2015 is bringing changes to this list; less items, more focus on rarities and favorites for the birds and curious gardener. Over the next month or so the catalog order page will depopulate, and re-populate, to fit with those changes. This list will change too, to give a hint of what is to come.
To order, please see the online ordering catalog Many items below will sell out quickly. Summer's heat will stop shipping sometime in July or August and it will resume in September for some plants.
Prices: Plants are as marked on the availability page.
Agastache Hummingbird Mints Fragrant, often showy plants good for tea, cut flowers and attracting Hummingbirds--but not deer or elk, who totally ignore these useful beauties! Sun, very good drainage; leave stems standing in the winter. A. cusickii, foeniculum and occidentalis have fluffy bottle-brush like flower heads, the rest tubular flowers. Amongst our very favorite plants for scent, flavor and color, Agastaches are good in tea & salads, and dry well.
aurantiaca
- cana Hummingbird Mint Beautiful large (2") bright rose-pink trumpet flowers in abundance on slender base-branching plants. Sweet minty scent & taste, including the flowers which would make a nice "Martha" addition to summer fruit salads. This is a gorgeous plant. To 2-3'.
- mexicana 'Sangria'
German seed strain of a Mexican herb (Red Lemon Balm) which is very fragrant & tasty, with showy rosy flowers in tall spikes. Glossy lanceolate leaves on a slender, vase shaped plant to 2-3'. This is an excellent tea plant, pretty, and a hummingbird favorite.
Alcea HollyhockAntwerp Mildew-resistant singles, and super hardy. To 6' or more.
Chamois Eearly sunrise effect-pearly pink notes, very subtle. More like a peach silk gown than chamois. Z4.
Aquilegia COLUMBINES
- Songbird Tall, very long-spurred, large flowers in mixed colors.
- viridiflora
Dark green-chocolate colored flowers with sweet fragrance reminiscent of Daphne. One of the few fragrant columbines; very decorative cut foliage which looks a bit like dinky bluish Ginkgo leaves. 10-12".
Calamintha grandiflora Showy Calamint One of our favorite showy herbs, sporting pink Penstemon-like flowers in early summer over faintly downy light green foliage. Flavor is minty until cooked, when a cinnamon-apple flavor comes to the fore. Nice in jellies, liqueurs. Spreading groundcover, not for too dry a spot. 10". Z4.
Campanula persicifolia Peach Bells Cottage garden staple, long-blooming beauty with large outfacing bells in shades of blues (and occasionally white). Magnet for bees and flower arrangers; graceful, sturdy, with clean tidy foliage. To 2-3'.
Cheiranthus cheirii Wallflower Hardy biennials and annuals, blooming late in their first summer then presiding as glory of the spring garden with fragrance that humans and bees adore. In large 4-packs.
- Double Flowered Very hard to find heirloom strain of doubles and semi-doubles; this took years to find after reading about them in a plant
encyclopedia from the 1800's.
DELPHINIUMS provide gorgeous color in many different heights and blossom types. Because I love them so, I grow several new kinds each year, always keeping a few lifetime favorites. All appreciate rich soil (very rich soil!) in full sun and good drainage. More delphs succumb to lack of feeding and wet feet than to cold.
►Most Delphiniums ship after April 20th.
belladonna types Many branching shorter spikes of flowers over a longer period of time. Excellent for cutting (many were bred for the florist trade) and easy to please. To about 4',
Tall garden (elatum) hybrids:
Pacific Giants: Tall, full flower stems with contrasting bees. Easily reach 6-8 feet if the soil is rich; stake them when you plant them and then tie in as needed, or plant away from walls & wind obstructions & go easy on the nitrogen and they will grow tougher stems and not need much staking. 6-8'; Z4.
- Summer Skies Our favorite of the Pacific Giants, fat full spikes of double sky blue touched with pink; white bees. A vase full of these once drew the comment "You! With fake flowers??!" Hummingbirds stake out these as centers of their territories.
Dicentra spectabilis Old fashioned Bleeding Heart, with large pink lockets dangling amidst bluish-reddish green foliage. Cottage garden staple, and if you don't have one, you are missing out!
Eucalyptus, Lemon scented (citriodora). Strongly, spicily, intensely lemon scented trees, easily maintained as houseplants in the frozen north. To a few feet in their first year; let the height of your household ceilings be your guide in future years.
Geranium macrorrhizum Intensely scented Geranium with small leaves flushed red in spring; cerise flowers. Good, enthusiastic groundcover.
Hesperis matronalis Dame's Rocket Flower of the Evening Star Classic cottage garden flower, beloved for centuries, probably millenia. Sweet fragrance in the dark hours, or in the house when cut, the lavender flowers are simple and unassuming in the daylight. Flowering from 2-3' depending on soil, most of the summer.
Hyacinth Scented Unusually scented and colored form of Dame's Rocket, with iridescent blue-purple flowers and a scent comprising Dame's Rocket, Stock, and the unmistakable fragrance of Hyacinths. Large sturdy plants produce generous armloads of flowers for cutting for most of the summer; you will surely want to bring flowers inside. 3' in boom.
Heuchera pulchella New Mexico Coral Bells Western native species, slender pink stems with light coral-pink & burgundy bells over silvery-green foliage that remains green over the winter. Hummingbird favorite and popular with flower arrangers. To 2' in flower; sun, well drained soil. Easy.
Hierochlöe odorata Sweet Grass, Northern Holy Grass Sweetly scented grass used in basketry & perfumery; this is the variety for braiding. Spreads by runners. To 15-20". Sun.
Iris pallida Orris Root Famed perfumery Iris, whose unscented roots dry over the years to a strong and lasting scent of violets. Pales blue flowers in early summer, the first of the taller iris to bloom.
Iris, Siberian
Double Lavender New! Luscious pale lavender flowers like watered silk. Nice green foliage, easy to please.
LAVENDER Quintessential cottage garden plants, popular for their xeric gardening qualities, and amongst the best scented plants on the planet. Marvelous hedging plants and welcoming by the gate or kitchen door. Give them sun and good drainage and they will reward you with ever larger crops of flowers as the years go by. Deer & elk proof. Sun, good drainage. Z4. Look for recipes & use ideas on our website. There will be plants from my own seed strains available at the market here this spring, as I'm working on longer stemmed versions and colors, which necessitates sowing and raising a lot more plants than I keep.
- Twickel Purple One of our very favorite Lavenders with long spikes of blue-violet flowers and an intense sweet fragrance; early with some re-bloom here. Almost knee-height, in
flower.
Mints Amongst the most generous of herbs, mints provide essential oils, tea leaves, salad brighteners, and even aroma-therapeutic lawns.Chocolate Mint Fragrant chocolaty mint with brownish tinged foliage. Good in beverages and as a ground cover for shade. Keeps flavor well when dried or made into syrup. Bees love it. Moist soil. To 2'.
Grapefruit Mint Softly hairy greyish green mint with crisp refreshing grapefruit taste. Large pleated leaves hold well into winter after shearing. This is a great tea-plant and a fun addition to a fruit salad.
Variegated Ginger Mint Gold variegated (and happier) in shade; fades to green in full sun. Very fragrant with a floral hint of ginger. Nice where you can brush up against it. Very restrained growth habit. To 12".
Margarita Mint
Variegated Pineapple Mint Soft downy foliage edged and splotched with cream; good pineapple scent that keeps well dried. The most restrained of mints, timid really. Brightens up a shady border.
Strawberry Mint NEW! Sweetly fruity mint, diminutive plants with goldy-green foliage.
Monarda
- bradburiana White Bergamot
Fragrant herb, powerful butterfly attractor, good tea plant and possessed of beautiful purple-spotted white flowers which are a great spicy, peppery addition to salads or main dishes. Mildew resistant. Z4.Nepeta cataria, Catnip This wildling was here before I set the house here, and always attracts kitties..be sure to cover newly set plants with something like a potato basket or metal milk crate plus a brick, or the cats will help themselves and un-plant them. To 4-5 feet in good soil.
Origanum OREGANO Golden Compact and very showy herb with pretty lavender flowers and gold splashing on the leaves. Mat-forming; sun-part sun. Z4. 8-12".
Greek THE pizza herb, showy and tasty. Flowers in roundish sprays of soft mauvey fireworks Dries well. To 16".
PENSTEMONS offer some of the best blues plus interesting foliage, often evergreen. Many attract hummingbirds; others provide bee forage and cut flowers. A few forms are actually miniature woody shrubs. All need excellent drainage. and good sunshine for best color.
- ovatus Tall, soundly perennial Penstemon with blue flowers in early-midsummer on plants to 2-3'. Lance shaped leathery foliage is evergreen, red tinged in winter, and a real plus in the wild rock garden. A must for hummingbird fanciers.
ROSA I grow solely antique and species roses, for fragrance, hardiness, disease- and pest-resistance; all on their own roots. glutinosa Pine Scented Rose Small deep green serrated foliage is headily pine-scented; single pink flowers are sweetly scented but the foliage is the main attraction. Small shrub (under 2') decorates itself in fall & winter with bright red bristly hips that look like maraschino cherries and are themselves pine scented. Suitable for the rock garden. Native to the mountains of Portugal. Z4, 2'.
primula Deep green glossy foliage richly fragrant of balsam, especially after a rain. Large single butter-yellow flowers in late spring; red stems and translucent red thorns. Exquisite plants for near a doorway or gate for their welcoming scent. To 6' x 5'w. SOLD OUT FOR 2014.
SALVIA Fragrant and often showy, sages are garden workhorses. Most sport edible flowers large enough to use in salads and teas. patens Huge, exotic, brilliant deep blue flowers mid summer to hard frost, a knockout in the garden and of course a hummingbird magnet. Lightly downy arrow shaped foliage resinous and a bit oily scented. Z 8, easy snowbird.
- recognita Beautiful large pink flowers with soft, fuzzy (think Pussy willow) maroon calyces dance on tall wands above resinous grey-green pebbly foliage. Long blooming and easy to
please.
THYME
- Thymus coccineus arcticus Creeping Red Showy fragrant prostrate form w/pink flowers; turns maroon in winter.
Mother of Thyme Perfect for rough ground cover. Pale lilac flowers, pungent citrus scent. Red cast to leaves in winter. This one you can walk on and mow. To 4".
hybrida Rose-scented Our new favorite Thyme. Sweet rose scent and attractive blue-green leaves. Low mounding plants, mauve flowers. Mat former. 3-4" high. Try a sprig in a cup of Darjeeling tea.
Elfin
Verbascum hybrida Verbascums are knockout bloomers and provide much cut flower material for the arranger, being 'cut and come again'. Forming deep fangy-taproots, they resent being moved.Magnificent cutting flower or for the cottage garden in shades of cherry and strawberry pink, to deepest raspberry on slender spikes, all with deep pink eyes and softly rugose green leaves. Adores rich soil and full to part sun. Drought tolerant once established. Try pairing it with a nice blue sage. To 3' in rich soil.
For the kitchen garden:
Tasty, aromatic, tempting...edibles herbs & fruit we would not want to be without. Annuals in 3" deep pots, $3.00, perennials as marked.
Basil: Richly fragrant and flavorful variety, great for tea, jelly, fruit salads and salsas. Pretty pink flowers and reddish foliage. Keeps its scent when dried, nice in potpourris too.
Genovese
Lime Scented
Crabapple, Dolgo Favorite crabapple with deep red fruit and ruddy flesh; good tart eating out of hand, superior applesauce that is rich and bright pink; prolific, early fruiting, and hardy to zone 3. Great pollinator; what more could you ask? To 25-30'.
Garlic Chives Soundly perennial chive cousin, with warm zippy garlic flavor and aroma. Spreads gently.
Good King Henry (Chenopodium bonus-henricus) Perennial salad green, much like spinach yet less soon to bolt. And, -perennial-. From the Middle Ages.
Lemon Catnip Nepeta citriodora Fragrant, flavorful version of standard catnip, and nicer I think for tea. Plus, a bit less enticing to Kitty. Silverier and a bit smaller than N. cattaria. Sun, any soil.
Lemon Grass Highly fragrant & flavorful tropical grass, wonderful in teas, vinegars and to sauté with foods. Hails from India, wants to winter in the house in most of the US.
Heirloom tomatoes Indeterminate plants with large, intensely flavored old fashioned tomatoes.
- Black Mountain Pink
- Golden Currant Tomato A wilder form of tomato, small cherry sized fruit of amazing flavor and tang; pot this in a large pot and keep it by the back door so you can snack as you come and go. One of the best for fresh eating.
- Striped Roman
Our favorite tomato, a large paste tomato with excellent flavor that also ripens in our very short season. Beautiful stripes of orange decorate the skin. Rich, intense flavor in a tomato big enough to bother drying: about 5" long even here in Idaho.
- Stupice
Rosemary Classic kitchen herb goes with so many things, a snowbird in this climate but easy to keep in a cold bright window where it will bloom in late winter.
Tuscan Blue Aromatic and tasty variety, upright grower with dark green foliage & good blue flowers in the winter. Our favorite cooking variety and in training to be a pet Christmas tree. Z7. to 6'.
Strawberries
Alpine Dainty berries (about twice the size of wild berries) with rich flavor and fragrance. You'll want to divide after a few years as the clumps get pretty packed; we like them as an edging. A row of these will provide breakfast berries all summer long.
Musk strawberry (Hautbois) Highly fragrant heirloom (1700's) Italian berries that don't appear in stores. Complex flavors redolent of raspberry and wine. The berries are borne in clusters above leaves and are easy to find. $10.00 the pair.
- Profumato di Tortona
Large berries, prolific runners. Need another musk strawberry for fruit set.
- Capron
Pollinator musk strawberry for best fruit set; grow in some shade for larger fruit. Not available separately till fall.
Superior Annuals & Tender perennials
A selection of our uncommon annuals for baskets, windowboxes & trellis. In 3" deep rose-pots for $3.00 or multi-packs for $4.50 unless otherwise marked.
Ambrosia
Calliopsis, Red Dwarf Form Coreopsis tinctorius Showy diminutive daisy like flowers on filligreed stems; lightly fragrant of chocolate cherries. Great cut flower, and nice dye plant. Sun, any soil; to ~15".
Hops, Variegated Japanese My favorite annual vine after Morning Glories; gaily painted in white and shades of gray-green over bright green, the shiny sturdy palmate foliage always looks fresh and bold, twines ecstatically to cover whatever string or wire fence it is given, and is a good foil for flowering vines. To 15' if treated nicely.
Ipomoea (available after May 1)
nil Japanese Imperial Morning Glories A class of highly bred, huge flowers meant for the show bench and personal satisfaction--unusual colors, patterns, and breathtaking display. Many don't set much seed, so these are limited offerings.
- Hatsu Arashi Huge satiny blooms open an intense indigo shade, and slowly change to a royal violet as the morning progresses. Short climber which likes a trellis.
SCENTED GERANIUMS Quintessential cottage garden plants, perfect to scent the house and garden. Try a leaf of rose geranium in a jar of apple jelly, citronella in fingerbowls, and both are wonderful in potpourri.
- Peacock Pretty splashes and speckles of white on large green leaves, redolent of roses.
- Attar of Roses
Lush, heady rose scent, nice large sturdy plants. A bit less 'geranium-y' than the standard Rose Geranium.
- Ginger
- Lemon Fizz
- Strawberry
