Treasure at Far Reaches Farm

After Saturday's visit to Heronswood and Dragonfly Farms,  Carmen,(Elantra)the plant mobile, took us to Far Reaches Farm because we always visit when we're out that way but also because a special treasure, purchased online, was waiting to be picked up.  Not wanting to seem too eager, I scoped out the spectacular shade garden emerging from a long winter's nap.

Looks like Crambe emerging (maritima, I think but could be cordifolia)

Symplocarpus foetidus

With foliage like this, who needs flowers?

Hiding away in the private area were these shady characters.  

Fern fronds hosting Erythronium.

Looks like a brazen hussy (Ranunculus ficaria 'Brazen Hussy') cavorting with Pyrosia lingua.

Cardiocrinum giganteum var. yunnanense "Cardicorinum is exciting enough but variety yunnanense with its burnished copper new growth causes pulses to elevate along with dilated pupils and flaring nostrils.  When this is blooming it is almost as good as sex.  It takes a few years but purple flushed white flowers on 12' stalks- oh yes!"

Polygonatum mengtzense f. tonkinense came home with me.  Thank goodness I had a shovel in the plant mobile,  uhm, I mean, it was nice to find some for sale, yeah, that's it some for sale. 

Remember this one?  It wasn't leafed out yet this spring.  Let's hope that propagation is successful. (or that I dug in the right spot.)

Seriously, it's poor form, not to mention wrong, to take plants from someone else's garden.  In addition, this guy is always watching and will come after you if you do! (Don't ask me how I know.)

Epimedium? 

 Corydalis

Podophyllum delavayi makes my heart sing. 

Podophyllum 'Red Panda.'   They say we only regret the plants we didn't buy.  I passed up the chance to get this one a year or two ago and have been kicking myself ever since.  Fortunately, Far Reaches has some babies that they're fattening up to offer later.  

Paeonia tenuifolia looks so soft and cuddly.

OMG,  Berberis jamesiana  is a showstopper with bare branches and dripping clusters of last year's cried fruit.

Can you imagine seeing this all winter?  I grabbed one from a sales table and we had a lovely conversation during which it reminded me that there's already one at my place in the pot ghetto.

It was love at first sight last summer and obviously, the plant just gets better through the year!

Can you imagine what a non plant addict would think looking at these tables?  Me either.  How can you explain a sunset to someone who 's never seen one?

Rhodiola integrifolia looks incredibly cute emerging from the ground!

Greenovia diplocycla.

 Heloniopsis orientalis.

Look at the variety of leaf patterns and shapes on these Podophyllum delavayi hybrids.  Resist, resist, resist!  Really, how many of these does one gardener really need?

One of the shade houses.

Out in the garden

Back inside, Schefflera digitata 

Trillium (kurabayashii?)

Euphorbia mellifera almost came home with me.  I'd read about the fragrance but never experienced it myself. Delightfully, it really does smell like honey.

Arisaema looks spectacular in a pot where one can appreciate the emerging foliage & blooms up close.

Were you wondering what treasure was waiting? Podophyllum difforme - Starfish Form.  This makes me a little weak in the knees!

Hope you enjoyed the first visit to Far Reaches this season as much as I did!