Clusters of trumpets of gentian blue flowers with five petals open at the apex on lax stems sprawl among its lance-shaped foliage. Blooms July – September. One botanist believes this is the same as Gentiana dahurica. I admit, we’ve grown both and I cannot tell the difference. Botanists sometimes differentiae plants on tiny plant parts not readily visible. Such botanists are called “splitters.” We’ll await modern DNA testing to tell.
OUT OF STOCK
Clusters of trumpets of gentian blue flowers with five petals open at the apex on lax stems sprawl among its lance-shaped foliage. Blooms July – September. One botanist believes this is the same as Gentiana dahurica. I admit, we’ve grown both and I cannot tell the difference. Botanists sometimes differentiae plants on tiny plant parts not readily visible. Such botanists are called “splitters.” We’ll await modern DNA testing to tell.
Violet racemes all summer through fall
Size: 36” x 12”
Care: Sun, well-drained soil
Native: Southern Europe
Both the Latin and common names are related to flax. Linaria comes from “linum” which is Greek for “flax” and toadflax includes the word “flax.” The leaves of Linaria purpurea resemble flax leaves. According to 17th century English herbalist, John Parkinson, the plant “causes one to make water.” Grown by English plantsman and explorer, Tradescant the Elder, 1634.
OUT OF STOCK
Sprays of large, single warming yellow daisies, blushed with apricot top a bushy mound of light green leaves, blooms late-summer to late-fall
Size: 1-2’ x 2-3’ and spreading
Care: Full sun to part shade, tolerates normal, sandy or clay soil
Wildlife Value: Attracts bees, butterflies and birds. Deer resistant.
One of the rubellum hybrids, Hybridized in the 1930’s
Soft, majestic purple-magenta thistles on prickly silver foliage and stems.
Can not ship to: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
Size: 4-6’ x 2”
Care: full sun in moist, well-drained soil
Native: Europe and western Asia
Wildlife Value: Bees, butterflies and birds
Identified by Dioscorides in De Materia Medica for medicinal use around 70 A.D. Chosen as the symbol of Scotland by King James V. According to legend the Scotch thistle helped Scotland fend off a night-time Viking invasion by preventing a sneak attack. It caused the Vikings to scream in pain waking the Scots. Introduced to American gardens in late 1800’s.
OUT OF STOCK
Bushy plants bear showy, red-purple pea-like blooms age to rich purple in March-June. Ephemeral, dying back in August when you can cut it back. Spring gem.
Size: 12” x 12”
Care: sun in north to shade in south, moist well-drained soil. Drought tolerant once established
Native: No. Europe - Siberia
Awards: Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit, Elisabeth Carey Miller Botanical Garden Great Plant Picks
Introduced to gardens before 1629. Parkinson called it “Blew Everlasting Pease.”
