A Preview of Our Spring 2021 Catalogue

It's always an exciting time when our new catalogue for the next season is ready. We try to introduce 10 to 20% new items to keep things interesting, plus we have the pleasure of reintroducing a few items that for some reason went away for a period of time. Our Spring 2021 Catalogue continues these traditions, with some interesting new additions and the triumphant reintroduction of old favorites. Here's a preview of some of the wonderful plants we'll have for sale beginning in January 2021.

Polianthes Tuberosa: Hybrids of Pink and Gold in Addition to Classic White

Polianthes tuberosa is an amazing Mexican plant nicknamed Tuberose. They've got a white flower and are amongst the most fragrant of all the summer flowering bulbs—a wonderful fragrance that your Grandma would remember.

In Thailand, they've taken these Mexican natives, hybridized them, and gotten some wonderful new colors. So instead of just plain white single and double, we also have pink single and doubles. And our new one in this catalogue is a vibrant yellow called Super Gold, which has single tubular flowers.

The hummingbirds adore Tuberose. They're late-summer blooming in August and September, and they persist for a long time as well. As for hardiness, they can tolerate up through Zone 7. Otherwise, they need to be treated as an annual or dug and stored over the winter.

Morning Light: A Perennial Ornamental Grass That Softens Any Landscape

We offer some perennials in addition to bulbs, and this is a perennial grass called Miscanthus sinensis, or Morning Light. We've had this one in our garden for years.

Unlike most ornamental grasses that have relatively wide leaves, this has very narrow, green leaves with a white stripe in the center. It's cascading growth habits add a soft addition to the landscape. It also blends with just about everything.

Aster Laevis Bluebird: Long-Lasting, Violet-Blue Flowers

This is a plant that was selected from a wild species of Aster. This one's called Aster laevis Bluebird, and it has a very long-lasting bloom. It starts in August and blooms right up to frost.

It's a lovely Aster about three feet tall bursting with violet-blue flowers, a perennial, and hardy just about anywhere. The monarch butterflies in particular, like it as a food source when they're migrating, and it also attracts various other butterflies and bees.

Lilium Leichtlinii: A Gorgeous, Golden Spotted Lily

People sometimes refer to this one as a Turk's Cap Lily. It's an early bloomer and is golden yellow with black spots all over it. It's very hardy—all the way up through Zone 3—and a great perennial. It's come back many years in our garden!

Amarine Belladiva: A Late Bloomer Worth the Wait

Amarine belladiva is a fun hybrid of Amaryllis belladonna and Nerine bowdenii. Like the Amaryllis, the Amarine is a "naked lady" that comes up without leaves. It blooms on a two-foot spike, which makes it a great cut flower. And it's a very late bloomer—it might wait until December!

We introduced it in our catalogue last year, and it was very popular. But then people who bought it would call us and say, "It's not in bloom yet. What's wrong with it?" We asked them to be patient, as it's such a late bloomer. Some time would pass, and then they would call back and say, "It's so amazing!"

It's normal for Amarine to bloom in October, November, or even December.

Crinum Ellen Bosanquet: A Critter-Proof Perennial with Long-Lasting Blooms

This is a tropical, but it's hardy through Zone 7. It's called Crinum Ellen Bosanquet, and it's an almost-red or dark pink, some would say. It's neat because it blooms for a long period of time, and like anything from the Amaryllis family, Crinum is absolutely critter-proof. Nothing eats it, which is a boon to gardeners who have critters around.

This one has been around for quite a while—we've had it in our garden for years—but we didn't have it in our catalogue. It's recently become available again, and we're pleased to be able to offer it in 2021!

Colocasia Coal Miner: Flat Black and Moisture-Tolerant

This Colocasia has almost totally black leaves, but it's different from the glossy black-leafed Colocasia. This one looks like it's been smudged black—a flat black—so it's called Coal Miner! 

The neat thing about Colocasias is they're very moisture-tolerant. You can start them in a pot and then sink the pot into a water garden. Once they're growing, they'll grow right out of the water from a submerged pot.

Canna Pretoria: An African Eye-Catcher

This is one of our favorites!

Canna Lilies can be problematic in that they sometimes have issues with viruses and insects, but the Canna Pretoria (discovered in South Africa) doesn't seem to be prone to either.

It has yellow-striped green leaves and bright orange flowers, so it's a real eye-catcher. It'll grow three to four feet tall. This plant is a perennial here in our Virginia climate, but otherwise, treat it as an annual to dig and save over the winter.

Pennisetum Red Head: A Grass with Fetching Red Flowers

Let's do one more grass! Most people don't think of grasses as flowering, but what we see coming out of the leaves of the Pennisetum Red Head is a flower before it becomes a seed head. It boasts a rich, deep, darker red, with some silvery overtones. We love to use it with red Lilies that bloom simultaneously with it. The two make a great color echo because the red in the grass picks up the red in the flowers.

Pick Up Our Spring 2021 Catalogue

There's lots more to see in the catalogue! Request the Spring 2021 catalogue here, and happy spring gardening.