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Author Archives: Lucile Whitman
Magnolia ‘Cameo’
Here’s why you might want Cameo: it flowers so heavily with these perfect flowers that it keeps the tree small–and precocious–did I mention that.
| Size: 1 gallon | Price: $30.00 |
| Size: Field grown | Price: $115.00 |
Polo de Lorenzo (Magnolia x ‘Polo de Loreno’)
My friend Roger Warner sent me this scion wood, and this is what he says about the tree: ‘Named in honor of the former proprietor of Sonoma Horticultural Nursery, a great gentleman and generous horticulturist. The tree is very petite ( 8 feet tall x 8 feet wide after 25 years), perfect for the smaller garden. The flowers are huge (12 inches wide) and intoxicatingly fragrant, one does not need a ladder to savor the bouquet. Sold as a seedling of Magnolia campbellii ‘Lanarth’, it’s parentage remains an intriguing mystery, but the man whom after it was named will always be a cherished friend.’ Sounds like a winner to me!
| Size: 1 gallon | Price: $30.00 |
| Size: Field grown | Price: $115.00 |
Polo de Lorenzo
Cercis ‘Rising Sun’
Cercis ‘Rising Sun’
Is this eye-catching, or what? Ever since my heart was broken by Forest Pansy death syndrome, I have been leery of Cercis, but then I started being lured back by the likes of Covey (Lavender Twist) and Appalachian Red–and I never really let go of Oklahoma–but when i started growing Rising Sun, I became a believer again–altho I hear when it gets really big it can be brittle, but lordy, let it break and grow back hard and let me watch apricot turn to gold every day!
| Size: 1 gallon | Price: $25.00 |
| Size: fieldgrown | Price: $95.00 |
Davidia involucrata ‘Lady Sunshine’
Davidia involucrata ‘Lady Sunshine’
Davidia involucrata ‘Lady Sunshine’ is the showiest of all the Davidias out of the flower period because of the incredibly bright variegation; this is a good thing because the tree takes forever to actually start flowering- much like the species in general (see other posts for exceptions). The tree is smaller than species and slower growing but perfect in a shady location to bring light into a shady part of the garden. zone 6
| Size: 1 gallon | Price: $30.00 | Size: Field grown | Price: $115.00 |
Rosa pteracantha
Rosa pteracantha is almost magical as the sun shines through the giant thorns. As you cut the plant back every year, the thorns return bigger and more beautiful.
Grapevine Pruning Video
How to prune a grapevine.
Crispin’s Jaded Jester Ginkgo
The best of the new variegated Ginkgos, in my opinion. It was introduced this year by Crispin Silva, plant scout extraordinaire. A broom from his plant Jagged Jade, it has proved remarkably stable. Jagged Jade a stubby interesting plant, so I would expect this variegate to be a chunky small plant.
| Size: 1 gallon | Price: $45.00 |
| Size: Field grown | Price: $130.00 |
How to Train a Weeping Tree
How to train a weeping tree.
Got Shade??
Ok, Guys, this is it, really really it. I am going to post what caught my eye every week for sure. And this week it is Hydrangeas. Actually it has been Hydrangeas for a bit and suddenly I realized that since mine are in the sun (a big no-no), it was going to be too late. Two of the cultivars I am sure I have listed on my site, but the other one, O’Amachi Nishiki is new, and I am trying to think of how to describe it: not really variegated leaves, more like a speckled wash, but that doesn’t sound too good, and it is indeed beautiful all the time and incredible in the fall. So here are the pics for O’amachi which stays small, Teller’s Blue, 5’x 5′ if you let it go, and Hydrangea aspera Macrophylla which gets tall and thin if unchecked, but is unmatched with its huge fuzzy leaves and purple lace cap. Hope this works.
Hydrangea O’Amachi nishiki
Hydrangea asp. ‘Macrophylla’
Hydrangea ‘Tellers Blue’