Far Reaches Farm Part One: Podophyllum Paradise

 

Far Reaches Farm, the last nursery stop on this Bonney Lassie and  Outlaw  Kitsap Peninsula spring Saturday, is plant geek paradise!  In addition to all the wonderful plants that live there,  proprietors Kelly Dodson and Sue Milliken, are equally wonderful, knowledgeable, helpful and in Kelly's case, quite colorful.  One never knows what Kelly's attire will include.  Crazy hats are a favorite as are kilts and other alternatives to dull colored pants.  I love visiting this place and just realized that this is the first time since I've been blogging that I've visited.  We saw Kelly and Sue at the Heronswood sale earlier in the day and confirmed that the nursery would be open.   

 

In looking at my pictures after we got back, I realized that there were far too many  of  Far Reaches for one post and since I'm crazy about Podophyllums  and sorely missed seeing them in the Heronswood garden, I decided to post about the fabulous specimens at Far Reaches.  These are all  Chinese cousins of our Eastern U.S. native Mayapple, Podophyllum peltatum about which you can read more here.

 

Podophyllum versipelle?  Podophyllum pleianthum?  (Mine has more rounded leaves) Confused?  This post from Botanically Inclined may help add to your confusion.  Probably Podophyllum mairiei, a plant listed in Far Reaches' catalog. 

 

 The bold and strikingly patterned leaves of Podophyllum delavayi always make me squeal like a young child unwrapping a particularly special gift.  It's not pretty and since I have these in several parts of my garden, the neighbors sometimes think that I'm keeping livestock when they hear me going from one plant to the next.

I can't stop taking pictures of this magnificent foliage.

The leaves are really quite large.  Here's a hand for comparison.  Well, the hand is not as close to the leaf as it should be for comparison because the other hand is holding a camera.

Fortunately there are places to sit down  in the garden.  After such excitement, one needs a break.

Podophyllum 'Red Panda' is a hybrid of P. delavayi and P. pleianthum which was introduced by Northwest Gardens.

 

 

 P. delavayi hybrid somewhat  resembling 'Spotty Dotty' or maybe 'Kaleidoscope'

And here growing happily outside is a bevy of potted beauties that look like they should be for sale.   Sometimes one needs to inquire about really special plants. Maybe these are part of a hybridization program or the result of a new seed collection. 

Sinopodophyllum (Podophyllum) hexandrum var. chinense.  Here's a description from the Far Reaches Site: "Second generation plants from our collection from a grassy bank above a stream in Tibetan Yunnan where it was growing in moist rich topsoil at around 10000'. This is a choice herbaceous member of the Barberry Family with rich darkly mottled new growth and broad sharply lobed palmate leaves up to a foot across with a crystalline pink chalice of a flower giving way to large red fruits in fall. Gorgeous moist shade plant to 3' tall although we've seen this same collection at a friend's garden pushing 4' tall. We didn't recognize our own plant and they do that to everything - we kinda hate them. Hardy to Zone 5 and best of all - it's easy."

Kelly's plant descriptions on tags and on the website are a great source of entertainment.  Folks have been known to laugh aloud at the nursery reading them.   O.K. It's just me,  everyone else is more refined.   This one with the pink and white markings on the leaf (don't know if that lasts or not but ain't it purty?) was spotted by Alison at the Far Reaches Table at the Heronswood sale.   Fortunately there were two of them so Alison didn't have to mysteriously disappear on the peninsula.

Because one can never see enough of this fabulous group of plants, here is a photograph taken by Ian  Young, published on the wonderful Scottish Rock Garden Club site, and used with the photographer's permission.  These are labeled Podophyllum difformis. 

Dan Heims has written an interesting article in Pacific Horticulture about these fascinating plants which can be viewed here  If you are interested in finding nurseries that carry these plants, be sure to click on the Podophyllum resource guide link at the end of the article. If you are trying to find a source for Podophyllum difformis (difforme,)  I'll keep you in my prayers.  P.d.'Starfish' and 'Kaleidoscope' used to be more readily available but I think that they were fairly demanding and fell out of favor in the industry. 

Tiny Umbrellas for Foliage Follow-Up March 2016

Several years ago, I fell in love with Podophyllum, the whole family.  Now only the native American Mayapple  is considered a podophyllum while the Podophyllum delavayi,  also formerly known as Podophyllum veitchii, is now known as Dysosma delavayi or Dysosma veitchii.  Chinese Mayapple, it's common name has remained constant. Anyway, they look really cool when emerging from the soil in the spring.  I've been dividing one of my plants every other year for several years now and this spring, one of the larger ones surprised me by coming apart in several layers of plants when I was lifting it.  If these are as successful as they were in the past, I may start planting more of them in the ground or simply become one of those crazy propagating people with pots all over the place.  Still fairly expensive in the trade, I feel fortunate to have had success with the divisions and now need to go chop up a bunch more plants while there's still time.

Don't they look like unfurling umbrellas?  

Slugs really enjoy them as well!

I'm thrilled to see the plants stuck in the open garden last summer have decided to live!

Podophyllum pleianthum  (Now known as Dysosma pleiantha) often suffers an early dormancy in the dry position where a mean gardener has placed it

P. 'Spotty Dotty' also trusted to the open garden last summer is returning!

This poor P. 'Spotty Dotty' has been in a huge pot for years and would probably enjoy being divided.We'll see how much time I can devote to ripping it apart in the next few days.  I've come down with the crud that's been going around and going outside in wet and cold conditions isn't as appealing right now as it usually is.

A mystery that came up a couple of years ago in a random pot of soil.  Perhaps this year it'll put on some size.

A cool and new to me podophyllum similar to 'Red Panda' which I can't find, came home with me last summer from Windcliff.  the leaves of all of these will get much larger but it's exciting to see them returning this spring!

This crazy specimen of P. delavayi adds a nice punctuation to the camellia petal rug.

This syneilesis hybrid, looking like miniature palm trees has been growing on in a pot for a couple of years now.  It's now large enough to set free in the open garden .  So many spring tasks!

Foliage Follow-Up is hosted by Pam at Digging on the day after bloom day each month to remind us of the important role that foliage plays in our gardens.   Click here to see her foliage offering and links to those of  other participating garden bloggers. 

May 2017 Foliage Follow-Up

Foliage Follow-Up is hosted each month by Pam at Digging on the day after Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day to help us celebrate the important role that foliage plays in our gardens.  Click here to to see foliage from the gardens of other participating bloggers.
At this time of year, foliage is especially exuberant.  The garden seems to vibrate with fresh new growth.  As usual, this is a random post of what caught my eye as I walked my little plot.

Out in front, the Agave ovatifolia seems to have taken the wet winter and spring in stride.  There's a little scarring on the tips of a couple of leaves.  Yucca 'Bright Star is planted way too close and as they both continue to grow, they'll battle it out.  The contrast in color is sure sweet so I don't really want to try and move the yucca.

Magnolia macrophylla in the hell strip elicits more inquires from passers by than any other plant.  

Persicaria microcephala 'Red Dragon' looking very happy.  It's time for the Chelsea chop.  (Cutting this down by half will help it to remain upright and not sprawl all over the place.

Acer palmatum 'Peaches and Cream'

Acer palmatum 'Purple Ghost' 

Cordyline banksii 'Electric Flash' made it through the coldest part of winter in the greenhouse. 

Podophyllum delavayi

Podophyllum that appeared in a pot as a seedling a couple of years ago.  Looks a bit like 'Spotty Dotty'

Sanguinaria canadensis 'Multiplex' with Fatsia  polycarpa needham form

Impatiens omeiana with Podophyllum 'Spotty Dotty.'  This impatiens wilts a lot in the heat of summer and would like better soil but it spreads each year and is loving our wet spring.

Begonia Grandis emerging from the fading foliage of snowdrops.  The pink petals all over everything are those of camellias.  The flash of color on the ground is kind of fun.

Spotted foliage of Pulmonaria.

Athyrium niponicum - Japanese painted fern is obscured this year by the foliage of a cardiocrinum giganteum that will be blooming later.  Had to pull back the big leaves to appreciate these.

Lily of the valley is a sweet flower but the foliage is a tad boring.  Convallaria majalis 'Albostriata' has interesting leaves all season long.

Crazy variegated Photinia that grows very slowly.  I've been threatening to rip it out for several years and finally cut it back severely.  It's rewarded me with bushier growth.

 Heucheras continue to grow on me.  This one, 'Red Lightening' is new to me this year and I've enjoyed having this splash of vibrant color sitting in a pot this winter.

Cordyline 'Cherry Sensation' or something like that that just came out of the greenhouse.

I've had a crush on Phormium 'Guardsman' since first seeing it at Flora Grubb during the San Francisco Fling.  I'd spotted it at one nursery in our area but it was a bit too expensive for me.  This weekend, on a trip to Wells Medina Nursery (post to come) I spotted it at a much lower price.  It had to come home with me.

Another Acer palmatum.  I knew the variety once. 

A favorite foliage color combination of three purples.  It is to this combination that I'm thinking of adding the blue foliage of Berberis temolaica.

David's hair came out of the greenhouse but has become a bit floppy.

Podophyllum pleianthum fighting for it's place in the jungle. 

It's a joy to see so much foliage again.

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!