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Here is a selection of our previous weekly specials. Please email me at barry@sunfarm.com to inquire about current availability. Ordering couldn't be easier! Just download and print our order form and send it along with your check to: Internet Order Department Sunshine Farm & Gardens HC 67 Box 539 B Renick WV 24966 USA Allium tuberosum Late Summer, early Autumn is a time of year when there isn't much of anything going on in most gardens, so permit me to introduce you to one of my favorite "Shade Brighteners", Allium tuberosum. I've been growing this reliable plant for over 20 years now and that period of time encompasses many droughts and several bitter, well below zero, no snow cover Winters. The 12" - 24" tall, erect stems have never failed to yield a bounty of large, round, snow white flower heads that last for weeks. I have it growing in full sun, as well as in full shade and it doesn't seem to have any preferences as far as light or soil type goes. [More...] Arisaema_triphyllum You remember "Jack" from those walks in the woods with your grandfather, those really intriguing, curious flowers that nobody seemed to understand. Arisaema triphyllum, aka "Jack in the Pulpit" is one of the most mystical native plants that I've ever grown. There's nothing like a colony of these guys in the shade garden to stimulate conversation, considering their large Philodendron like leaves (They're in the same family - Araceae), the magical flowers and the dark red seed heads that form in early to mid-Autumn. Not many other plants give you so many seasons of interest. [More...] Claytonia sibirica The commonly spoken name for plants in the genus Claytonia is "Spring Beauty", and with good reason. The species in this genus are know for their early Spring flowers and also for a very brief display and an ephemeral nature. Then along comes Claytonia sibirica, the Russian cousin to our native Claytonia virginica and Claytonia caroliniana. Not only is Claytonia sibirica a long bloomer in the Spring, but it blooms off and on all Summer and Autumn. The foliage stays with us the gardening season long. An easy to grow perennial for the shade garden, it also seeds itself into a dramatic colony in just a year or two. The foliage is thick, supple and seems almost succulent. Five white notched petals on each flower are tinged with a pinkish lavender striping that emanates a soft glow for weeks. [More...] Erythronium americanum Spring is just around the corner for sure and I know it because the Erythronium americanum foliage is pushing it's head through the leaf litter that's accumulated in my shade border. Commonly known as "Dog Toothed Violet", "Trout Lily" and "Adders Tongue", this early blooming, ephemeral native wildflower is truly the "Harbinger of Spring". And sooooooo easy to grow. The thick, supple, speckled foliage sends up wiry stems with pendulous bright yellow flowers. [More...] Euphorbia 'Jessie' Euphorbia 'Jessie' is the first plant that I've felt was worthy of patenting. She's an interspecific Euphorbia hybrid, a cross between E. griffithii and E. polychroma and she brings the best qualities of both her parents into a dramatic 48" to 60" plant. I'm zone 5 here and we know she's hardy here for the last 7 years. I'd venture a guess that she'll grow well in any state of the US. As far as heat tolerance, my friend Jimmy Turner at the Dallas Arboretum in Dallas TX reported that she didn't blink an eye in 100 degree sun with 100 % RH, now that's one tough plant. I grow her in full sun and the height is over 6 feet. In shade, you can expect 4 feet to 5 feet. A mature clump can be up to 3 feet in diameter. Bloom time is the entire month of June here and it's now August and the plants all still look great. [More...] Gladiolus 'Boone' I LOVE apricots, but I've NEVER seen an apricot-colored flower until I saw Gladiolus 'Boone'. This unusual plant has been the cornerstone of my cut flower garden for over a decade now. It was discovered by Jeff Owen, a County Extension Agent in Avery County, NC at an abandoned homestead in Boone NC, and given to Dick Bir, the native woody plant guru and author of "Growing and Propagating Showy Native Woody Plants". [More...] Helleborus x hybridus 'Sunshine Selections' Each year we plant out about 15,000 new plants for evaluation from our Hellebore Breeding Program into our trial beds. While these plants are ready to put into the ground by early March, it seems we're so busy during Spring and Summer that we rarely get them planted until September or October. And you know what? They do fantastically well, even in our zone 5 climate. [More...] Hemerocallis thunbergii Imagine a daylily 84" tall. That's 7 feet! And imagine one that has sturdy flower stems with brilliant yellow flowers and an intense sweet fragrance. Well, imagine no more, because it exists. I'm describing Hemerocallis thunbergii, a native of Japan, and an essential, worthwhile addition to any perennial garden. As with most Hemerocallis, this is quite the easy plant to grow. I grow it in full sun and it makes a 24" -36" wide clump in just a couple of years. [More...] The "Other" Hellebores Discover Helleborus foetidus, the pure species, plus Helleborus foetidus'Miss Jekyll', 'Silvertooth', 'Sopron', 'Frenchy'. Poor, poor Hellebore foetidus! Their common name, "The Stinking Hellebore", has caused them to be overlooked as the fantastic garden plants that they are. This incredibly variable species has the most graceful palmate foliage of any of the species within the genus Helleborus and are very easy to grow. Hellebore foetidus is hardy in every state of the U.S. and are perhaps the hardiest of all Hellebores. In most areas, a couple hours of sun are appreciated and only in the deep South do they require full shade. [More...] Hepatica acutiloba I've been breeding and selecting Hepatica acutiloba and Hepatica americana for the last eight years now, specifically for silvery marbled foliage. In the process, I've accumulated a very large stock of lovely, white flowered Hepatica acutiloba with medium green foliage. Hepaticas are one of the most reliable, durable, desirable and perennial early Spring native wildflowers. [More...] Hypoxis hirsuta There aren't very many plants that would conjure up the use of the adjective "adorable" to describe them, but in this case I deem it justifiable. Put on your sunglasses!!! "Yellow Star Grass" is a VERY appropriate name for Hypoxis hirsuta, although the yellow color of the flowers is so brilliant, you may want to call it "Golden Star Grass".  [More...] Jeffersonia diphylla Jeffersonia diphylla is an early blooming, long lived, shade perennial that's extremely hardy and very easy to grow in virtually any climate. One glance at the image and you'll instantly understand why the common name is "Twinleaf". At maturity, the height is 12" - 24". Its spread can be up to 24" and its imposing stature is almost shrublike. The pure white flowers are about an inch across and although very ephemeral, they are produced in abundance and make a striking display. [More...] Kniphofia thompsonii snowdenii The genus Kniphofia is primarily a South African native, but they're easy to grow in virtually any location in the U.S. There are many named hybrid cultivars of Kniphofia available on the market and most of those commercially available are cultivars of Kniphofia uvaria. Kniphofia thompsonii snowdenii, in addition to being extremely hardy, is very rhizomatous and in a year or two, you'll have an attractive, large clump that produces multiple flowering stems. The pendulous, tubular 1-2" flowers on 12-36" rigid stems make GREAT cut flowers as they open slowly over their long flowering period in early to mid Summer. [More...] Lamiastrum galeobdolon 'Herman's Pride' I wish I knew who Herman was to thank him for this fantastic groundcover. Formerly in the genus Lamium, but moved to the monotypic genus Lamiastrum, Lamiastrum galeobdolon 'Herman's Pride' may be a mouthful to pronounce but it's an extremely useful groundcover. Even when not covered for weeks in brilliant canary yellow flowers, its silvery variegated foliage illuminates the shadiest of areas. [More...] Maianthemum canadense Maianthemum canadense is one of my all-time favorite native groundcovers. It forms a dense mat of glossy green foliage that emerges through the leaf litter in my garden very early in the spring. Even after the long flowering period, the foliage is persistent the growing season long. Maianthemum canadense spreads by underground runners (stolons) to quickly form a natural colony. I would never consider it invasive or even aggressive. [More...] Meehania cordata When Thomas Meehan, a Philadelphia Botanist, died in 1901, I'm sure he went to the big forest in the sky feeling proud that Nathaniel Lord Britton (1859-1934), named a genus of plants in his honor. I'd also bet that he didn't now how wonderful his namesake plant was. [More...] Ophiopogon planiscapus nigrescens Often referred to as "Black Mondo Grass", this cool little plant is actually a member of the Lily family and not a grass at all. I've been growing it for over 15 years now here in zone 5, although many of the books say it's hardy only to zone 7. [More...] Pachysandra procumbens In most cases, I've discovered the Asian counterpart of our native plants to be much showier, more robust and, in many instances, more floriferous than our native species. Take Claytonia for example. Our native Claytonia virginica and Claytonia caroliniana are very early, beautiful little plants. However, although their flowers are lovely, they're very small and the entire plant is extremely ephemeral. On the other hand, Claytonia Sibirica has thicker, more deeply veined foliage and it flowers for months. One major exception to this rule is Pachysandra procumbens. It's an East Coast member of the Buxaceae (Boxwood) family and is commonly referred to as "Allegheny Spurge". This plant is superior to the more commonly used (Asian) Pachysandra terminalis in virtually every respect. [More...] Phlox stolonifera Phlox stolonifera carpets the earth in a particularly colorless area in my shade borders. During the several weeks that it's in bloom, the brilliant clouds of magenta light up the woods. In the wild, her flower color can be very variable, from white to a light violet blue to a deep cerise and every shade in betwixt and between. My chosen selection (shown) falls somewhere in the middle of that grand color scheme. There are also several named cultivars. [More...] Polystichum acrostichoides It's time that you heard more about what is most likely the most indestructible fern in the world, the "Christmas Fern". Known in botanical circles as Polystichum acrostichoides, here's an evergreen native fern that can take almost anything you can throw at it. This is a native fern that can be found growing naturally in every state east of the Rocky Mountains. [More...] Primula japonica The plant family Primulaceae is home to many genera (plural of the word genus) of plants. The most well known, of course, is the genus Primula, commonly known as "Primroses". Too many people think of the annual primrose that you buy at Walmart, Primula obconica, when they hear the word Primrose. Truth be told, most Primroses are long-lived perennials. The genus Primula is separated into 18 sections. The plant I'm singing the praises of today, Primula japonica, is in the Proliferae, or "Candelabra" section, so named for its flower form. [More...] Saruma henryi Seems like the taxonomists that were assigned to name a rare plant discovery from China were either bored, suffered a lack of imagination, were just plain lazy or had a brilliant sense of humor. Whatever the case may be and "A rose by any other yada yada yada", what we have here is a superb garden plant. I've enjoyed Saruma henryi in my garden for about 12 years now and season after season, it never fails to impress all who behold it. [More...] Solidago caesia Solidago caesia happens to be one of my very favorite Autumn blooming perennials. The bright, Primrose yellow brilliance of its unusual zig-zag, axillary, long lasting flower heads never fail to garner praise from garden visitors. One of the most commonly asked questions, after I answer the "WOW...what is that?" question is "Doesn't it make you sneeze?" Poor, poor Goldenrod, taking the heat for Ambrosia artemisiifolia just because it coincidentally shares the same window of time in flowering. Ambrosia artemisiifolia is the dreaded allergen, "Ragweed!" Goldenrod pollen DOES NOT cause an allergic reaction. [More...] Back to top.