Lilies and Orchids and Columbines, Oh My!
We are thrilled to have the beautiful and rare Pitkin Lily available in one gallon containers. This crop, three years in production, now sports flower stems with large, pendulous orange flower buds. The buds open to showy orangey-red petals which re-curve to reveal maroon spots. An elegant and spectacular addition to lightly shaded areas with good drainage and moderate to occasional summer water. Hummingbird favorite.
The native stream orchid, Epipactus gigantea, is an easy to grow rhizomatous, herbaceous perennial. Awakening in the spring to send up lush shoots one foot or more tall. Flower stems hold many one inch blossoms of subtle greenish yellow with maroon and purple markings. Requires a little shade with regular moisture and makes a terrific container plant. Along with the species, we also have the cultivar 'Serpentine Night', selected by Roger Raiche from the Cedars in Sonoma County. This form emerges with gorgeous deep purple foliage which fades to a bronzy green as the season progresses.
We regularly carry the western columbine, Aquilegia formosa, loved for it's nodding orange and yellow spurred blossoms that are hummingbird favorites. This year we are pleased to have one gallon plants of Aquilegia eximia the serpentine columbine. This crop is sending up flower stems with beautiful blossoms that look like orangey-red crowns. The flowers attract hummingbirds and the seeds are relished by small birds.
Something New
Roger Raiche, renown plantsman and CNPS fellow has shared one of his latest finds with us. Discovered along a coastal bluff in Sonoma County, Roger spotted this white flowering seaside daisy. He has named it Erigeron glaucus 'White Lights'. It has not been grown in gardens and still needs to be tested, but it holds promise. Roger found it blooming in the autumn which may show some capacity for long blooming or a repeat bloom. We have a crop of one gallons flowering now. Seaside daisy prefers sun, decent drainage, and is drought tolerant once established. A little shade and occasional water is best in hot inland sites. A member of the sunflower family, seaside daisies are excellent sources of both nectar and pollen for butterflies, bees and other pollinators. Their seeds are favored by juncos and finches.
Don't Forget Your Umbels
We are big fans of the plant family Apiaceae, characterized by handsome divided fragrant foliage topped with stout flower stems of green or white umbels. Bold and beautiful, many members of this family offer striking form and are great garden plants. The native umbels are the natural larval food source for the anise swallowtail butterfly. Rather than the non-native invasive fennel, why not offer up their natural host plants? Available in one gallons are yampah, Perideridia kelloggii, several species of Angelica, cow parsnip, Heracleum lanatum, Lomatium and even the delightful rangers buttons, Sphenosciadium capitellatum.
Buckwheats
Customers have been waiting for our buckwheat crops and now they are ready. Available in four inch pots are the small scale red buckwheat, naked buckwheat and sulfur buckwheats, the adaptable California buckwheat and the giant buckwheat. An important addition to the habitat garden, this wonderful group of ornamentals offers pleasing forms and showy flowers that are rich sources of pollen for bees and beneficial insects, as well as seed for birds. Now available in four inch pots; our one gallon plants will be ready within the next month.
California Fuchsia
Our supply of California fuchsia is complete. We have a fine collection of cultivars in four inch and gallon containers. California fuchsia spreads by rhizomes to form broad mats. Summer brings an abundance of tubular flowers of orangey-red adored by the hummingbirds. We have a small supply of a white flowering cultivar, 'Summer Snow' and a pink selection called 'Marin Pink'. California fuchsias enjoy full sun and are drought tolerant. For best appearance and long blooming give occasional summer water. They perform beautifully in heavy soils.
Sages
The cold winter was hard on our propagation stock of Sages, but we have built our stock back up. Check out our current inventory of sages available now. Many customers admire the planting of Salvia darcyi by our office door. Seems we are often in short supply, but we have a healthy crop of one gallons available now. The large pure red flowers are show stopping, appealing to all, including bees and hummingbirds.
Over Abundance Sale / Woodland Phacelia and Woodland Melic
We are offering two woodland plants in four inch pots at a deep discount of half off the usual price. Woodland Phacelia and the Woodland Melic are good dry shade plants and are adaptable to different soil types and watering regimes. Once established they are drought tolerant and strong reseeders. Woodland Phacelia, Phacelia bolanderi, is an easy to grow perennial, forming low mats topped with powder blue-purple flowers in late spring into summer. The woodland melic, Melica harfordii, is a tough grass that adds vertical form and slender flower spikes and is quite serviceable at holding gravely, loose soils. Once established they will seed about, and those seedlings will be particularly durable and drought tolerant.
Coming Attractions
We are known for our extensive selection of manzanitas. You won't see many on our inventory as we try to list only those crops that are fully rooted and ready to plant. Know that we have lots of manzanitas coming along. They have been potted into one gallons, and their roots are just hitting the bottom of the pot, and they are beginning to fill out on top. They are starting to sell now, but in the next couple months they should be full enough to make our list.
All photos ©Philip Van Soelen
Bird Rescue Center of Sonoma County Garden Tour
