Kelly Dodson and Sue Milliken
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Design
‘Amethyst Falls’ Ornamental Oregano Is a Near-Perfect Plant
We lean heavily on our own collections of rare and unusual plants for plantings in our gardens, but we happily make exceptions for awesome workhorses such as ‘Amethyst Falls’ ornamental…
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Article
Grass Widow Is a Charming Late-Winter Native Plant
One of our favorite Washington State native wildflowers, grass widow is a doughty, deer-resistant spring ephemeral that shares the same dauntless spirit of its namesake, David Douglas, the intrepid Scottish…
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Design
A Compact Toad Lily for Late-Summer Blooms
Toad lily (Tricyrtis spp. and cvs., Zones 5–8) is an Asian perennial often found growing in dappled, open glades, woodland trail edges, partially shaded slopes, or, in some cases, enjoying…
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Design
A Fragrant Perennial That Behaves
Mention the name Galega within earshot of the weed control board of nearly any state in the Union, and stand back as Department of Agriculture SWAT teams are deployed brandishing…
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Design
Cheer Up a Shade Garden With This Well-Behaved Perennial
So often when you plant a Lysimachia in the garden it is fun for a while, but then you realize you have unleashed the plant version of the Borg from…
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Design
A True Blue Beauty for Shade
It’s a bit of a mouthful to pronounce, but this little charmer will soon have you calling it “Wulfy, my little Liebchen.” The genus Wulfenia is in the Plantaginaceae family,…
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Design
A Blueberry by Any Other Name
Of the roughly 100 species of Agapetes (Himalayan lanterns), most are epiphytes that grow in trees across the Himalayas to China and down the Malay Peninsula. The reason these unique…
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Article
A Pretty Oddball You’ve Likely Never Heard Of | Plant Recommendation
In its various linguistic derivations, formosa means “beautiful,” which makes sense because the lovely Veratrum formosanum is endemic to Taiwan—formerly Formosa, the Beautiful Island. When a species name can double…
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Design
A Bellflower That Behaves | Plant Recommendation
This white bellflower possesses a timeless style that defies improvement by the genetic meddling of modern hybridization. We acquired our original plant some 30 years ago from a gardener and…
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Article
Uncommon Evergreen Perennials
Perennials play such a pivotal part in the garden, bringing flow and floral dialogue to the design narrative. Then winter closes the book on the season, leaving bare ground where…