Available 6-6-2013
When I visited Mike Dirr's UGA trial gardens in 2001, I was struck by a golden sport of Ilex 'Nellie R. Stevens'. Mike shared cuttings and later allowed us to name the plant Ilex 'Whoa Nellie' after the well-known football line of famed sportscaster, Keith Jackson. Ilex 'Whoa Nellie' makes a 12' tall x 8' wide evergreen specimen in 10 years with new growth that is bright gold, contrasted with old inner foliage which retains the dark green color. When grown near a male pollinator, Ilex 'Whoa Nellie' will produce a superb crop of bright red berries in fall and winter. We think this is a truly superb specimen plant for the garden that can also be used for a colorful evergreen hedge. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
Available 7-11-2013 We brought three golden seedlings of the rare Florida endemic Illicium parviflorum back from a 2000 visit to Florida plantsman, Charles Webb. After several years of evaluation, we selected one plant for introduction as Illicium 'Florida Sunshine'. Our 7-year-old specimen has become a small shrub to 5' tall x 3' wide of anise-fragranced, chartreuse gold foliage during the spring and summer. As the weather cools in fall, the leaf color brightens to screaming yellow, then becomes a near parchment color by midwinter. During the same time, the upper stems take on a brilliant red cast, contrasting vividly with the leaves. In sun, the winter foliage will scorch, so we recommend this be grown in light shade...a stunning beacon in the winter garden. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
From California's Derick Pitman comes this vigorous selection of the hardy Impatiens arguta. Impatiens arguta hails from 6,000'-9,000' in the mountains from Nepal, Tibet, and into western China. The open branches are adorned with widely-spaced, large, tubular blue-lavender flowers, produced from midsummer though fall. Impatiens 'Blue Dream' can easily grow to 2' tall x 6' wide in one season but remains in a clump and is airy enough so, like a speeding car on an interstate, other plants weave their way through, creating interesting combinations. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
(aka: Impatiens sp. CPC 19.4.01 #1A) This Darrell Probst collection comes from China's rich Sichuan Province. We are still uncertain about the species, but most experts now lean toward it being Impatiens omeiana. Impatiens 'Sichuan Gold' has performed quite well in our trials, spreading from underground stolons to form a nice open colony of stalks that play well with others. Slightly moist soils are best but not necessary. The 18" tall stalks are clothed with green leaves and are topped, starting in mid-June and continuing into October (NC), with 3" branched flower stalks of large yellow flowers. You can forget about trying to root cuttings of this one...divisions only. In trials it has survived -18 degrees F in Minnesota with no snow cover...amazing! Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
Our original cuttings of the Chinese native Indigofera kirilowii came from the late Christopher Lloyd via designer Edith Eddleman. The 18" tall, upright pea-foliaged stems arise from a slow-moving (NOT INVASIVE) rhizome. The miniature, wisteria-like pink flower clusters (6" long) cascade from the tops of the stems in spring and into early summer...WOW! Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
Available 4-4-2013Just outside our bedroom window, in the cool of the evening, some horticultural hanky panky was taking place. Before we knew it, there was an offspring making itself at home in our clump of Indigofera pseudotinctoria 'Rose Carpet'. We watched for several years while the 2' tall x 3' wide mass of semi-woody stems grew and adorned themselves with small upright spikes of cerise-pink flowers from spring through summer. After careful examination, we can only conclude that a nearby Indigofera amblyantha is probably the baby-daddy although we have yet to perform a paternity test. Nevertheless, you can adopt your Indigofera 'Little Pinky' today. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
(aka: Tristagma peregrinans) Ipheion 'Rolf Fiedler' is a selection of easy-to-grow Ipheion peregrinans that is a true star of the winter rock garden. The 5" long, narrow, glaucous green, allium-like foliage emerges in late winter, laying flat against the soil. Beginning for us in mid-March, the clumps are topped with 1" fluorescent, azure blue flowers. The slowly stoloniferous plants, which spread to 2' wide in 5 years, flower for two months in our garden. Ipheion 'Rolf Fiedler' is great when used with gold foliage or golden flowered bulbs in early spring. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
This selection of Ipheion uniflorum comes from the garden of NC's Norman Beal, who selected it for its large, pure white flowers. For us, the clumps of waxy grey-green foliage are topped in March and early April (NC) with stalks of white flowers that obscure the foliage. By late May, Ipheion 'Greystone' has gone dormant for the summer. We recommend dividing the clumps every 3-5 years and either sharing with your neighbors or starting a nursery...just kidding. A horticultural circumcision in late spring, a la Lorena Bobbitt, will prevent unwanted offspring. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
Iris brevicaulis 'Auburn Blues' started it's second life during our 2006 botanical excursion near Seale, Alabama (just south of Auburn) when we spied it being swept away in a fast-moving, storm-swollen stream. The rhizome that we were able to snag and bring home, quickly made a lovely clump with the best flowering show that we've ever seen on the often sparsely flowering native, Iris brevicaulis. Our original clump is now 2' tall x 3' wide, adorned in spring with large, light blue-lavender flowers that occur near the base of the clump, starting for us in late May. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
Iris cristata 'Powder Blue Giant' is a superb form of our native deer-resistant Iris cristata, discovered by Samuel Norris (who created the first xPardancandas) of Owensboro, Kentucky, some 37 years ago in a 200-yard long bank of Iris cristata in Litchfield, Kentucky. Iris cristata 'Powder Blue Giant' was registered and named by Joe Pye Weed Gardens, Massachusetts, in 1998. The light blue flowers, to 3" wide, are gigantic for this species...a hummingbird delight. This vigorously spreading form to 1' tall is a superb choice for a dry location in the woodland garden. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
This selection of our native crested woods iris was discovered by mad plantsman, Don Shadow, of Winchester, Tennessee. Iris 'Tennessee White' is a vigorous deer-resistant selection that quickly makes a 2' wide deciduous clump, topped just above the foliage in March (NC) with a wonderful display of small, white, thick-textured flowers...a treat for hummingbirds. Everyone who has tried it agrees it is probably the best white-flowered selection of Iris cristata on the market. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
I don't know what an agripinella is, although I think I ate one once in Vietnam, but I do know that the iris by that name is a real stunner. Iris 'Agripinella' is a selection of Japanese iris that begins flowering for us in early June with 3' tall stalks, topped with huge 8" wide flowers with 6 horizontal lavender purple petals, each highlighted by a central white blotch that radiates out into the petal like sun rays...attractive to hummingbirds. As with all Japanese iris, moist soil is best, although they perform fine under typical garden conditions. For best flowering, divide the clumps every 3-4 years...your neighbors asked me to remind you. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
Iris ensata 'Bellender Blue' is a 1993 introduction from John Coble and Bob Bauer of Ensata Gardens, that has been a real attention getter in our trial gardens. The 50" tall clumps are topped in mid-June with huge dark blue-purple flowers. The flowers on Iris 'Bellender Blue' are so huge, there must have been illegal steroids involved...investigators are on the case. Very moist soils make for the most spectacular clumps. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
Iris ensata 'Flashing Koi' is one of the most spectacular cultivars of Japanese iris we've grown. The 3' tall flower spikes top the clump, starting in early June (NC). The huge flowers are white with dramatic purple veins flowing from the bright yellow eye zone. As with all Japanese iris, moist soils are best, but they will also grow fine with average soil moisture. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
Iris 'Little Snowman' is a stunningly floriferous selection of the Japanese Iris ensata, introduced in 1981 from the breeding program of Adolph Vogt. In 1996 it won the prestigious American Iris Society Award of Merit. Like a flock of doves atop the upright linear green foliage, the 25" tall, deer-resistant plants of Iris ensata 'Little Snow Man' are topped with large flat flowers in early June...a hummingbird attractor. Plant Japanese iris in a moist site (water leaks that you haven't got around to fixing work great) and divide every 3-5 years for best results...you're sure to like this one! Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
Iris ensata 'Shinto Rings' is a 2001 registration from the late Shuichi Hirao of Japan that has been stunning in our garden. The clumps of upright foliage are topped, starting in mid-June, with spikes of large white flowers with each petal surrounded by a 0.5" wide violet margin...stunning! Iris ensata can be grown equally well in a few inches of standing water or in a regularly irrigated garden soil. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
This 1961 deer-resistant introduction from Oregon's Japanese iris guru, Walter Marx, is one of the shorter Japanese iris we have grown, topping out, starting in mid-June, at 26" tall with flat 6" wide flowers. The wavy petals are white in the center with a ruffled dark purple border...a very nice hummingbird treat. Moist to regular garden soils are fine for Iris 'Sweet Murmur', but divide the clumps every 3-4 years for best flowering. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
If you want to brighten up a garden...aquatic or otherwise, here is your plant. Iris ensata 'Variegata' is a strikingly beautiful, deer-resistant iris with creamy white-and-green, vertically striped, broad foliage. Each clump of Iris ensata 'Variegata' can reach 28" tall x 1' wide. In late spring, each clump is topped with attractive, pale lavender-blue flowers. Variegated Japanese iris is happy in all but the driest of garden soils. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
Iris foetidissima var. lutescens was originally collected in 1930 at 1,000' elevation on a limestone outcrop near Tetouan in northern Morocco. Having been around this long, it's strange that it is so scarce in modern gardens. Iris foetidissima var. lutescens makes a robust clump in the garden with 2' tall evergreen foliage, adorned in spring with buttery yellow flowers. In fall, the seed pods burst open to reveal the brilliant orange-red fruit. In the garden, Iris foetidissima prefers light shade and well-drained soil. Thanks to garden writer, Graham Rice, for sharing seed from England's Monksilver Nursery. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
We purchased this dwarf, nameless selection of our Southeast US native copper iris from a mail order plant adoption facility in 2003. As promised when we purchased it, it has remained shorter than the typical species, maturing for us at 20" tall. In 2010, we christened it Iris 'Little Cajun'. The evergreen clumps are topped in early May with a splendid display of coppery cinnamon flowers that attract hummingbirds. Iris fulva is super easy to grow since it is equally at home in typical garden soil or in 3-6" of standing water and muck...that's muck with an M! Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
