Saxifraga 'Dawn Frost'

Late winter is a colorful time around the nursery when the early flowering Porophyllum or Kabschia saxifrages put on their annual displays.  We are endlessly fascinated by the contrast between the tiny foliage of these cushion forming alpines and their large, showy flowers.  In their natural habitats where they grow tucked in the crevices of rock outcroppings and cliffs, these flowers must act as beacons to early flying insect pollinators.  They certainly draw us in for a daily inspection filled with "oohs" and "ahs".

Saxifraga 'Dawn Frost' in full bloom

One of the standouts this year is Saxifraga 'Dawn Frost' which forms a tight cushion of dark green foliage that is covered with stemless, vivid pink flowers in late winter.  This is the type of choice Kabschia saxifrage that often appears on alpine show benches, its cushion completely obscured by densely packed flowers.    Many dwarf cushion hybrids have been in cultivation for decades and in some cases for well over a century.   'Dawn Frost' falls into the group of recent hybrids having been bred by Jan Burgel in the Czech Republic in 1990.  It is a seedling grown from Saxifraga x anglica  'Winifred', another pink flowering variety.

'Dawn Frost' forms a dark green cushion.

'Dawn Frost' has grown well for us for a number of years and has even withstood a winter or two under plastic in our uncooled hoophouse.  In general, we find dwarf cushion Saxifrages stay healthiest when grown in the open air and these days the Kabschia collection is housed out of doors under a patio-like polycarbonate cover where they have excellent air circulation all year.  'Dawn Frost' has also done very well grown directly in a hole drilled in tufa. Saxifrages grown in the low nutrient environment of tufa develop slowly and maintain excellent compact form.

Flowering in tufa after one winter's growth....

and after the second winter.

A note to locals:  Regular nursery open hours begin on March 14th.  We will be open Thursday thru Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm this spring except for a very few weekends in April and the first of May when we are away at plant sales.  Be sure to check our website or drop us a line to confirm open hours.

2013 Online Catalog

Kabschia Saxifrages

Our 2013 Online Mail Order Catalog is now complete and ready for viewing with 333 plant listings at last count.  Keep in mind that it is a dynamic list that is updated throughout the season.   Local customers should also be aware that the number of plants we grow at the nursery is more than double the number in the online catalog.  Some plants are simply too large to ship while others are available in numbers too few to list in the catalog.

Section Auricula Primulas

The catalog includes a nice selection of alpine plants such as the Kabschia dwarf cushion and silver saxifrages and Section Auricula primulas.  These plants are great in alpine gardens, in plunge beds and troughs, and also planted in tufa rock.

Lewisia columbiana

Western native highlights include our largest selection ever offered of Lewisia species and a variety of colorful Lewisia hybrids.  

Penstemon davidsonii v menziesii

We also have quite a number of species Penstemons and Heucheras in the catalog.  Native plant lovers should be sure to take a look at these since they are quite different than what is generally found in garden centers.

Agave and Yucca container garden

For dryland and container gardens, be sure to check out our nice selection of Western Agaves.  They make a very interesting display when grouped together.  If you are interested in unusual succulents, be sure to take a look at the amazing South African succulents.  These plants are so unusual they must be seen to be believed.

Giant Jewel Plant, Aloinopsis malherbei

Many of the woodland plants that we offer are shipped mainly in early and late season.  These include the highly prized Himalayan Blue Poppy, several species of Lilies and Trillium, and one of our most popular plants, the reliably hardy shade ginger, Cautleya species.  

Cautleya sp.

We will be adding a number of new plants to the catalog during late winter so be sure to check back at that time.  And, yes, if you place an early order and then order more plants prior to shipping, we will combine your orders and adjust the shipping charges accordingly!
 

Lilium pardalinum ssp shastense

Cascade Nursery Trail - Fall Plant Sales & Seminars

The Cascade Nursery Trail is sponsoring two “Fall is the Perfect Time to Plant” plant sales and seminars.  The first event will be held on Saturday, September 29^th and is hosted by Carol and Dale at Out in the Garden Nursery in Molalla.  The Saturday, October 13^th event will be hosted by Patti and George at Garden Thyme Nursery in Silverton.  Wild Ginger Farm will be participating in both events.

Plan on staying a while. In addition to offering many beautiful plants for sale, each nursery will share five of their favorite plants.  In a covered area, refreshments will be served and there will be seminars on a variety of topics throughout the day.  For all the details, visit www.CascadeNurseryTrail.com and click on the Events tab. We hope you will join us, rain or shine!  

Out In The Garden Nursery and gardens

Pacific Horticulture Magazine

The Oregon specialty nursery community was highlighted in the Summer 2012 issue of Pacific Horticulture Magazine.  Wild Ginger Farm, along with our friends at Dancing Oaks Nursery and Joy Creek Nursery, were featured in an article entitled “Nurturing Plants & Gardeners:  Three specialty nurseries in Oregon offer fine plants, knowledgeable help, and inspirational gardens”.    You can read the online version at http://www.pacifichorticulture.org/articles/nurturing-plants-and-gardeners/

Meanwhile, we are bracing for our first heatwave of the season.  Those of you who live in the Eastern half of the nation will not feel any sympathy for us since you have endured sweltering temperatures all summer.    In the Pacific Northwest, our temperatures have been so mild that some of us have wondered if we would miss summer entirely.   We now have our answer! 

Now, off to watering…  (Enjoy a few recent photos around the nursery.)

Tigridia pavonia - Yes, they are over the top but still fabulous

Billardiera longiflora, the fruit give this Chilean vine its common name of Blueberry Vine.

Clivia miniata can be grown outside in summer and is a great, easy care houseplant in winter