Re: More plants -- are they "good"?

 
For starters, I think Halimium atriplicifolium is a superior shrub, among the very best Mediterranean species that I can grow in my western Oregon garden. I obtained mine from Dancing Oaks Nursery near here, and they've grown it for about 5 years [It's very definitely in the trade in Oregon!].  Two-plus years after planting, mine forms a dense 5-foot shrub. The intensely-silver, wavy-edged ovate leaves ARE reminiscent of certain atiplex; and the large, butter-yellow flowers are borne from June through October here.  If there's a flaw, it would be the exposed flower stems at the end of the season, though even these are oddly attractive.
 
H.atriplicifolium is surprisingly hardy here in Oregon -- I covered mine with blankets during freezing weather in the first winter, and the second winter didn't challenge.  Just last month, however, we had about 8 consecutive days of freezing weather, with lows reaching 18 F [minus-8 C] and the halimium came through with no leaf burn or other evidence of damage.
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At the other end of your list, Blackstonia perfoliata, certainly at first glance, has mostly "botanical interest".  This little winter annual is a member of the gentain family and grows all over the Mediterranean region.  It's certainly pretty [when framed in a photo close-up], but its starry little flowers are rather sparse, and it would take a lot of them to have any effect.  Still, you could be the first on your block....
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The small Leucojums [including L.trichophyllum] and Romuleas [esp. R.bulbocodium] are quite popular as show-bench container plants in Britain, where they are commonly grown in unheated greenhouses and covered plunge beds.  Both are a bit marginal here, but I keep them for a couple of years in alpine trough plantings and grow new crops from seed [available from any of the rock garden society seed exchanges].  Again, pretty and easy to keep in well-drained containers, but essentially collector's plants.
 
For Californian gardeners, the south african romuleas are larger and more colorful than Mediterranean species [R.bulbocodium and related species].
 
 
loren russell, corvallis, oregon
 
-------------- Original message --------------
From: Joe Seals <gardenguru@yahoo.com>
As a continuation of my study into "plants that deserve to be in the trade", I offer this new list (another baker's dozen):
 
Cupressus sempervirens horizontalis
Halimium atriplicifolium
Cyclamen rohlfsianum
Diospyros lotus (outside the Med.)
Backstonia perfoliata
Convolvulus lanuginosus
Scabiosa crenata
Galega pratensis
Tulipa orphanidea
Leucojum trichophyllum
Narcissus elegans
Iris planifolia
Romulea bulbocodium
 
Have any of you grown any of these?  Did you find them satisfactory?
 
Do any of you have any other experience with them (in the wild?) and found them wanting in some way as garden plants?
 
What insight can you offer as to the garden-worthiness -- or UNworthiness -- of these goodies?!
 
Marketing factors aside this time.
 
Thanks,
Joe


Joe Seals
Santa Maria, California --
where the weather is always perfect
and my NEW garden will soon be blooming and full of birds and butterflies
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