Cultivating Serenity.

A true cold hardy Begonia might sound unbelievable, but this native of Japan has been reliably cold hardy here for us for several years now.

This shade-loving perennial enjoys moderately moist soil with good drainage when starting out and has been drought tolerant once established. Organic matter worked into the soil prior to planting is beneficial.

In mid-summer to autumn pink flowers rise above the large, tropical-looking foliage with vivid red undersides.

As autumn approaches the stems develop small bulbils at the leaf axils. These bulbils drop to the ground, root in, and become new plants the following spring.

Morning sun with afternoon shade or dappled shade all day.
Zones 6-9

Zone 5 with winter protection (Upside-down plastic tub filled with straw and placed over the crown after frost in the autumn).

This tall, sweetly fragrant daylily native to Japan provides a great vertical impact statement for the landscape.

The fragrance is a great bonus. Lacking the pungent musk of more common daylilies, this pleasantly sweet species won't leave you turning your nose up.

Strong scapes with good bud count stand 5 to 6 feet in height during summer.

This perennial enjoys 6 plus hours of direct sunlight a day and well drained soil.

Full sun.
Zones 3-10

This rare collector's Hosta is a sport of H. 'Sum and Substance' and will become large in time.

Expect foliage height of 2 feet and a width of almost 5 feet, typical of 'Sum and Substance'.

Site in shade with well drianing, moist soil.

A word of warning: We never had a slug problem with any of our hostas until planting 'Gunter's Prize'. This sport has been a slug magnet for us. It remains the sole Hosta that the local slugs prefer. Slug controll with beer or any method you prefer could be necessary depending on your local slugs' palate.

This gorgeous Hosta is well worth a little slug warfare. The uniquely streaked variegation is incredible. It has become our favorite Hosta.

AM sun / PM shade or dappled shade all day.
Zones 3-9

This rare Hosta introduced by Tenjin Yama Bunen Nursery in Mito City, Japan, offers seasonal variegation from spring to early summer. It then turns green. Plant this beauty where it will be the focal point during its variegation season.

This is a mid-sized Hosta at around 15 inches tall and 2 feet wide at maturity.

Plant in a site that receives morning sunlight or dappled shade all day long for the best color.

AM sun / PM shade or dappled shade all day.
Zones 3-8

Hosta rectifolia 'Mito no Hana': Two-eye division - $100

This Iris was bred by Hiroshi Shimizu and registered in 2008.

Mr. Shimizu crossed Iris ensata with Iris pseudacorus to create this sterile cultivar.

'Shiryukyo' (Valley of the Purple Dragon) is the slowest to increase of the Iris pseudata cultivars we grow. Its slow pace is made up for by its stunningly rich color. It is certainly worth the wait for it to clump up.

Flower scapes emerge in June and top out between 45 and 54 inches in height. This Iris looks amazing when mass planted with other colors of Iris pseudata!

Plant in full sun and it isn't picky about water needs. It will grow in garden soil of average moisture or in standing water. It is equally at home in your garden bed or your koi pond.

Full sun.
Zones 4-9

This Iris was bred by Hiroshi Shimizu and registered in 2010.

Mr. Shimizu crossed Iris ensata with Iris pseudacorus to create this sterile cultivar.

'Takamagahara' (Legendary Heaven) is of excellent vigor and has a moderate growth rate. It is slower than 'Yukiyanagi', but faster than 'Shiryukyo'.

Flower scapes emerge in June and top out between 37 and 40 inches in height. This Iris looks amazing when mass planted with other colors of Iris pseudata!

This iris is as tough as it is beautiful. Plant in full sun and it isn't picky about water needs. It will grow in garden soil of average moisture or in standing water. It is equally at home in your garden bed or your koi pond.

Full sun.
Zones 4-9

This Iris was bred by Hiroshi Shimizu and registered in 2010.

Mr. Shimizu crossed Iris ensata with Iris pseudacorus to create this sterile cultivar.

'Yukiyanagi' (Willow in the Snow) is the most vigorous and fastest growing of the Iris pseudata cultivars we grow.

Flower scapes emerge in June and top out between 44 and 60 inches in height. This Iris looks amazing when mass planted with other colors of Iris pseudata!

This iris is as tough as it is beautiful. Plant in full sun and it isn't picky about water needs. It will grow in garden soil of average moisture or in standing water. It is equally at home in your garden bed or your koi pond.

Full sun.
Zones 4-9

This sterile selection of Japanese Bush Clover from the garden of Dr. Shibamichi in the Ryukyu Islands, Japan, is a treat for the eyes, the soil, and the bees! This plant blooms the very last thing before frost in the autumn and provides a great last minute food source for bees.

This bush reaches a height and width of 5 to 6 feet for us. It dies back to the ground each winter and comes up fresh from the crown each spring.

The secret to getting this plant through cold winters is avoiding crown rot. As a nitrogen fixer, this plant prefers well drained, dry soil of near barrenness. Our plants grow in a mix of top soil and coarse sand. The bed is around 8 inches above the surrounding grade to ensure proper drainage.

Full sun.

Zones 6-10

Lycoris squamigera goes by a host of common names; surprise lily, resurection lily, and even naked ladies. Each name alludes to the fact that these bloom in the summer after the spring foliage has died down. These have been equally happy for us in full sun or growing under Phyllostachys parvifolia. Plant in well drained soil in full sun to part shade. They reach a height of 18 to 24 inches and bloom light pink flowers in August.

Full sun to part shade.

Zones 5-9

Lotus are perhaps the most eye-catching flowering plant you could place in your landscape. These aquatic plants can be grown in large pots inside lined ponds or in large tubs of water in the ground.

They bloom heavily if given pond tab fertilizer during the growing season. The blooms are both beautiful and very fragrant.

Plant in pots of heavy top soil of at least 7 gallons in size. The pot can be placed in a larger tub of water in the ground or in a backyard pond. Trim the roots and repot with fresh soil every two years in the early spring before the end of dormancy.

Lotus 'Beijing 2018' reaches 50 inches in height with 9 inch diameter flowers and 18 inch diameter leaves.

Full sun.

Zones 4-11

This hybrid of the native American lotus, Nelumbo lutea and N. 'Rosea Plena' was bred by Perry D. Slocum in 1964.

This is the most fragrant of the Lotus we grow. Its fragrance is matched only by the beauty of the 9 inch to 12 inch diameter blooms. The bloom color is changeable. Upon opening they are a rich pink. The blooms continue to progress through a color pallet of yellow and then cream as they daily open up ever larger over each bloom's three day period. New blooms open regularly over a period of a couple months during summer.

Plant in pots of heavy top soil of at least 7 gallons in size. The pot can be placed in a larger tub of water in the ground or in a backyard pond. Trim the roots and repot with fresh soil every two years in the early spring before the end of dormancy.

Lotus 'Mrs. Perry D. Slocum' reaches 50 inches in height with 9 inch to 12 inch diameter flowers and 18 inch diameter leaves.

Full sun.

Zones 4-11

This white Lotus brightens up any landscape. Its flowers are the most double of the Lotus we grow. The blooms also last the longest with each bloom's petals being retained for several days.

'Zu Cui' (Flute Girl) blooms heavily if given pond tab fertilizer during the growing season.

Plant in pots of heavy top soil of at least 7 gallons in size. The pot can be placed in a larger tub of water in the ground or in a backyard pond. Trim the roots and repot with fresh soil every two years in the early spring before the end of dormancy.

Lotus 'Zu Cui' reaches 45 inches in height with 9 inch to 10 inch diameter flowers and 16 inch diameter leaves.

Full sun.

Zones 4-11

This is a true cold hardy ginger that will add a tropical look to a shady nook in your garden.

Unlike Asarum, Costus, and other plants that are falsely called "ginger", Zingiber mioga is a true ginger and member of the Zingiberaceae family. It is a cousin to the ginger root you buy at the grocery store, Zingiber officinale. Unlike the ginger you buy at the grocery store, the roots of Zingiber mioga are not the portion of the plant that is eaten. Instead the unopened flower buds, called hana-myouga, are the edible plant part.

If the flowers are open as in the photos below, it's too late to pick the buds.

The unopened thumb-size to a bit larger flower buds can be found at ground level under the stems and foliage. Zingiber mioga flowers from the ground in late summer to early fall. When the buds are grown and almost ready to open they are harvested with a quick snap or a sharp knife and then prepared. Wash off any soil from the buds, peel off any tough outer layers, and trim the basal ends.

Next in a small pan combine about 1/2 cup of rice vinegar, 1/4 cup of sugar (I like organic cane sugar), 1/4 cup of water, and one teaspoon of salt. Heat the mixture until everything is dissolved.

Allow this mixture to cool.

You can optionally blanch the flower buds before pickling, but I forego that because I like the crunch.

Place about a dozen flower buds in a glass pint jar. After the pickling liquid has cooled pour that into the jar with the flower buds and make sure those buds are all covered. Pop that tasty goodness into the fridge for a good three days. When those are all pickled you can slice those buds up and serve them over cold dishes like salads or cold soba noodles. They're also great served over warm dishes such as stir fry and steamed rice. They can even be added to soup right before serving. Heck, I eat them on their own too.

Someone is reading this asking, "What does pickled hana-myouga taste like?" I'm glad you asked. "It tastes like pickled hana-myouga.", I say with a grin. It really has its own taste. It's a little spicy, a little zesty, a little sweet, and a little savory. It makes a great palate cleanser between dishes of other foods. No, it doesn't taste like ginger root (Zingiber officinale).

So how does one grow this friend of garden and kitchen? Myouga likes a shady location with morning sun. If you live in the cooler end of its growing range you can plant it next to the house foundation for extra shelter. Yes, I know the soil is dry in that location because the house roof sheds the rain away. Dry winters are a must or else the roots will turn to mush before spring. In fact, I cover mine with an upside-down tub filled with straw over winter. This keeps it extra dry and cozy until spring.

Up to 4 feet in height. Give it well drained soil. Some organic matter is fine. Average moisture is good. Morning sun or dappled shade. I've found it to be fairly drought-tolerant once established.

Zones 6-9

This is a pink flowering form. It was collected on Jejudo Island, South Korea.

Up to 4 feet tall. It seems to be more vigorous than the typical form; faster growing, faster spreading. What sets 'Crug's Zing' apart at first look is the flower color. The ground-hugging flowers are very vibrant. They are a vivid pink / purple instead of the pale yellow of the typical form.

I did try the variegated form 'Nakafu', AKA 'Dancing Crane'. 'Nakafu' is the correct name for the particular variegated form. It simply means, "Variegated in the middle." 'Dancing Crane' is a goofy name other nurseries use for marketing. 'Nakafu' struggled along for abour four years. It produced one solitary shoot each spring and never flowered. It was in the same location and received the same care as the typical form and 'Crug's Zing'. The latter two have flourished while 'Nakafu' withered away and failed to return one spring. 'Nakafu' seemed to have very little vigor. It even failed for my friend who lives in zone 8 Georgia.

Both Zingiber mioga and Z. m. 'Crug's Zing' have grown wonderfully here. Provide 'Crug's Zing' with the same well drained soil of average moisture and morning sun as the species and it will be happy. Both need dry winters up north here. I can't emphasize enough, dry winters. Cover it after autumn frost if need be.

Zones 6-9