The Mid September E-Newsletter
Hello Fellow Gardeners,
Our rare spring bulbs will be arriving soon from Europe so we are gearing up for a busy time here at the nursery. Thank you everyone for sending in your orders for bulbs and lady's slippers. If you are planning to order, we recommend placing your order as soon as possible. Many bulbs sell out before they even arrive or soon after we put the extras out for sale at the nursery.

We are very excited about our selection this year. In this E-News we bring you an article on the historic broken tulips. Only some of our bulb articles will be shared in the E-News so make sure you subscribe to our Bulb Alert to get them all. Click on the link at the bottom of this email to add it to your preferences.You will also find info below on all of our bulbs and Cyps including ordering information.

Autumn is a great time to plant and establish not just bulbs but also all other garden plants. New plantings in the fall of trees, shrubs, vines, and perennials will give you a jump start on the upcoming year. So take advantage of the upcoming season to renovate, enhance, and beautify your garden space.

Don't forget to check out our fall and winter workshop schedule. We have lots of fun options for you and your friends starting this September.

Also, don't forget to take advantage of our sale on succulents. We have an amazing selection still in stock.

I'm currently leading a wildflower tour in Western Australia and I'll be posting photos to Facebook and Instagram. Make sure you subscribe to us on one or both of these social media to see all of the amazing plants!

Enjoy and see you soon at Phoenix!

Cheers, Gary and the Phoenicians
Succulent Sale!
25% Off
All Non-Hardy Succulents!
September 4th-22nd
Includes non-hardy succulents from our two long tables in the succulent section including Aeonium, Aloe, Echeveria, Graptopetalum, Kalanchoe, living stones, Senecio, fire sticks, and more. We have a great selection still in stock! In-person purchases only. Sorry. Not for mail order.
Check us out on Social Media!
Help Us Spread the Word
In order for Phoenix Perennials to continue doing everything we do, including bringing you a candy store of delectable plants, we need to keep reaching new people. Please forward this email to your gardening friends and family. Better yet, bring them with you on a trip to Phoenix Perennials! We also do mail order so please help us spread the word across Canada! Thanks so much for your help! 
Hours for Flowers Volunteer Program
Our Hours for Flowers Volunteer Program is for interested gardeners who want to set up a regular schedule with us to come to the nursery and help us with plant care, propagation, weeding, watering and other nursery tasks. You can do any number of hours you like on any day. We just ask that you make it a regular schedule. In addition to our gratitude we will also give you plants!
Contact Patricia by phone (604-270-4133) or email (info at phoenixperennials.com) for more information and to start volunteering! 
In this Issue
  1. The Beauty and History of Broken Tulips
  2. Rare Spring Bulbs Launched! Time to order!
  3. Cypripedium Hardy Lady's Slipper Orchids Launched! Time to order!
  4. Fall and Winter Workshops
  5. Fab at Phoenix
From the Bulb Alert
We've prepared 16 articles on bulbs to be sent out through the summer and fall to subscribers of our Bulb Alert. We also send these articles to our Rare and Hot Plants Alerts, our Small Space Alert, and our Mail Order Alert. Some articles, like the one below, will be re-published in the E-News. If you don't want to miss out on all the info, make sure to subscribe to our Alerts .
The Beauty and History 
of Broken Tulips
Tulips were introduced to Europe in the mid to late 1500s. The bold shapes and colours of tulips were unlike any other flowers available in Europe at the time. They quickly caught the attention of botanists, horticulturalists, and, often wealthy, appreciators of plants and beautiful things.  

The forms first introduced to Europe would have been botanical species from Turkey and Eurasia that arrived in and around the late 16th century. They soon became  de rigeur  and a sign of status in households both rich and poor. Botanists and horticulturalists began to hybridize them creating more and more exciting forms. By late 1636 and early 1637 'Tulipmania' was at its peak in Holland. The bulbs were so popular that the most desirable varieties could cost more than a house in Amsterdam at the time!
Tulipa  ‘Columbine’ was introduced in 1929.
The tulip craze lead to a huge speculative market in tulips, one in which ordinary men clamoured to participate because of the vast amounts of money being made. They sold their businesses, family houses, farm animals, home furnishings and dowries in order to buy bulbs that they had never seen.  

Eventually, supply increased and the price of tulips plummeted. The "Tulip Crash" sent many people into bankruptcy. Others lost all of their savings. All because of the tulip. The Dutch government then introduced special trading restrictions in order to avoid further fits of uncontrollable plant lust on the part of its population.
Tulipa  'Insulinde' was introduced some time before 1915.
The chief stars/culprits of the Dutch Tulipmania of the 1600s and the focus of so much speculation and desire were the Broken Tulips. These rare forms possessed unique feathers, flares, striping and spots with every flower being different. Yet horticulturalists couldn’t figure out how to propagate and breed these varieties. The broken forms were difficult and perplexing but also highly desired. It was not discovered until the 1920s that these exquisite patterns were due to the presence of tulip breaking virus - a virus that is present today in all regions where tulips are grown - which caused the pigmentation on an otherwise solid-coloured tulip to break into the patterns so desired by collectors. In most cases this virus also caused a bulb to lose vigour over time and to eventually fizzle out. 

However, in historic varieties that are still cultivated the virus seems to cause the colour breaking but is otherwise benign not causing any other ill effects on the bulb. The varieties of Broken Tulips that we usually offer – ‘Absalon’, ‘Black and White’, 'Insulinde', 'Columbine', ‘Mabel’, and 'The Lizard' – as far as we can tell from our research, all contain the tulip breaking virus. ‘Inner Wheel’ is a modern Rembrandt Tulip in the style of a Broken Tulip and does not contain the virus.
Tulipa  'Absalon' was introduced in 1780.
Information on growing Broken Tulips is hard to find and accounts are confusing as to whether or not these tulips pose a risk to other tulips or to lilies which can also be affected by the virus. Our bulbs are grown at the Hortus Bulborum in the Netherlands where more than 4000 different heirloom tulip and other bulbs are grown. If the tulip breaking virus in these varieties was dangerous one would think that they would not be grown in such close proximity with so many other rare cultivars within such a historic and important collection. Also, the growing of virused tulips is illegal in the Netherlands also suggesting that these varieties do not pose a risk.  

The virus, should there be any risk, can only be transferred by sap to sap contact between bulbs either through tools or aphids. As long as you're careful with maintaining clean tools and you make sure your Broken Tulips don't get aphids, there should be no problems. You'll have beautiful, unique and intriguing tulips in your garden for years to come.  

Older tulip varieties tend to have more staying power than recent Dutch hybrids which only seem to remain strong for a few years before needing to be replaced. You should be able to maintain these Historic Tulips for many years to come in your garden but here are some important tips:  

1. Grow them in full sun in well-drained soil in the garden or in containers. 
2. Give them their space so they are not overrun by perennials or shaded by shrubs. 
3. Remove spent flowers after flowering to avoid energy being put into seed production. 
4. Fertilize after flowering with bulb food or slow release fertilizer sprinkled on the surface of the soil. 
5. Allow the foliage to remain as long as the leaves are green to achieve maximum time for photosynthesis and for restoring the energy in the bulb. Only once the leaves have turned yellow should they be removed. 
6. Allow bulbs to rest in the soil over summer undisturbed and with not too much soil moisture. A hot, baking period is fine and often desired by tulips. They will be biding their time underground until they emerge in spring to amaze and delight you once again. 

At Phoenix Perennials, we offer a variety of Broken Tulips each year for pre-ordering through the summer and fall for pick-up or shipping in late September and early October. From July to October you can order at  https://mailorder.phoenixperennials.com . Should supplies last, we may also have them available potted up in early spring. The following are the Broken Tulips we usually carry:
Tulipa 'Absalon' introduced in 1780 is richly coloured with feathers, flames or marbles of burgundy-brown and yellow.
Tulipa 'Black and White' is a Broken/Rembrandt tulip with stunning white flowers feathered with purple-black, dark purple, and warm purple.
Tulipa 'Columbine' introduced in 1929 is richly coloured with feathers, flames or marbles of purple on lavender with white.
Tulipa 'Inner Wheel' is a modern Rembrandt tulip in the style of a Broken tulip with stunning flowers feathered with carmine red and violet on a white.
Tulipa 'Insulinde' introduced before 1915 transforms in colour and form from yellow and rose to purple-burgundy and white.
Colchicum  'The Giant' is one of the tallest, easiest to grow, and floriferous of the autumn crocus with up to 10 lavender-pink flowers per bulb.
Tulipa 'The Lizard' is a Broken tulip introduced in 1903 and preserved at the Hortus Bulborum. It is richly coloured with feathers, flames or marbles of deep lilac and rose on a background of yellow and white. Not available every year.
Rare Spring Bulbs
Order Now!
Choose from 260 different species and cultivars!
We are so excited to launch our selection of rare spring bulbs for shipping or pick-up in late September to early October. We have put together a stunning selection of 260 different rare bulbs, most of which you won't find anywhere else in Canada! We have also made some great new additions which you can explore below!
New Bulbs for 2019
More Allium than Ever Before!!
Ornamental onions are magnificent in the garden. We've added more species and cultivars than ever before to give you a plethora of collectible options for your garden.
New! Wood Anemones
We've added a great selection of 11 wood anemone in a wide range of colours and forms. These include cultivars of Anemone nemorosa , A. ranunculoides , and their hybrid A . x lipsiensis. These spring ephemerals are great for the shade garden and underplanting deciduous trees and shrubs.
New! Colchicum, the Autumn Crocus
New this year are the autumn crocus or Colchicum. These beautiful and easy bulbs are in leaf in the spring, go dormant in summer, and then emerge in the fall with their gorgeous flowers. Choose from five different species and cultivars.
More Crocus than Ever Before!
Crocus are among the most popular of all bulbs. They are easy, super hardy, and can be grown in gardens or naturalized in lawns. We've added even more cool and unusual varieties to our offerings for 2019.
New! Hardy Cyclamen
We are very excited to add Cyclamen coum (hardy to zone 6) and C. hederifolium (hardy to zone 5) plus an amazing selection of their cultivars with very special foliage and flower colours.
New! Giant White Sea Squill!
Giant sea squill, Drimia ( Urginea ) maritima , produces huge bulbs up to 1kg in weight, with dramatic leathery leaves up to 3 feet long, and amazing 4-6 foot tall spikes of white star-like flowers. 
More Foxtail Lilies than Ever Before!
The foxtail lilies are dramatic in both flower display and their crazy, octopus-like bulbs. We've added more cultivars than ever before.
Alan McMurtrie's Reticulated Iris
This Canadian plant breeding success story is thanks to the work of Iris enthusiast and skilled plant breeder Alan McMurtrie from Toronto. His work represents countless new colours, patterns, and improved forms of the reticulated Iris, great for containers or sunny gardens. We continue to add his cultivars as they come available and should have the largest mail order selection available in 2019 including his new 'Orange Glow' (pictured).
New! Dutch Iris
It's hard to resist the bold and varied colours of the Dutch Iris. They are great for hot, sunny, dry spots in the garden and make valuable cut flowers.
New! Wand Flowers
These South African bulbs can be grown outdoors in mild regions or as easy pot specimens in Canada's colder zones. They make beautiful and exotic flower displays in a wide range of colours.
More Martagons than Ever Before!
Martagon lilies are great for the shady garden. We've added more cultivars than ever before including 'Guinea White' (pictured) and four new gorgeous cultivars that are so new they don't even have cultivar names yet!
More Daffodils than Ever Before!
Daffodils are classics for the spring garden. They are easy to grow, super hardy, and come back year after year. From crazy double cultivars, to elegant and demure forms, to rare species, we have a wonderful range of Narcissus on offer.
New! Double Bloodroot
We are so excited to offer the double form of Sanguinaria canadensis, our eastern North American native woodlander. Daffodils are classics for the spring garden. They are easy to grow, super hardy, and come back year after year. From crazy double cultivars, to elegant and demure forms, to rare species, we have a wonderful range of Narcissus on offer.
More Botanical Tulips than Ever Before!
The wonderful botanical tulips are small species and their cultivars which are long-lived and easy to grow in sunny locations. They will form nice colonies with time. We continue to add new species each year to our offerings of this wonderful group.
More Historic Tulips than Ever Before!
Historic tulips are cultivars bred in centuries past and include the Rembrandt and Broken tulips with incredible striping and feathering. Grow a piece of tulip history with these old and intriguing beauties. We've added a number of new cultivars for 2019!
There are other new plants in our mix for 2019 but you'll have to explore for yourself to find them.
Important Ordering Instructions

Please order early. Quantities are often limited and many bulbs sell out quickly.

Local Customers : Choose "pick up" when you check out. We will send you an email when it's time to come in. Please place separate orders for bulbs and Cypripedium as this makes administering your orders easier. Please don't place orders for plants other than bulbs or Cypripedium. They should all be ready now. You can just come in with your list. You can always call or email first to check on availability. 

Mail Order Customers : Please  do not  place orders mixing plants, bulbs or Cypripedium. These categories are all ready at different times or have different packing requirements and will ship separately to arrive to you as fresh as possible for immediate planting and best establishment before winter. Bulbs ship in late September to early October. Cypripedium ship in mid October. If you place an order mixing these categories, we will need to arrange multiple shipments and recalculate your shipping costs.

Cypripedium Lady's Slipper Orchids Launched!
Choose from 36 different species and hybrids
How can you not love the beautiful lady's slippers? Our Cypripedium hybrids have hybrid vigour making them easier to grow and faster to bulk up than the species. Anywhere that ferns and Hosta do well in the part shade garden is the perfect location for lady's slippers.

To start your collection, choose from these many named crosses. Once you're ready for a little bit more of a challenge, try the species. They are gorgeous and will reward the gardener that is ready to pay a bit more attention to the growing details.
New for 2019
New! Get a Deal on Pink Hybrids
Our Cypripedium Pink Hybrids represent a great, cost effective opportunity to start a lady's slipper orchid collection or build on an existing one. These plants are a mix of pink hybrids which could be all pink or be a mix of pink and white or pink and pale yellow. You won't know exactly what the flower will look like until it blooms but it will always be beautiful and vigorous. Plus you can get two plants for the price of a single named cross! Grown from seed. Blooming size.
New! Get a Deal on Yellow Hybrids
Our Cypripedium Yellow Hybrids represent a great, cost effective opportunity to acquire lady's slipper orchids. These yellow hybrids will often involve genetics from C. calceolus , C. parviflorum , and C. kentuckiense but other hybrids may also be involved. We expect pouch colours of creamy yellow and yellow and petals often marked with burgundy. You won't know exactly what the flower will look like until it blooms but it will always be beautiful and vigorous. Plus you can get two plants for the price of a single named cross! Grown from seed. Blooming size.
New! Get a Deal on White Hybrids
Our Cypripedium White Hybrids represent a great, cost effective opportunity to start a lady's slipper orchid collection or build on an existing one. These plants are a mix of pure white to mainly white hybrids often with genetics from C. reginae or C. formosanum but potentially coming from other crosses as well. You won't know exactly what the flower will look like until it blooms but it will always be beautiful and vigorous. Plus you can get two plants for the price of a single named cross! Grown from seed. Blooming size.
New! Inge
Cypripedium 'Inge' has especially long-lasting flowers with green petals dramatically veined with darkest burgundy surrounding a pale yellow pouch.
New! Lukas
Cypripedium 'Lukas' is boldly coloured with a deep yellow pouch and warm burgundy petals with 1-3 of its large flowers per stem.
New! Michael
Cypripedium 'Michael' is a dramatic cross with both the large spherical pouch and petals dramatically veined with dark pink.
New! Renate
Cypripedium 'Renate' could also be called 'Candy Cane' or 'Candy Stripe'. Both the petals and the pouch are pure white and beautifully striped with raspberry pink.
Important Ordering Instructions

Please order early. Quantities are often limited and many bulbs sell out quickly.

Local Customers : Choose "pick up" when you check out. We will send you an email when it's time to come in. Please place separate orders for bulbs and Cypripedium as this makes administering your orders easier. Please don't place orders for plants other than bulbs or Cypripedium. They should all be ready now. You can just come in with your list. You can always call or email first to check on availability. 

Mail Order Customers : Please  do not  place orders mixing plants, bulbs or Cypripedium. These categories are all ready at different times or have different packing requirements and will ship separately to arrive to you as fresh as possible for immediate planting and best establishment before winter. Bulbs ship in late September to early October. Cypripedium ship in mid October. If you place an order mixing these categories, we will need to arrange multiple shipments and recalculate your shipping costs.

Fall & Winter Workshops 2019
Join us to learn, get confident
and make beautiful things!
We have lots of fun and informative workshops coming up this fall and winter. Check them out and bring a friend!
Terrariums to Bring the Outdoors In 
| Kate | Sat Sept 21, 10am-12pm | $20 (Does not include glass container or plants.) | Terrariums areminiature gardens inside glass vessels that are perfect for decorating the house. Learn the ins and outs of designing and caring for these miniature gardens. Then you'll get to do up your own with cool plants and decorations.
Gardening 101: Best Plants for Fall & Winter 
|Kate|Sun Sept 22, 10-11am | FREE* | Meet the top plant performers for West Coast gardens for fall and winter and transform your garden from ordinary to extraordinary! For a full year of top plants sign up for our Spring and Summer Best Plants sessions.
Winter Containers to Die For: Learn the Secrets of Fabulous Pots Then Make Your Own 
| Kate | Sat Sept 28, 10am-12pm | $14 | Learn how to successfully create gorgeous perennial containers that will provide months of winter interest and an antidote against the dark, cold days of the year. You'll get to plant up and take home your own fabulous pot. 
Gardening 101: Spring Bulb Crash Course 
| Gary | Sat Sept 28, 1-2pm | FREE* | Do yourself one little favour before winter comes: plant some bulbs to inspire you in spring. Learn about the diverse range of spring-blooming bulbs for the garden and containers including many uncommon but exciting possibilities. Also learn how to design with bulbs and plant them in layers for knock out displays.
Christmas Rose Advanced Wreath Making
| Kate | Fri Nov 29, 12:00-3pm | $80 (Includes hellebore and all materials.) | This class for advanced wreath-makers or ambitious beginners builds on basic skills with more creativity including nesting a potted hellebore within your wreath. Registration includes all materials but you may also bring greenery or twigs from your own garden to use in your wreath.
Christmas Rose Wreath Making 
| Kate | Sat Nov 30, 9am-12pm | $65 (Includes everything) | Decorate your home for the holiday season with your very own Christmas Rose wreath! Learn how to design and build a festive, florist-quality wreath with unique greenery and seasonal cheer. Our popular wreath-making workshop is a great chance to spend quality time with friends and family while accomplishing a great project to lift your spirits during the holidays. Registration includes all materials but you may also bring greenery or twigs from your own garden to use in your wreath.
Tillandsia  & Succulent Christmas Ornaments
| Kate | Sat Nov 30, 1-3pm | $60 (Includes plants & materials for 3 ornaments. Do extras for $15 each.) | Create unique decorations for the festive season to hang in your house or on your Christmas tree. We’ll combine  Tillandsia  air plants and succulents with seasonal greens then doll it all up with festive ribbon. These ornaments would also make amazing Christmas gifts for your friends and family. 
Succulent Christmas Centrepieces 
| Kate | Sun Dec 1, 9:30am-12pm | $65 (Includes succulents & all materials.) | Learn to combine succulents and seasonal greenery to create a modern take on the Christmas centrepiece. Choose hardy succulents for an outdoor table or non-hardy ones for indoors. Registration includes all materials but you may also bring greenery or twigs from your own garden to use in your wreath.
Christmas Rose Outdoor Containers To Die For
| Kate | Sun Dec 1, 1-3pm | $20 (Includes soil and seasonal greens but not plants.) | Create a fantastic outdoor winter container centred with a glistening Christmas rose,  Helleborus niger , and other great perennials and shrubs that offer winter interest. Learn how to design and plant then decorate with winter twigs, greens, and ribbon. 
Fab at Phoenix
Gary's picks of what's hot now at the Phoenix Candy Store
Note: I'm currently traveling in Australia getting ready to lead my alumniUBC tour. I don't have time to update Fab at Phoenix but the nursery is packed with tons of gorgeous things and you really should come down for a visit.
Alstroemeria Inca Lucky -- Peruvian Lily -- Alstroemeria Inca Lucky has perfect magenta buds that open to clear white flowers with salmon pink throats and green tips. It forms a bushy, upright clump of linear, emerald green tropical looking leaves. The Inca Collection has remarkable vigour and capacity to produce loads of flowers over a long period from early summer well into fall. Flowers are long lasting in vases. Pull the stems instead of cutting them to encourage a quicker reflush.
Alstroemeria Inca Lolly -- Peruvian Lily -- Alstroemeria Inca Lolly has has masses of tropical looking flowers in vibrant hot reddish pink with dark flecks. It forms a bushy, upright clump of linear, emerald green tropical looking leaves. The Inca Collection has remarkable vigour and capacity to produce loads of flowers over a long period from early summer well into fall. Flowers are long lasting in vases. Pull the stems instead of cutting them to encourage a quicker reflush.
Origanum 'Kent Beauty' -- Ornamental Oregano -- Grown for its cute flowers and foliage, Origanum ' Kent Beauty ' is an intriguing little ornamental oregano. The pendulous pink and white flowerheads are comprised of multiple bracts from which small, pink, shrimp-like flowers peak. The foliage is a similar shape to the flower bracts and is bluish green. Easy to grow in average to dry, well-drained soils in full sun. Superior winter drainage is the key to growing this plant well. Drought tolerant. Plant in borders, rock walls, hanging baskets or containers. 
Origanum 'Kirigami' -- Ornamental Oregano -- Origanum 'Kirigami' is an ornamental hybrid oregano forming tightly-branching mounds of aromatic, light green foliage topped from late spring through summer with appealing hops-like clusters of purple, pink and green bracts from which emerge small, tubular, shrimp-like, lavender-pink flowers. Has a denser, more mounding habit and may be more floriferous than 'Kent Beauty' and 'Amethyst Falls'. Use in hot, sunny situations in dry gardens, walls, hanging baskets and containers. Bright light and cool temperatures deepen the colouration.
Echeveria 'Mauna Loa' -- Mexican Hen and Chicks -- Echeveria 'Mauna Loa' is one of the most beloved of the large hybrids with heavily ruffled leaves in shades of blue-green, pink, lavender, and glowing salmon red.
Echeveria 'Raindrops' -- Mexican Hen and Chicks -- Echeveria 'Raindrops' is a fantastically distinctive hybrid with blue-green leaves edged in hot pink and spotted with a raised lavender-pink "raindrop". A must-have for any succulent collection.
Echeveria 'Lipstick' -- Mexican Hen and Chicks -- 'Lipstick' is a dramatic form of Echeveria agavoides which grows as a large, sturdy rosette of long, pointed, apple green leaves whose tips are dipped in shades of bright lipstick red.
Echeveria 'Zorro' -- Mexican Hen and Chicks -- Echeveria 'Zorro' is a large, hybrid cultivar with heavily ruffled leaves in shades of blue-green, pink and chocolate-burgundy.
Stachys 'Lilac Falls' -- Hybrid Betony -- This intergeneric cross between Stachys and Lamium is being sold under the name Stachys 'Lilac Falls' though really it should have its own new genus name to denote the cross. Perhaps Stachium or Lamachys ? No matter the name, this is a cool plant forming easy-to-grow, spreading mounds of lush foliage topped for months with short spikes of lilac pink flowers. Use it as a billowy groundcover or cascading from pots or walls. Tolerant of heat and humidity.
Stachys spathulata -- Miniature Betony -- Stachys spathulata , formerly known as S. minima , is like a darling dwarf version of 'Hummelo' with rhizomatously spreading clumps of mid green, paddle-shaped, textured leaves with round-toothed edges topped with cute spikes of lavender rose pink, tubular flowers over a long period in early to mid summer. It is great as a small scale groundcover, for miniature gardens, and at the front of the border.
Kniphofia caulescens -- Red Hot Poker -- Kniphofia caulescens is a broad-leaved evergreen poker with blue-grey foliage held on a short woody trunk. Coral buds open soft yellow in fall. The colourful Tony Avent says it is "like a blue octopus after rigor mortis has set in." You can imagine then that it is an interesting structural addition to the garden and useful as a focal point where you wish to draw the eye.
Coreopsis Permathread 'Sweet Tart' -- Tickseed -- Coreopsis Permathread 'Sweet Tart' has thread-like, bright green leaves and masses of single, raspberry pink flowers that lighten toward the yellow centres. Plants reach about 18 inches high and wide. Use it for an airy foliage texture and heaps of bold colour in the summer garden or containers. Shear after bloom to encourage rebloom.
Senecio 'Silvery Velvet' -- Senecio -- If you loved 'Angel Wings' then you'll love 'Silvery Velvet' with similar large, silver, fuzzy leaves but in this case with nice leaf ribs and rippled, lobed edges for a greater textural and structural effect. These large-leaved Senecio have all the drama of a succulent while begging you to caress their soft, fuzzy leaves like it was your new pet. Easy to grow in the garden or containers and tolerant of drought and heat. Forms mounds up to 16 inches high and wide.
Scutellaria suffrutescens -- Cherry Skullcap -- Scutellaria suffrutescens or cherry skullcap forms wide-spreading, groundcovering mounds of small grey-green foliage covered in a continuous display of bright pink to cherry red, snapdragon-like flowers from spring until fall. Grow in hot sunny spots with infertile, dry soils. May self seed in warmer winter climates and remain semi-evergreen. Hardy to zone 5b with good drainage in a sheltered location with winter protection.
Anemone Wild Swan -- Hybrid Anemone -- A spectacular yet elegant hybrid, Anemone Wild Swan 'Macane001' has nodding purple buds opening to large white flowers with light purple reverses. Flowers over an extended period from late spring into fall. Deep green mounds of foliage. A hybrid bred in Scotland and trialled for 10 years before release involving A. rupicola and up to 4-5 other parents! Winner of the 2011 Chelsea Flower Show Plant of the Year Award. Does not spread. 
Anemone Dreaming Swan -- Hybrid Anemone -- A spectacular yet elegant hybrid, Anemone 'Dreaming Swan' first produces single flowers followed by more typical large, semi-double flowers with lilac blue reverses from late June through October. It is non-running and 18 inches tall with compact, velvety green mounds of foliage. From Elizabeth MacGregor's Swan Series, hybrids bred in Scotland involving A. rupicola and up to 4-5 other parents! May prefer a bit more sun than 'Wild Swan.' 
Anemone Ruffled Swan -- Hybrid Anemone -- Anemone 'Ruffled Swan' is the tallest of the Swan series with spectacular, semi-double, white flowers with violet blue reverses on stems to 32 inches from June through October. With its height, 'Ruffled Swan' will give you the look of a Japanese anemone but in colours you'd never see from this group. Great for a mass planting in part sun to part shade and for cut flowers. Protect from hot afternoon sun. Sterile and non-running. From Elizabeth MacGregor's Swan series, hybrids bred in Scotland involving A. rupicola and up to 4-5 other parents!
Anemone Dainty Swan -- Hybrid Anemone -- Anemone 'Dainty Swan' is the pink version of 'Wild Swan' with rich, rose pink reverses and occasional pink flushes on the front of the large, white flowers which can bloom from June into the fall. Great for a mass planting in part sun to part shade and for cut flowers. Protect from hot afternoon sun. Sterile and non-running. From Elizabeth MacGregor's Swan series, hybrids bred in Scotland involving A. rupicola and up to 4-5 other parents!
Anemone Elfin Swan -- Hybrid Anemone -- Anemone 'Elfin Swan' is the dwarf version of 'Wild Swan' with nodding purple buds opening to large, white outward-facing flowers with purple reverses reaching just 14 inches high. Flowers over an extended period from late spring into fall. Deep green mounds of foliage. A hybrid bred in Scotland and trialled for 10 years before release involving A. rupicola and up to 4-5 other parents!
Cosmos atrosanguineus 'Choca Mocha' -- Chocolate Cosmos -- Cosmos atrosanguineus is a Mexican species with rich, dark maroon, dahlia-like flowers with the fragrance of chocolate! ¡Que rica! How can you resist? Combine with peanut butter plant ( Melianthus major ) to turn your garden bed into a Reese’s peanut butter cup. Yum! ' Choca Mocha ' is more compact and has a more intense chocolate fragrance than the normal form. This species is classed as zone 7-9 but I would recommend a winter mulch and dry well-drained soil. Extinct in the wild. ¡Que lastima!  
Agastache 'Blue Boa' -- Hummingbird Mint, Hyssop -- Luxurious, deep, violet blue flower spikes held over ultra green foliage. The flower spikes are long, wide and extremely showy. Great for summer colour. Compared to Agastache 'Blue Fortune', 'Blue Boa' has deeper violet blue flowers and wider flower spikes. Attracts hummingbirds and butterflies. The licorice-scented foliage is edible and good in salads. Excellent planted en masse in the perennial border or in the herb garden. Drought tolerant once established. Blooms from summer until frost. 
Agastache 'Sunrise White' -- Hummingbird Mint, Hyssop -- Agastache Sunrise White is a long-blooming hummingbird mint offering a beautiful display of tubular flowers that are golden yellow in bud opening to white with a hint of pink creating a gorgeous multicolour display. It will be a magnet for pollinators from late spring until fall. The upright, airy spikes are held atop fragrant, lemon-scented, textural, grey-green foliage. Best grown in hot, sunny spots with well-drained soils.
Agastache 'Coronado Red' -- Hummingbird Mint, Hyssop -- Agastache Coronado Red 'Pstessene' is a long-blooming hummingbird mint with brilliant, fiery, orange-red, tubular flowers that will be a magnet for pollinators from all around from late spring until fall. The upright, airy spikes are held atop fragrant, textural, grey-green foliage. Best grown in hot, sunny spots with well-drained soils.
Agastache 'Sunrise Orange' -- Hummingbird Mint, Hyssop -- Agastache Sunrise Orange is a long-blooming hummingbird mint offering a fiery display of tubular flowers that are tangerine orange in bud opening to light orange and aging to golden yellow creating a gorgeous multicolour display. It will be a magnet for pollinators from late spring until fall. The upright, airy spikes are held atop fragrant, lemon-scented, textural, grey-green foliage. Best grown in hot, sunny spots with well-drained soils.
Rudbeckia 'Cherry Brandy' -- Gloriosa Daisy -- 'Cherry Brandy' is a gloriosa daisy with luscious deep, velvet red to burgundy red flowers with a black central cone. Plants will bloom profusely all summer long into fall. Rudbeckia hirta are short-lived perennials usually lasting for a few years. We don't carry many of them but this cultivar is worth it. Plus it will usually self-seed and pop up here and there around the garden.
Rudbeckia 'Prairie Glow' -- Sweet Coneflower -- Rudbeckia 'Prairie Glow' is an unusual black-eyed Susan relative with dark red to burnt orange petals with yellow tips and is stunning in a mass planting. Flower stems are burgundy and tall. Rudbeckia perform exceptionally well in dry summer garden conditions, blooming for an exceptionally long time during the late summer doldrums and remaining tidy looking with little care. Great cut flower.
Lobelia cardinalis 'Black Truffle' -- Cardinal Flower -- Lobelia 'Black Truffle', or cardinal flower, has dark chocolatey-purple foliage and bold red flowers that are favourites with hummingbirds. Quick to establish and vigorous. Prefers full sun and performs quite well in average to wet soil. Great when used in mass plantings, along the middle of the border, pond edges and rain gardens.
Liatris pycnostachya -- Prairie Blazing Star -- Liatris pycnostachya is one of the tallest of the blazing stars or gayfeathers. This Great Plains native can easily reach 2-4 feet tall and sometimes even top off at five feet in height! It has the typically fuzzy, magenta to lavender flower spikes that begin blooming at the top opening downwards. Tolerant of poor, moist, and clay soils, drought, heat, and humidity.
Hydrangea macrophylla Pistachio -- Bigleaf Hydrangea -- Hydrangea macrophylla Pistachio 'Horwack' is an incredibly distinct hydrangea with mixed colours of blue, deep pink and green all on the same florets mixed together into intriguing multi-coloured mopheads. It is a compact plant just 2-3 feet tall and wide rarely, if ever, requiring pruning and blooms on old and new wood.
Hydrangea macrophylla 'Miss Saori' -- Bigleaf Hydrangea -- 'Miss Saori' is a superlative new hydrangea that won the coveted Plant of the Year Award at the 2014 Chelsea Garden Show. She produces exquisite mopheads of double florets in white with perfect, glowing, rose-pink picotee edges on old and new wood from June until frost on 3x3 foot mounds perfect for gardens and containers. Foliage emerges burgundy-red in spring, turns to green, then back to burgundy-red in summer and fall. We are proud to likely be the first nursery in North America to offer this amazing plant in 2015.
Hydrangea macrophylla 'Nikko Blue' -- Bigleaf Hydrangea -- 'Nikko Blue' is a classic Hydrangea with flowers ranging in colour from rich, sky blue through lavender to lavender pink, depending on the pH of the soil. Plants are 4-6 feet tall and wide and bloom on old wood. In acidic soils this is one of the most beautiful blues you can grow. In less acidic soils plants can produce a multi-colour display of blue, lavender and pink all on the same plant all at the same time.
Hydrangea macrophylla x paniculata Princess Diana 'Wow Time' -- Hybrid Hydrangea -- We are so excited to be one of the first nurseries in the world to offer this incredible hybrid Hydrangea , apparently a cross between H. macrophylla and H. paniculata . Named for the unforgettable Princess Diana this cultivar will light up any space just as she did throughout her life. Mopheads of starry, narrow-petaled, double florets in glowing shades of salmon pink and deep pink with highlights of green grace this rebloomer from early summer through fall. The texture and colour of the mopheads are unique in the genus. Should be hardy to at least zone 5 and perhaps lower. The trade name is Princess Diana while the cultivar is 'Wow Time'.
Romneya coulteri -- California Tree Poppy, Matilija Poppy -- Romneya coulteri  is an upright, blue-green foliaged poppy relative that is a semi-evergreen subshrub preferring a hot, sunny space in well-drained, crummy soil. For this you will be rewarded with an almost continuous display of large, pure white, crinkled petals with prominent raised yellow stamens that appear on the ends of each stem and look like large fried eggs sunny side up! Sometimes hard to establish and resents being moved - so choose the spot well! Cut back to the base in winter and mulch, if exposed.
Agapanthus 'Galaxy White' -- Lily-of-the-Nile -- The Galaxy Series are large, vigorous lily-of-the-nile that have proven hardy in zone 6 Michigan with good snow cover for many years. Agapanthus 'Galaxy White' has large, rounded umbels to five inches across of white, trumpet-shaped blossoms on strong, tall stems to 3-4 feet. Flowering will last all summer long into fall. Grow in pots or the ground in moderately rich soils in hot, sunny locations. Herbaceous, going fully dormant in winter.
Agapanthus 'Galaxy Blue' -- Lily-of-the-Nile -- The Galaxy Series are large, vigorous lily-of-the-nile that have proven hardy in zone 6 Michigan with good snow cover for many years. Agapanthus 'Galaxy Blue' has large, rounded umbels to four inches across of royal blue, trumpet-shaped blossoms with a dark blue stripe on each petal atop strong, tall stems to 3-4 feet. Flowering will last all summer long into fall. Grow in pots or the ground in moderately rich soils in hot, sunny locations. Herbaceous, going fully dormant in winter.

Hibiscus 'Mocha Moon' -- Perennial Hibiscus -- Hibiscus 'Mocha Moon' has large flowers up to eight inches across in pure white with a bold, red central eye atop burgundy foliage. Flowers are produced from ground level to the top of the stems rather than just at the top. Provide full sun and good moisture during the growing season. Late to emerge in spring so mark its location in the garden.
Dahlia City Lights Purple -- Dahlia -- The Dahlia City Lights series offers burgundy-leaved cultivars with stunning double flowers in a range of colours on compact plants to 18 in. high. City Lights Purple has gorgeous velvety, deep magenta and purple flowers. Dahlia are hardy to the winter temperatures of coastal BC but not to the winter wet. Grow outside in locations that are dry in winter or lift and store in a cool, dry location indoors like everyone else does. We have many more cultivars of Dahlia in stock.
Dahlia 'Nadia Ruth' -- Dahlia -- Dahlia 'Nadia Ruth' is a fringed dahlia with seven inch wide blooms in delicate shades of white and light pink on strong stems to three feet tall. Dahlias are hardy to the winter temperatures of coastal BC but not to the winter wet. Grow outside in locations that are dry in winter or lift and store in a cool, dry location indoors like everyone else does. We have many more cultivars of Dahlia in stock.
Dahlia 'Bishop of Llandaff' -- Dahlia -- The classic ' Bishop of Llandaff ' is the dahlia that started the current interest in burgundy-leaved dahlias. ' Llandaff ' has rich red, peony-type flowers that are four inches across. They are held on black stems to about three feet with more finely dissected foliage than the other Bishops. Three options for winter starting with easiest and safest: 1. grow in a pot and move to a frost-free area, 2. lift tubers and store, 3. leave in the ground in well-drained, sunny beds under a mound of fallen leaves. We have many more cultivars of Dahlia in stock.
Dahlia Dahlightful Sultry Scarlet -- Dahlia -- Dahlia Dahlightful Sultry Scarlet will bloom continuously from June until frost with lovely, semi-double scarlet red flowers that age to salmon red atop beautiful, dissected, burgundy-infused foliage. Plants will reach three feet tall. Foliage will darken in more sun and as the season progresses. Hardy in coastal BC if mulched heavily or lift and store for the winter or grow in pots and move to a frost free location for winter or treat as an annual since it did bloom for more than four months for you. We have many more cultivars of Dahlia in stock.
Passiflora edulis 'Possum Purple' -- Passionflower -- Passiflora edulis is one of the tastiest species commonly grown in the tropics for fruit production. 'Possum Purple' is a self-fertile selection with exceptional flavour and mind-blowing flowers. Grow in full sun. Plants may be hardy in coastal BC in protected microclimates such as up against the sunny wall of a house where the stem is planted/buried six inches deeper than the soil surface. Or safer: grow in containers that can be protected in winter in a sun room or as a houseplant.
Cordyline australis 'Pink Passion' -- Cabbage Palm -- Cordyline australis Pink Passion 'Seipin' is a dazzling cabbage palm with electric pink and burgundy foliage forming spiky displays of subtropical drama. Apparently hardy to zone 8 but best protected for the winter in the house, greenhouse, or sunroom. Grow in containers and combine with contrasting foliage of burgundy, blue, and gold for a psychedelic garden experience.
Sedum Sunsparkler 'Wildfire' -- Stonecrop -- Sedum Sunsparkler 'Wildfire' is an exciting cultivar with dramatic purple-red foliage edged in hot pink proving that you don't need white or gold to be variegated! It will form eye-catching mounds 6 inches high by 18 inches wide. In late summer into fall it will bloom with pink flowers before the foliage turns pumpkin orange before dormancy. The Sunsparkler Series are great for a dramatic touch of foliage and flower at the front of the border, as a groundcover, or trailing from pots and are popular with bees.
Sedum Sunsparkler 'Dream Dazzler' -- Stonecrop -- Sedum Sunsparkler 'Dream Dazzler' is an exciting cultivar with dramatic purple foliage edged in hot pink proving that you don't need white or gold to be variegated! It will form eye-catching mounds 6 inches high by 18 inches wide. In late summer into fall it will bloom with pink flowers before the foliage turns pumpkin orange before dormancy. The Sunsparkler Series are great for a dramatic touch of foliage and flower at the front of the border, as a groundcover, or trailing from pots and are popular with bees.
Monarda punctata 'Beebop' -- Dotted Horsemint -- Monarda punctata 'Beebop' is an amazing variation on the theme of beebalms that will amaze fans of this superlative genus. 'Beebop' is a compact, early-blooming selection of the species in which the tubular flowers are yellow with brown spots but take a back seat to the beauty and colour of the large, lance-shaped bracts that are silver and silver-pink. Appreciates well-drained, sandy soils.
Monardella macrantha 'Marian Sampson' -- Scarlet Monardella -- Monardella macrantha 'Marian Sampson' is a darling perennial groundcover with clusters of long, tubular, flaming red flowers that trumpet upwards from burgundy sepals all atop a shiny, blue-green mat of foliage. Requires infertile, sharply draining sites in full sun with only occasional summer water. Blooms from late spring into summer and is a magnet for hummingbirds. Great for rock gardens and containers which can greatly extend the lifespan of this plant as compared to garden situations with excessive moisture.
Chrysanthemum morifolium Mammoth 'Lavender Daisy -- Garden Mum -- Chrysanthemum Mammoth 'Lavender Daisy' has semi-double, lavender-pink petals around a golden yellow centre on plants that reach 2-3 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide. The Mammoth Series are shrub cushion mums bred at the University of Minnesota with the goal of beautiful flowers on super hardy, long-lived, perennial plants.
Chrysanthemum morifolium Mammoth 'Red Daisy -- Garden Mum -- Chrysanthemum Mammoth 'Red Daisy' has semi-double, deep red to fiery red petals around a golden yellow centre on plants that reach 2-3 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide. The Mammoth Series are shrub cushion mums bred at the University of Minnesota with the goal of beautiful flowers on super hardy, long-lived, perennial plants.
See you soon at Phoenix!