(Flowering Quince)

First selected in 1878 by Swiss plantsman, Otto Froebel, flowering quince 'Rosea Plena' is most noted for its semi-double, coral pink blossoms. When in bloom this Chinese shrub is a beauty, but through the rest of the season it has a coarse, rambling, ungainly look. Flowering quince is a spiny, medium-sized, deciduous shrub most noted for its clusters of colorful, bowl-shaped flowers that cover the plant in early spring, both before and after the foliage emerges. These are followed by small quince...

(Flowering Quince, Red Flowering Quince)

Believed to be the original flowering quince collected from Japanese gardens in 1997 by Kew Gardens’ Director Sir Joseph Banks, ‘Rubra’ offers loads of single, glowing red flowers early in the season. When in bloom this Chinese shrub is a beauty, but through the rest of the season it has a coarse, rambling, ungainly look. Flowering quince is a spiny, medium-sized, deciduous shrub most noted for its clusters of bright red, bowl-shaped flowers that cover the plant in early spring, both before and after...

(Crimson and Gold Flowering Quince, Hybrid Flowering Quince)

The very compact and fast growing hybrid flowering quince, 'Crimson and Gold', offers loads of deepest crimson, bowl-shaped flowers with conspicuous golden yellow anthers inside. This deciduous shrub is most attractive when in bloom but does produce some marginally attractive yellow fruits in fall. Many favor hybrid flowering quince because it combines the most desirable features of its parent species, common flowering quince (Chaenomeles speciosa) and Japanese flowering quince (C. japonica)....

(Dwarf Snapdragon)

Spring finds small, fairy-like, lavender flowers above the dwarf snapdragon's petite leaves that would make perfect seats for Thumbelina. A short-lived perennial that readily self-sows, it is a native of the lands around the Mediterranean Sea. Its leaves are rounded to perhaps heart-shaped, being dark green above and purple on the undersides. From mid-spring through summer, small branching stems rise above the foliage and are adorned with small, mauve to lavender blossoms that are cup or bell-shaped....

(Blue Eyes Dwarf Snapdragon, Dwarf Snapdragon)

Spring finds small, fairy-like, medium blue flowers above the Blue Eyes dwarf snapdragon's petite leaves. A short-lived perennial that readily self-sows its seeds, it is a native of the lands around the Mediterranean Sea. Its leaves are rounded to perhaps heart-shaped, being dark green above and purple on the undersides. From mid-spring through summer, small branching stems rise above the foliage and are adorned with small cup or bell-shaped flowers that are medium blue. They have white throats.

Grow...

(Dreamcatcher Dwarf Snapdragon, Dwarf Snapdragon)

This snapdragon selection, ‘Dreamcatcher,’ is a spring-flowering short-lived perennial. The parent species, native to Mediterranean lands, self-sows readily and so does ‘Dreamcatcher.’ A dwarf form, it makes a compact clump of upright stems with small leaves and small, medium-blue flowers. The leaves are rounded to perhaps heart-shaped, dark green above and purple below. From mid-spring through summer, small branching stems rise above the foliage and are adorned with the cup or bell-shaped, white-throated...

(Dwarf Snapdragon, Ivory Bells Dwarf Snapdragon)

Late spring and summer finds small, fairy-like, creamy white flowers above the Ivory Bells dwarf snapdragon's petite leaves. A short-lived perennial that readily self-sows its seeds, it is a native of the lands around the Mediterranean Sea. Its dark green leaves are rounded to perhaps heart-shaped. From mid-spring through summer, small branching stems rise above the foliage and are adorned with small cup or bell-shaped white flowers. They have white to yellow throats.

Grow 'Ivory Bells' in coarse,...

(Dwarf Snapdragon, Summer Skies Dwarf Snapdragon)

Small, fairy-like, deep powdery-blue flowers open above the petite leaves of this dwarf snapdragon, ‘Summer Skies.’ A short-lived perennial, it is descended from a species native of the lands around the Mediterranean Sea. It is a small, branching plant with leaves that are rounded to perhaps heart-shaped, dark green above and purple on the underside. From mid-spring through summer, small branching stems rise above the leaves and are adorned with small cup or bell-shaped flowers that are medium, azure...

(Lawson's Falsecypress, Port Orfordcedar)

Elegant, flattened, fan-like sprays of foliage clothe the drooping branches of this noble evergreen conifer from the far western United States. In the wild it forms a majestic conical tree with a massive buttressed trunk and thick shredding silver-brown to red-brown bark. In gardens it is mostly known by its numerous cultivars, which come in many shapes, sizes, and colors.

The tiny, scale-like, green to blue-green leaves clasp and overlap along flexuous branchlets, forming ferny growths. The...

(Lawson's Falsecypress)

Short flattened sprays of bright yellow foliage clothe this dwarf selection of a majestic evergreen conifer from the far western United States. The tiny, scale-like, golden-yellow to greenish-yellow leaves clasp and overlap along tightly bunched branchlets, forming upright sprays of foliage. Bruised leaves emit a pungent resinous odor. Globular when young, this cultivar eventually forms a conical head-high shrub.

Grow 'Lutea Nana' in full to partial sun and moist well-drained soil. It will fail...