Globularia repens is an uncommon alpine that is perfectly suited to the rock or scree garden. It spreads fairly quickly for such a small plant and makes a nice cushion display.
Favorite Plants
Roscoea cautleyoides – the Orchid Roscoea
Are you interested in an easy to grow exotic orchid for your garden? Roscoea cautleyoides isn’t a real orchid but the flowers sure look like one.
Clematis terniflora (sweet autumn clematis)
Clematis terniflora, the sweet autumn clematis, is a great plant for the fall garden. It is flowering right now in a large swath that covers a mature lilac and some neighboring plants as well. It is easy to grow and flowers every year.
Alyssoides utriculata – the Greek bladderpod
I have grown Alyssoides utriculata for a number of years and I never see it mentioned in discussions. It really does deserve more attention. It is bright yellow, very easy to grow, seems long lived and makes really unusual seed heads. Consider this one for your rock garden.
Salvia Sclarea v. Turkestanica – Clary Sage
Salvia sclarea has been in my garden for over 12 years and it is always a pleasure to see it. It is very fragrant, and makes a nice showing with long lasting flowers.
Gentiana Angustifolia – the Blue Trumpet Gentian
Gentiana angustifolia produces huge flowers relative to the size of the plant. This is one of the best plants in my rock garden and it should be added to every garden that specializes in small plants.
Cornus Mas – The Cornelian Cherry
Cornus mas is a shrub or small tree that blooms very early in year, even before forsythia. It has attractive yellow flowers followed by red fruit that develops in fall. It does not make a big splash in the garden, but adds a nice touch to a shrub border.
Flueggea suffruticosa aka Securinega suffruticosa
Flueggea suffruiticosa is a rare shrub in gardens that is interesting, but not spectacular, until fall when it turns a beautiful golden color. It is quite architectural, presenting a weeping habit.
Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Arnold Promise’
Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Arnold Promise‘ is one of the most popular witch hazel cultivars, but that still makes it an uncommon plant to see in the garden. It is a small vase-shaped tree that can be kept quite small with pruning, so it will fit into any garden. It can even be grown as a small potted plant or bonsai.
Abelia mosanensis (Zabelia tyaihyonii), the Korean Abelia
Abelia mosanensis is a lovely shrub that few people grow. I am not sure why because it is very easy to grow, flowers well every year and is more fragrant than just about any other shrub in my collection. It does sucker a bit, but is easily controlled. It also forms nice red-orange fall colors.
Iris x norrisii ( x Pardancanda norrisii, Candy Lilies)
Iris x norrisii is a very interesting plant that flowers in the heat of summer when flowering can be a bit slow in the garden. It also has some very interesting seed heads for late fall.
Anemone blanda
Anemone blanda is a fairly common spring bulb that produces a big display of flowers. It is low growing and can be tucked under trees for a nice display, or grown with other small spring bulbs like Muscari. It is best purchased and planted in fall but you can find pots of it in spring at some nurseries.