February | 2015 | floragloria

And the snow continues to fall.

Doesn’t bother me one bit. I’m sitting by the fire reading about the 2015 plant offerings from Broken Arrow Nursery and dreaming about seasons to come. I’ve posted before about this Nursery, so onto the plants:

Abies koreana ‘Kohout’s Icebreaker’

photo courtesy of Broken Arrow Nursery

This very slow-growing mini — increases only about an inch annually — was chosen by the American Conifer Society to be a 2014 Collector’s Conifer of the Year. Deservedly so. A standout evergreen with healthy, dense growth and beautiful silvery needles. In lieu of a dog or cat, highly pettable.

Pinus parviflora ‘Tani Mano Uki’

photo courtesy of Broken Arrow Nursery

Another unique conifer, this Japanese White Pine cultivar delights with pink buds that open to white needles before eventually turning blue-green.

Clethra barbinervis ‘Takeda Nishiki’

photo courtesy of Broken Arrow Nursery

A widely sought after variegated Clethra that’s all about the foliage, Takeda Nishiki sports dramatic green and pink leaves. At maturity, the deciduous shrub can attain a height of 6 feet.

Epimedium x ‘Pink Champagne’

photo courtesy of Broken Arrow Nursery

Pink Champagne flaunts vibrant pink and raspberry flowers that float above the plant’s exquisite purple-mottled foliage. No wonder it is said to be the most beautiful Epimedium bred by the acclaimed plantsman and Epimedium guru, Darrell Probst. A splendid shade-loving, perennial ground-cover.

Skimmia japonica

male Skimmia — photo courtesy of Broken Arrow Nursery

female Skimmia — photo courtesy of Broken Arrow Nursery

Superb evergreen, fragrant-flowering shrub for shade. A treasure. (For a detailed discussion of Skimmia’s attributes and requirements, see February 2013 Post: “Skimmia japonica: Shade Plant Sublime”.)

Being snowed in has lost its allure.

In late January, loony Mother Nature sent nor’easter Juno to wreak her snowy havoc upon us: Ornamental trees were buried by half, outdoor benches largely disappeared, and doors of our home were blocked by over 2 feet of packed snow, cutting off all access to the world outside.

To add insult to injury, even if we managed to escape, our extremely long driveway was impassable. No possible ingress or egress by car or foot. Scary. So, after careful consideration, I took the only reasonable course of action left to me: I’m in denial.

It’s not a bad place to be. I can ignore all the above and lose myself in dreams of Spring. In May, snowy white is a good thing, especially when it is produced by two accomplished Long Island, New York, plantsmen/breeders: the late Jim Cross with Rhododendron ‘Jolly Jim’ and Werner Brack with Rhododendron ‘White Elegance’. (Photos below in order of mention.)

Both plants are rarely available in the trade. For an opportunity to purchase these and other unique beauties, mark your calendars for the 2015 October 16-18 American Rhododendron Society Regional Conference on Long Island.

Much to look forward to.

UPDATE ALERT: You don’t have to wait until October to acquire the fabulous Rhododendron ‘White Elegance’; a limited number of plants will be available at the May 16, 2015 Plant Sale of The New York Chapter, American Rhododendron Society, to be held at Planting Fields, Long Island. Chapter website: nyrhododendron.org .

floragloria

A Garden Blog by Lois Sheinfeld

Archive | February 2015

2015 What’s New?

Rhododendrons ‘Jolly Jim’&’White Elegance’