Candelabra Primrose species garnered accolades when they used this to great effect in a display show garden. Colors are widely variable and size can be a bit shorter than the parents but literally, all are good and work well together. Now if only politicians............

The bees have done some fine work in the garden, shuttling between a Roy Lancaster collection of the purple/white Epimedium x omeiense and our collection of the rare yellow Epimedium flavum, found only in a small area of the Erlang Shan in Sichuan.  These are unselected seedlings which all have garden merit and are deserving of a good garden trial but our ADPS (Attention Deficit Plant Syndrome) is getting in the way of doing that so we are jobbing it out to you.  Various colors and evergreen foliage.

Tiny-leafed hybrid of Soldanella carpatica and S. pusilla . This very small scale little creeper with tiny evergreen leaves surprises in spring with over-achieving light lavender fringed bells. Similar to 'Spring Symphony' but flowering a bit earlier. One of the easiest Soldanella to grow. This is one we picked up in the UK a few years back.

This hybrid of I. wattii and I. japonica originates from California plantsman Jimmy Giridlian and comes to us via Russell Graham Purveyor of Plants. Forms a slowly spreading clump of 2' arching evergreen leaves that lift aloft the pale flowers that perhaps provided inspiration for the name, white banners with golden throats and pale purple central petaloids give an air of royalty and purity that suggest a monthly income far above nada. A highly choice Iris that we are glad to have more than nada of, and are happy that you too will be able to remedy any nada quantities of 'Nada' currently listed in your surely well curated garden inventory.

We received this as the Pioneer Mountain form of Erythronium revolutum and indeed, there is revolutum in them as well as californicum. These are obviously natural hybrids which do occur and perusing "Erythroniums in Cultivation" by Ian Young, these fit his description nicely especially with the parallel, narrow filaments.

The one-spotted form of the classic Giant snowdrop. Maintains the broad grey-green leaves and buoyantly rounded flowers of the species but does away with the upper green band generally seen on the inner segments in favor of just the apical wishbone green marking giving a distinctly snowier and elegantly clean appearance.

Another gorgeous introduction from Hugh Nunn whose nursery is in the village of Harvington. This has obvious Roscoea humeana in its parentage which contributes large flowers well-displayed on a stout plant. A light cream is the flower color and ours were initially but these same plants have become more yellow. Which is not a bad thing but curious. Even though this in the Ginger Family, it is not suitable for the Southeast as it likes cool nights.

One of the hardiest of the Aloes, this will withstand short drops into the upper teens but will appreciate shelter against a sunny wall under an eave where it will produce orange flowers for months on end. Well worth trying for some succulent exotica or just fine in a container where it can be brought inside for the winter. Has done well in outside with careful siting in mild PNW gardens.

A super hybrid out of the UK from crossing the two related genera, Hypoxis and Rhodohypoxis. These genera occur in South Africa and are small bulbous members of the Iris family. While just a few inches tall, these are showy beyond the implied limits of their size and can cover themselves for weeks in large red flowers. Easy to grow and a fast increaser, this will become a favorite. Cold climates can be overwintered inside where cool.

A classy selection we brought in from the UK as the pure white clone 'Serenity,' but turns out to be a dead-ringer for this Scottish selection with alternate petals dusted in light turquoise. At first we were a wee put off and aye, felt a bit of an eejit, but now we ken this a bonny lass and we not be haverin'. Full sun in cool sun areas, or part sun in hot sun. Moist acidic soil please.

A robust hybrid of E. tuolumense showing broad lightly mottled leaves and 12" flower stems bearing multiple sulphur yellow flowers with a light brown ring in the throat. A vigorous increaser by offsets - not seed. In just a few years you will have a truly impressive clump.

This is perhaps the first of the hybrids to be introduced between Corydalis flexuosa and Corydalis elata and remains one of the best. The derivation of the name 'Spinners' can be traced to this being a chance seedling in Kevin Hughes garden who then brought it to work which was the renowned Spinners Nursery in England. Researching this, we discovered the rather more interesting Urban Dictionary definition could also possibly apply given its dainty appearance and enthusiastic performance in the garden. Scented blue flowers aging to purplish from mid spring to early summer in moist shade to part sun down to zone 6. Hopefully plantsman par excellence Ed Bowen who shared this with us doesn't mind that we are doing what nurserymen do - propagate and sell! We had better check with him PDQ. (Until he gets back to us - it is open season on Corydalis!)

Plantsman and bulb expert Jim Fox was staying with friends in England and admiring their fine Nerine 'Quentin' in their border which had a few seed which he passed to us. Mere decades later and - Voila! - we have Quentinlettes. Quentin is highly regarded in England and the offspring are good too. Has overwintered outside in a pot, freezing solid with no ill effects. These single bulbs are not flowering-sized offsets - probably 2 years to bloom - and just potted this August so not yet rooted out, if you're shipping this fall.

Our cross between the "typical" Lilium mackliniae and the Saramati form which will be recognized as a distinct variety of the species. The former has larger flowers and is more campanulate while the latter is a high elevation variant with smaller flowers and blooms earlier. This hybrid is very uniform from seed, short, stout, earlier than typical while having flowers nicely intermediate. Pretty cool.

Very uncommon selection from the UK which we are pleased to introduce to these shores. An Asiatic Gentian whose parents include such species as Gentiana sino-ornata, G. veitchiorum, G, farreri etc. These revel in cool climates, moist acid soil and reward with late summer-fall bloom. This is a good dark blue with purple tones.

One of the most intensely colored Juliana type Primroses out there. This puts on a no-holds barred display of shrieking magenta flowers that is a celebration of pigment with no apologies. The rich color sets it apart from all others. Tolerates full sun if given enough water but looks better given some relief from afternoon sun. Very tough and a good clumper. Our plant came from Rice Creek Garden in Minneapolis years ago so that gives some clue as to hardiness. It also came under the name of 'Lois Lutz' which we have sold it as for a number of years including this year on our online store here. Thanks to the American Primrose Society show people down in Portland for pointing out the error of our ways.

We learned our original offering of this was incorrect as noted by a Primrose Society judge who said what we had was 'Jay Jay'. Shortly thereafter, we got a letter from Deborah Lutz who said our 'Lois Lutz' was not correct and she should know as Lois was her mother and would we like the correct one? Thank you and Yes! We can now offer the correct 'Lois Lutz' with a provenance that would delight any appraiser at the Antiques Road Show. This is vigorous and floriferous with masses of short-stemmed vividly vibrant flowers that hide the foliage. And it is correctly named!

An Ian Butterfield cross between P. pleionoides and P. humilis, this easy orchid has large flowers of pink-lavender with a fringed lip and interior well-spotted in red with a beckoning bee runway of yellow. Typical Pleione culture - the internet is full of great advice for growing in containers and also fantastic in mild gardens where it will thrive in mossy logs and stumps. Great drainage first and foremost.

Beautiful sky-blue trumpets with a white throat in September on this Gentiana ornata x farreri hybrid. Granted a Royal Horticultural Society First Class Certificate in 1936, we've righted a wrong by finally making this fine UK selection available in the US. Slow but steady in the Colonies!