Quick Trip to Raleigh

A few weeks ago, I took a trip to Raleigh, NC, to visit my old workplace, Plant Delights Nursery. If you haven't heard of Plant Delights, you should check out their website! The display garden rivals the finest botanical gardens with thousands of hardy perennials, shrubs, and trees from all over the planet. If you like the rare and unusual, you must check them out.

While there, I reconnected with my old coworker Jeremy Schmidt. He has been with the company for over a decade and has developed his own mini-botanical garden not far from the nursery. He has named it Bristol Briar, and you can follow his garden on Facebook. Though his property is small compared to Juniper Level, the official name of the gardens at Plant Delights, it is just as jam-packed with plants and interesting features!

When I first drove up to his property, I couldn't help but notice a giant pink crinum towering over everything. He later told me the cultivar was 'Super Ellen' and, at 6ft, it truly is gigantic. If you've seen a Crinum bulb, you know how big they are, but this one surpasses anything I've experienced. I wish I had taken a photo, but picture a bulb the size of a large cookie jar!

'Super Ellen' seems easy to grow in typical garden conditions, yet it will perform best in a well-drained, full-sun location. Jeremy's clump was dense with offsets, and he was generous enough to give me a large bulb from the edge after some vigorous digging! I'm very excited to see if mine bulks up as nicely as his. This plant deserves a spot in our gardens, and I promise to share divisions once I have a large clump.

Another large perennial that captured my attention was a red hot poker named 'Lola.' This poker is far more robust than any I've ever seen. I'm usually not a huge fan of Kniphofias, but because of its incredible size and vigor, it was obvious that I really wanted one. And Jeremy once again loaded me up with multiple divisions from his clump. There is a special place in heaven for people who share prized plants! berms

Because red hot pokers originated in the quasi-Mediterranean climate of South Africa, our humid summers can pose some issues. If you live in the deep south and want to grow Kniphofias, especially if you have predominantly clay soil, I'd urge you to plant these in raised beds or elevated berms. Sandy loam is best. Otherwise, red hot pokers require very little attention other than routine deadheading and cutting back dead leaves in late summer/ fall. Sometimes the foliage can look pretty ratty, so I just cut the whole clump back, usually in late summer. I do this to many of my perennials when they start looking "tired," and it promotes fresh green growth and usually doesn't hurt the plant.

Both of these plants can be found online, but as I always say, it is best to make friends with gardeners with whom you can trade. I'll always treasure these plants and remember my trip to Jeremy's house when they bloom. Making these connections and experiences is just as rewarding as actually owning and growing the plant!