Clik here to view.
George Forrest in Yunnan, China Part 2
George ForrestLast week I spun a tale about the great plant explorer George Forrest (1873-1932) that was based on his Notes on the Plants of North West Yunnan. Today I will discuss the Rhododendrons...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Hot Damn!
My nursery more-or-less survived Oregon's record-smashing heat wave two weeks ago when temperatures soared to 116 F (46.7 C), accompanied with a brisk PM wind besides. At first it didn't seem that we...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Coniferous Wildflowers
At the end of last week's Flora Wonder Blog I mentioned in passing that conifers flower, but just express themselves differently than what we normally think of as a “wildflower.” However, from an...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Flora Fun
The photos that follow were taken in the past year and many were featured in the Flora Wonder Blog. Since most of you probably skip the verbiage and just look at the pictures, I wonder if you can...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Fifty Plants Identified...
Fifty Plants Identified...With Sub PlotsIn last week's Flora Wonder Blog I issued a plant identification challenge, where each photo was accompanied by a clue, as in “A handsome species” for Acer...
View ArticleClik here to view.
My Curious Assemblage
John Tradescant the ElderJohn Tradescant the Elder (1570s-1638) and his son (the Younger) were English naturalists, gardeners, travelers and plant collectors. After a number of assignments the Elder...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Speaking Specifically
Picea glauca 'Pendula'Ginkgo biloba 'Chi Chi'Ginkgo biloba 'Chi Chi'Ailuropoda melanoleucaAcer shirasawanum 'Autumn Moon'Because of my obsession with plants, my two youngest girls are ahead of the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Large Conifer Species, Tiny Selections
A recent Flora Wonder blog focused on some curious plant oddities that one can find in our arboretum. These are living creatures that fascinate flora aficionados such as myself, while I'm fully aware...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Heritage/Buchholz 40 Years Later
AugustusAh, another August– at least it has finished. As the eight month of the year in our Gregorian calendar the Latin word means “inspiring reverence or admiration.” I would describe the period...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Buchholz Green Exclamation
In last week's blog, Heritage/Buchholz 40 Years Later, I wrote: All of the literature states that [Liquidambar styraciflua] 'Slender Silhouette' is a “striking vertical accent,” so I don't want to copy...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Mortal Epithets
Pieris japonica 'Bisbee Dwarf'Dionaea muscipulaDioneAndromedaI love plant name origins, especially those derived from Roman and Greek mythology. Often, however, the myth has absolutely nothing to do...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Japanese Venerables
Let's go back in time to late fall 2019, when life was far more simple and predictable in those pre-covid days. I was blessed to squeeze in a trip to Japan with my family, but now we wonder if we'll...
View ArticleClik here to view.
“New” Conifer Cultivars
Eleven years ago garden writer Rita Pelczar produced an article for American Gardener, a publication that I know nothing about. She was recently asked to submit an updated version with “newer” conifers...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Veitch's Conifers
Metasequoia glyptostroboides 'North Light' Last week's Flora Wonder Blog discussed “newer” conifer cultivars that I personally recommend, even though I admitted that some were discovered and introduced...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Gossler Source
Saussurea speciesA joy of horticulture is that one can grow intimate with fascinating life forms, with plants and their flowers, leaves, trunks, roots etc. They're not always cooperative of course,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Shared Plant Names
Acer palmatum 'Fairy Hair'When it comes to plants most of us will never name a genus or a species; we're too late for that. But a nurseryman can name a cultivar practically once a day if he chooses,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Fleeting Season
Our past year saw some extreme and brutal weather events. For this nurseryman the seasons can be described thusly:spring is emerging,summer is enduring,autumn is fleetingand finallywinter hunkers.So,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
November Bluster
Many of us wondered if the world was truly ending last June (22nd, 2021) when a heat domedeveloped over the Pacific Northwest, when temp records were smashed to a huge degree– pun intended. Yes, we...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Garden in Fruition
Autumnnoun. From Latin autumnus:1) The season between summer and winter comprising in the northern hemisphere the months of September, October and November, or as reckoned astronomically extending...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Bag Nine
BAG9 – it sounds like a jazz club in New York City. "Thelonious Monk, recorded live from the BAG9." Actually, it is my greenhouse that contains many species of deciduous trees and shrubs. I walked...
View Article