Tag Archives: winter feature

Winter Pansies / Viola x wittrockiana

Posted on April 17, 2012 by

Viola x wittrockiana ‘Delta Premium Neon Violet’ – A heat tolerant winter pansy with intense violet blooms with dark purple wings, a purplish-black central blotch and a tiny yellow eye. This F1 hybrid is floriferous with short, sturdy stems and … Continue reading →

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Lenten Rose V / Helleborus x hybridus

Posted on February 26, 2012 by

Helleborus x hybridus ‘Sparkling Diamond’ – One of the Winter Jewels Series and the perfect addition to any ‘Alba’ garden. ‘Sparkling Diamond’ features slightly nodding, fully double flowers of pure white (with the occasional soft pink picotee). This floriferous strain … Continue reading →

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Unusual Conifers

Posted on November 24, 2011 by

Juniperus squamata ‘Blue Star’ – What makes this sport of ‘Meyeri’ so special is that it grows in tight crests instead of those long, often awkward branches – so you rarely have to prune it. Which means that ‘Blue Star’ … Continue reading →

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Winter-Flowering Shrubs

Posted on October 25, 2011 by

Abeliophyllum distichum – White Forsythia is actually a member of the Olive family and blooms before its namesake. The tiny white to pink-tinged flowers are highly fragrant and emerge from purple buds. This deciduous shrub is a bit unruly in … Continue reading →

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Winter Bedding Plants

Posted on October 20, 2011 by

Viola spp. – Bedding Violas are essentially miniature pansies that cover themselves in tiny 3/4″-wide blooms for the fall, winter and spring season. In periods of extreme cold, they seem to fare better (and recover faster) than the larger-flowered winter … Continue reading →

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Shrubby Dogwoods / Cornus

Posted on October 17, 2011 by

Cornus alba ‘Gouchaultii’ – One of the the best shrubby dogwoods for foliar colour, as the bright green foliage is heavily edged in gold and emerges in spring with a pink tinge – these are followed by purplish-red autumn tones. … Continue reading →

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Ornamental Grasses for Containers

Posted on September 27, 2011 by

Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’ – This brightly variegated form of Japanese Forest Grass grows 12 to 20″ tall, is herbaceous and features attractive autumn tones of pink and red. The shade planter shown is a combination of evergreen sword fern (Polystichum … Continue reading →

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Witch Hazel / Hamamelis

Posted on September 18, 2011 by

Hamamelis mollis ‘Wisley Supreme’ – This particular cultivar originated from the RHS Wisley garden near London and features very fragrant pale yellow blooms (larger than the species) from mid to late winter. Autumn foliage is usually clear yellow and like … Continue reading →

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Summer Heathers

Posted on August 22, 2011 by

Erica cinerea ‘Atrosanguinea’ – An amazing Bell Heather with long-lasting summer blooms of ‘glow in the dark’ intense magenta flowers that command attention. This low evergreen shrub grows 10″ tall by 20″ wide and features deep green foliage. A good … Continue reading →

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Evergreen Ferns

Posted on August 22, 2011 by

Asplenium scolopendrium (syn. Phyllitis scolopendrium) – Despite its exotic appearance with glossy undivided fronds, the Hart’s Tongue Fern is quite cold hardy and reliably evergreen in coastal BC. This eastern North American native prefers slightly alkaline soils, so amend with … Continue reading →

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