Postage : Seeds only $4 / Plants $20
A charming small perennial Sage, found amongst limestone in Cedar forest, in Texas, Arizona and into Mexico. The shrubby mounds of softy haired, toothed, heart shaped, grey-green leaves, bear short, rigid stalks of bright red, hooded, two lipped, tubular flowers, endlessly throughout the warmer months. Generally dies down to a tuft of basal leaves over winter.
Trim of the spent flower stalks to promote flowering and cut down to the point of new growth once flowering has finished in winter.
Relatively short lived, 3-4 years, but should readily self seed in well drained soil.
Great for naturalizing in light shade under trees where it will perform well once established, even with considerable dryness over summer.
Flat heads of rich red flowers float above slowly spreading mounds of ferny green leaves.
Superior in colour to Achillea ‘Fanal’, a richer more solid red less quickly ageing to yellow.
At it's its best in light well drained soil.
Found in moist canyons in Nevada and the Mojave Desert, this Columbine, while needing moisture and shade, tolerates our hot summers better than most, flowering for a long period from early spring to mid summer with small, long spurred, pale red and yellow flowers nodding above neat mounds of soft green, ferny foliage.
Unusual among Aquilegia in having grey-pink new growth.
Should self seed well given half a chance.
A drought hardy groundcover for sunny exposed positions and poor sandy soils. Ideal for road verges, carparks, driveways and anywhere else normal plants struggle to survive. Large, 10cm, wine red, black centred, daisy-like flowers smother the silver, crinkled foliage until January or longer given water.
Mow after flowering.
Every new visitor to the nursery during spring or early summer invariably asks the name of this brilliant annual from the North American prairies. Under my conditions it is remarkably fecund and I have a tendency to let it have it's way, mostly. Drifts of diminutive specimens can be found in the paving cracks and you have to wade through their larger siblings that have found more hospitable homes. An opportunistic seedling can usually be found in flower at any time of the year and most customers must go home with at least one or two hitch-hikers stowed away amongst their purchases.
Even in their thousands there are nearly as many variations in colour and form of flower, from clear yellow, some with cinnamon brushing, to mahogany red and every combination in between, that is yellow with a red centre of varying size. Some plants have flowers with extra smaller petals in the centre so as to appear almost anemone centred, while others have rolled flute-like petals somewhat resembling seashells, which is a name often given this flower form.
Whatever form the flowers take the foliage is always finely dissected, dark green, occasionally red tinted, glossy and almost fern-like, in a rosette which firsts mounds, then elongates with a sturdy stem, atop which is carried the much branched head of daisy-like flowers.
Scratch seeds into any bare soil, sand or clay during autumn. They will persist from year to year so long as adequate moisture is available to complete flowering and seed set, a little additional water late in the season is usually required if relying on rainfall.
Each packet should contain at least 50 seeds. And then some.
A clumping, evergreen perennial. Slender, wiry stems with glaucous strappy leaves in pairs. Clusters of double, red carnation flowers with each petal edged in white, are produced throughout the warmer months. Cut back old stems when they have finished flowering.
A soft, grey, sub-shrub from the South West United States, where, as here, it is exceptional for flowering during the heat and drought of summer and autumn. When tubular, scarlet flowers adorn the plant profusely and are much loved by hummingbirds, or honey-eaters in our case.
Good drainage is preferred, though heavy soils may be tolerated briefly. An occasional drink over summer will encourage flowering but is not necessary, too much and you will permanently prevent flowering and life. Probably a strictly west cost plant, it may be worth trying in the eastern states with impeccable drainage, full exposure and no irrigation, though I suspect success would be only temporary.
Cut back to ground level during winter when new growth is seen at the base otherwise it tends to become untidy by flowering time.
Given bare soil seedlings can appear and transplant readily. Seedlings may differ from their parents with leaves that can be silver to sage green and with flowers varying in their depth of colour. These variations can be seen in the nursery and all are lovely, in time separate clones may be selected based on arbitrary and distinct qualities.
A summer deciduous shrub of outstanding form, happiest in dry, exposed sites where it forms a dense crown of branches clothed in blue-green, linear leaves and bears in spring clusters of dark red flower-like bracts that enclose the true but tiny flowers.
Naturally found on the lean, limestone soil of the Canary Islands, though it's quite content in all but poorly drained soil, it is well suited to garden life in the south west. Tolerant of at least light frost but inland gardeners may need to be cautious.