SUMMER DORMANT
Postage : Seeds only $4 / Plants $20
- Acanthus
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mollis CAG00063
(Oyster plant, Bear's breeches)
CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLERosettes of huge, glossy, dark green, sharply serrated leaves thrust from the soil with the onset of autumn rain. In spring sceptres of mauve and white shell like flowers stand sentry over the brooding mounds of foliage.
Found throughout the Meditteranean it's at its best with no summer water but plenty of winter moisture and is tolerant of any soil that isn't waterlogged.
Extremely architectural if given the space or as contrast to other boldly leaved plants such as Melianthus major.
Representations of the leaves are commonly found in ancient roman architecture and are often still encountered in classical designs of today.- My notes : Sign in to MY JOURNAL
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mollis CAG00063
- Amaryllis
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belladonna CAG01045
(Easter lily, Naked lady)
CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLEA super tough South African that should need little introduction, though, where once its autumn spectacle was taken for granted through the South West it is now being increasingly displaced by fleeting makeover starlets.
Clusters of large. flaring, funnel shaped flowers, pale pink and deepening with age, are carried atop sturdy, fleshy stems. The strappy, dark green leaves emerge after flowering from the necks of large, papery, brown bulbs that are typically somewhat exposed, adjusting to their preferred depth with the aid of contractile roots. Becoming deciduous with rising temperatures in spring and then requiring zero water over summer.
Infallible in any soil, in any position except the densest shade. Usually takes several years to settle in and commence flowering for perpetuity.
For me, nothing heralds more the imminent return of cooler weather and rain than the sight of fat buds thrusting naked from parched ground. I imagine it is the same joy that gardeners in cold regions feel on seeing the first hint of spring in a shoot emerging from snow.- My notes : Sign in to MY JOURNAL
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belladonna Deep pink CAG02331
CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE
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belladonna CAG01045
- Asphodelus
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aestivus CAG02237
(Common Asphodel, White Asphodel, Summer Asphodel, Silver rod)
CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLEProfuse spikes of starry, pinkish white, blooms emerge from clumps of fleshy, very glaucous, slenderly tapering, grassy leaves produced by a succulent underground rootstock. From the Mediterranean, summer dormant and unperturbed by heat and drought.
Easily grown in any well drained sunny position that is drier in summer.
Unpalatable to grazing critters.
Beautiful and romantic when planted amongst drifts of Cistus, Lavender or other silvery Mediterranean shrubs.- My tags : Sign in to MY JOURNAL
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aestivus CAG02237
- Coreopsis
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gigantea CAG02279
CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLEA summer deciduous species from the southern Californian seaside with lush mops of bright green, feathery foliage atop thick, grey, branching trunks. Somewhat palm-like and very succulent looking, growing more so with age. Large, simple, canary yellow, daisy flowers explode on long stems from short, annual, side spurs.
Easy to grow in very well drained soil, or gutless sand, and an excellent pot subject. Plenty of sun while in growth is essential and its summer dormancy must be respected, though some moisture is required to mimic the regular fog of its native haunts.
The cusp of an irrigated garden or somewhere convenient for occasional hand watering could see a grove of these make an uncommon spectacle with little care, underplant with Cyclamen graecum and C. persicum for a planting that cool climate gardeners can only fantasise about.
Frost sensitive. East coast hardiness questionable.- My tags : Sign in to MY JOURNAL
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gigantea CAG02279
- Cyclamen
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coum CAG02042
CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE
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graecum CAG02333
CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE
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hederifolium CAG00966
CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE
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coum CAG02042
- Eryngium
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amethystinum CAG01879
CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE
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amethystinum CAG01879
- Euphorbia
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atropurpurea var. atropurpurea CAG02543
CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE
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.- My tags : Sign in to MY JOURNAL
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atropurpurea var. atropurpurea CAG02543
1m
2m
Spring
L
Sun - Shade
No Trends No Limits Just Good Plants
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