dems

In addition to large numbers of irises (bearded, Siberian, Louisiana, and Japanese), peonies, and unnamed dahlia varieties, we are offering many named and rare species of summer-blooming bulbs, corms, and tubers. (For a complete master list of ALL plants being offered in the sale, go here.)

TURK’S CAP LILY (Lilium superbum). This native perennial flower will grow from 4 to 10 feet tall, depending on its exposure to sun and moist soil (both of which it needs in abundance) and is the largest native American lily. (Don’t plant this highly sought-after bulb in the shade!) Turk’s Cap Lilies are prolific bloomers, often producing a dozen or more flowers per plant. These lilies are known for colonizing environments that they like, but it takes usually a minimum of eight years for bulbs to mature enough to produce blooms. We were diligent in finding fully mature bulbs for this sale that should begin to bloom for you immediately. The large blooms are extremely attractive to hummingbirds, long-tongued bees, butterflies, and sphinx moths. A truly classic addition to your summer garden!

GALTONIA candicans. This native of South Africa is also known as the “summer hyancinth” or “spire lily.” It sends up spikes of lovely white flowers in late summer amidst dark green, strap-like foliage, when many other perennials are done blooming. The tall spikes are fragrant and especially dramatic planted with darker foliage or flowers. Wants fertile, well-drained soil that is reliably moist in spring and summer. Full sun. Cold hardy to zone 6 (which we are now listed in for Boone), but for our winters you might do well to mulch the bulbs with straw or leaves. Galtonia also makes an excellent container plant.

‘AY CARAMBA’ LILY. L.A. hybrid lilies are an exciting new type of lily, a cross between Longiflorum lilies and Asiatic lilies (hence “L.A.”). L.A.s have larger flowers, stronger stems, and longer vase life than asiatic lilies. ‘Ay Caramba’ is a new 2012 variety. It is beautiful with very wide petals in pearly white, tipped in raspberry pink, all set off with a deep raspberry heart. Just great.

 

‘SINFONIETTA’ LOUISIANA IRIS. The Louisiana iris ‘Sinfonietta’ is a vigorous iris and one of the brightest, clearest of the blue irises. It won the American Iris Society Award of Merit in 1992. It bears gentian-blue flowers and broad blooms with a prominent triangular yellow blotch (“signal”) which attracts pollinating bees. Louisiana irises prefer moisture, but they also adapt to ordinary acidic garden soil like we have in Boone.

‘BOLD PRETENDER’ LOUISIANA IRIS. The Louisiana Iris ‘Bold Pretender’ is a super bright red bi-tone and is a great choice for all but the driest of garden areas. It has pale red and darker red petals that alternate around a beautifully patterned, bright yellow- green center. Flowers have a heavy substance, but you’ll have to be patient the first few seasons for this iris to get established. It’s well worth the wait, and the large blooms make an extraordinary indoor arrangement. This iris prefers full sun and doesn’t like dry gardens (like most Louisiana irises, it will even grow in standing water).

‘TINY PADHYE’ LILY. ‘Tiny Padhye’ is a dwarf lily with stunning maroon flowers tipped in icy white. These naturally short, early blooming Asiatic lilies were 20 years in the breeding and are perfect for the garden or in containers. Plants grow just 18″-24″ tall, and they flower earlier than most lilies – in May/June. It is a strong grower with an excellent bud count and long bloom time.

‘DIZZY’ LILY. A unique oriental lily, ‘Dizzy’ packs a punch, with extra-long petals that have a bold, crimson stripe and are almost completely covered with vibrant magenta freckles. ‘Dizzy’ is very fragrant and produces long-lasting 4-inch flowers in either your garden or as cut flowers. This lily is a reliable performer with lots of blossoms.

 

‘COURIER CLASSIC’ LILY. Another of the L.A. hybrid lilies (for “Longiflorum” plus “Asiatic”), ‘Courier Classic’ is a great classic color with upward facing, sweetly scented, slightly trumpet-shaped blossoms. The yellow-green throat really sets it off.

 

‘CASA BLANCA’ LILY. ‘Casa Blanca’ is at the top of the food-chain for classic oriental lilies. They are spectacular and magnificently fragrant. Plus they are very easy to grow. The flowers are immense, up to 11 inches across, pure white with white specks. You should enjoy the flowers in your garden, but you should not cut them. If you do, you will have to wait two agonizing years before the plant will bloom again. (The blooms store up food in the bulb for next year’s inflorescence.)

GLORIOSA LILY (Gloriosa superba ‘Rothschildiana’). Every time I see this magnificent and exotic South African vine bloom, I think, “I grew that?” Easy to grow in either the ground or in pots, Gloriosa lilies bear a name that means “full of glory.” Flashy yellow and ruby flowers have wavy, swept-back petals. Vines are light weight, so slender supports are fine, and they make long-lasting cut flowers. The plants die back in fall to dormant tubers. Grow this lily in a pot that can be stored dry in a cool place over winter. It will emerge slowly in early summer, and then follows rapid growth. Roots get bigger and bigger every year, so you get more & more flowers in subsequent seasons.

‘BLACK OUT’ LILY. ‘Black Out’ is a fabulous lily. It has rich, glossy carmine- red (almost black) flowers with an even darker flushed burgundy-black throat. The color of the flowers really stands out against the tall, slender, dark-green stems. Very vigorous grower and an excellent cut flower.

‘PRINS CLAUS’ HARDY GLADIOLUS. What fun! What drama! The ‘Prins Claus’ gladiolus is narrowly upright and has sword-shaped, grey-green leaves. In summer, pure white flowers on 24 inch-flower spikes appear, each with a sharply contrasting raspberry red marking on its lower petals. ‘Prins Claus’ flowers earlier than most gladiolas and is hardy to Watauga. A stunning, fun, and very easy-to-grow cut flower.

‘GREEN STAR’ GLADIOLUS (Biltmore Estate Gladiolus). This sensational gladiolus cultivar has very large, showy flowers the color of lime sherbet. Striking in the garden, carefree, and a florist favorite. Hummingbirds love them! “Gladiolus” is Latin for the “small sword” and refers to the strong shape of the leaves. A great new look for an old garden favorite. Unlike the hardy glads we’re offering in this sale (see “Boone Glad,” “Prins Claus,” “Atom”), this bulb will not be hardy to our winters and will have to be lifted and stored.

‘ATOM’ HARDY GLADIOLUS. Wonderful, easy-to-grow hardy heirloom glad with bright eye-catching blooms, and hummingbirds love it! The petite, picotee-edged ‘Atom’ glad has been cultivated since 1946, and it may forever change the way you look at glads. The flowers are brilliant red cooled by the finest edging of silvery white. Frankly, it’s delightful, and a far cry from florist glads. Gardeners in Ohio (zone 5) report that this glad not only survives the winter, but doubles.

‘KARMA AMANDA’ DAHLIA. ‘Karma Amanda’ is a decorative type dahlia with very balanced branching and petals of various shades of soft pink that will blend with many other colors in the summer garden The creamy pink flowers are huge, and the petals are outlined in darker pink. Strong straight stems and nice foliage too.

 

‘GUITAR MAN’ DAHLIA. Your will sing like a rock star when you see the unusual flowers on this dahlia – deep crimson fringed in white. Flowers are broad, generally flat or slightly twisted and usually bluntly pointed. This beautiful dahlia is the workhorse of the summer garden. Excellent garden and container plant. Lift the bulbs in Fall and store in paper bags or peat moss. Dahlia bulbs multiply for dependable and colorful additions to your garden year after year.

‘BISHOP OF LLANDAFF’ DAHLIA. Stunning, classic heirloom dahlia introduced in 1924 and named for Bishop Hughes of Llandaff, Wales. Unusual, dark mahogany foliage and an abundance of anemone-type garnet red flowers. Excellent garden and container plant. Lift the bulbs in Fall and store in paper bags or peat moss. Dahlia bulbs multiply for dependable and colorful additions to your garden year after year.

The ninth organized “cash mob” in Watauga County will visit Earthwood Farm (177 Southwood Trail, Boone) and then go to lunch at Thompson’s Seafood Restaurant (5714 Old U.S. Hwy 421 S., Deep Gap).

The “cash mob” will gather at Earthwood Farm at 10 a.m. Earthwood is described as a “hobby farm” featuring fresh vegetables (carrots, radishes, and a variety of lettuces), cut herbs and flowers, and a small variety of landscaping plants. Earthwood also features handmade birdhouses, small tables, hypertufa pots, house plants, and gourds.

The “mob” will go to lunch at approximately noon at Thompson’s Seafood Restaurant on the Old 421 S. in Deep Gap. Thompson’s is a venable Watauga County country café and local hangout.

Earthwood Farm, Description & Directions 

Earthwood Farm is a small hobby farm, just under two acres, located in the Rutherwood Community of eastern Watauga County. The Earthwood name has served us well for over 30 years – from Earthwood Originals, a wholesale woodcraft business to Earthwood Builders & Design, specializing in small, affordable houses. With the decline of the building industry, it was time for something new.

Gardening is not really new to us, but managing vegetable and flower gardens in constant rotation with cover crops, composting and getting the maximum from a small space with season extending hoops is. We also have two small greenhouses that will allow us to provide a variety of vegetables and herbs year round.

During the height of our summer growing season we have fresh vegetables, cut herbs and flowers and a small variety of landscaping plants. This spring we have herb plants, carrots, radishes and a nice variety of lettuce. We also have handmade birdhouses, small tables and hypertufa pots and house plants and gourds.

We also sell eggs from our flock of pastured chickens and raise pygmy goats. And let’s not forget Ophelia the donkey, who enjoys her days roaming the pasture with the chickens and goats.

We follow organic practices and guidelines to provide the best and most nutritious herbs and vegetables possible for our customers and their families.

We are located at 177 Southwood Trail. Traveling south from Boone on Hwy. 421, turn right on Old Hwy. 421 at the stoplight near Food Lion. Travel approximately 1 mile. After passing Rutherwood Baptist Church, turn right on Livestock Market Rd. Take an immediate left on Don Hayes Rd. Travel approximately ½ mile , turn left on Southwood Trail. Ours is the first driveway on the left. You may also park along Southwood trail.

–Diane and Joe Tilson

ANNABELLE HYDRANGEA (Hydrangea arborescens). One of our all-time favorite landscape shrubs. Ours, planted along the appropriately named “Annabelle Hall,” should be beginning to bloom at the time of the plant sale, and they go on blooming through most of high summer. The greatest thing about them is that they bloom (white mop-heads) in full shade! What other shrub does that? Annabelle blooms every year even after severe pruning or intensely cold winters. The huge, white “drumstick” blooms appear in profusion without fail. Some people plant “Annabelle” as a hedge since it can be cut back severely in the winter for a tidy effect. Fast-growing specimen. We’re offering small starts, but they’ll be blooming for you by next year.

CREPE MYRTLE. Striking pink flowers (great in arrangements), handsome exfoliating bark, and attractive fall foliage all combine to make the crepe myrtle a favorite landscape shrub. It grows quickly into a beautiful specimen tree, but it is also often used in groupings, containers, hedges and screens, and as a small street tree. It also makes a great bonsai. We do not know the cultivar of these starts, but it blooms pink.

BALD CYPRESS. Don’t let the size of the Bald Cypress scare you off. You can grow it small or huge (it’s a favorite for bonzai and pot growing). The cypress is a stunning & graceful tree that is tall but not too wide. Soft fern-like foliage turns a coppery bronze in fall, and it offers an interesting red bark. Can grow in dry areas or in swamps but will thrive best in a moist environment. Will form impressive “cypress knees” (roots) above ground in wet soil. Wild turkey, wood ducks, and evening grosbeak eat the seeds. Bald eagles nest in the tops. Warblers and other small critters find nesting cavities in the tree’s trunk & knees. You can just rest in its shade. We have 2-foot starts.

CHICKASAW PLUM. Often called “the wildlife plum tree,” the native American Chickasaw Plum, according to the USDA, is a must have for every wildlife garden. The Chickasaw was discovered by William Bartram in 1773 and was harvested for eating by early American Indian tribes. Each spring, the Chickasaw is covered with clusters of tiny, fragrant, white flowers. The flowers are especially dramatic since they appear before the tree puts out new leaves. Very sweet small fruits follow, turning from red to yellow as they ripen. The tart plums can be eaten fresh or turned into tasty jelly, and they’re also enjoyed by butterflies, song and game birds. As the tree ages, it develops a beautiful rough, scaly bark.

SAWTOOTH OAK, ‘GOBBLER.’ The “Gobbler” oak is a small, hybrid sawtooth oak native to China and introduced to the United States in 1962 by wildlife enthusiasts. The “Gobbler” was designed to have smaller, easier-to-eat acorns that begin to be produced when the tree is a very young age. The smaller acorn of the Gobbler Oak is exceptionally desirable as a choice food source for wild turkeys (hence its name) and other game birds. This tree is also quite beautiful. The canopy is very wide and open, making excellent, deep, low-lying shade. And the acorns are just downright funky! We have 2- to 3-foot seedlings.

SWEETBAY MAGNOLIA (Magnolia virginiana). An American native, this small tree was introduced into European gardens as early as 1688. It is much underused in landscapes. We love ours. It has a slender white trunk. The blooms are a large lemony cream color, about 2-3″ in size, with a heavenly citrus fragrance. Then bright red berries burst from an orange seedcomb. The leaves are beautiful green with silver undersides. The tree can be grown as a multi-stemmed shrub or a single trunk tree. The fruits provide an excellent food source for wild turkey, quail, and songbirds. In Boone, the tree will lose its leaves in winter. We have 2- to 3-foot starts (this is a fast-growing tree).

YELLOW-TWIG DOGWOOD. When the leaves fall from this North American native shrub in Fall, it’s a sight to behold as the stems begin a gradual transformation from green to their eventual brilliant canary yellow. An incredible standout in gloomy winter months. Once Spring returns, the stalks turn from yellow to deep green with the budding of new foliage. Then tiny white flowers appear in flat-topped clusters. Flowers give way to clusters of white berries in late summer, but they won’t last long because songbirds love them. A great shrub, fast growing, and tolerant of a wide range of soils, including swamps and bogs. A very good shrub for mass effects. We have 5- to 6-foot mature specimens.

DAPPLED WILLOW (Salix integra ‘Hakuro Nishiki’). One of the greatest landscape trees in the universe! The dappling of the new-growth leaves goes from green to cream to pink! This Japanese import is very amenable to pruning and shaping. We have two; we let one grow free-form (maximum height … about 15 feet), and the other is sheered every year to a 10-foot-tall ball-top. This is an understory species, very adaptable to sunny locations as well, but it thrives under canopy trees both evergreen and deciduous. Its traditional use is beside streams and water features in Asian gardens where, like most willows, it is tolerant of perennial damp and seepage. The drooping form is considered a fluid accent for natural waterways. Cold hardiness makes these shrubs an ideal candidate for natural woodlands or combined with American natives with similar requirements for more varied early spring interest. We have very strong rooted cuttings 4- to 5-feet tall.

SCARLET CURLS WILLOW. A vigorous, small tree (20-30 feet) with golden brown branches and twisted scarlet red stems spiraling upwards. The red color intensifies after the first frost. Leaves are somewhat curled. A form of corkscrew willow, the decorative cut branches are used in floral arrangements. This fast-growing, small ornamental tree is terrific for the smaller landscape. Can be used as a specimen, beside a pond or stream, or at the back of the property. It prefers full sun, does best if it receives at least six hours of full sunlight, and prefers moist, average soil. We’re offering 2-3 foot rooted cuttings.

KUMSON FORSYTHIA (Korean variegated forsythia). This ain’t your granddaddy’s forsythia! Though the blooms are much like any other forsythia, the foliage is vastly different, featuring variegation that will stop visitors in their tracks all summer long. New foliage is a bright green, maturing to a deeper, more hunter green color with delicate silver veination all throughout the leaves. The older the foliage, the more yellow it turns, with incredible reticulations of silver-white which we describe as “alligator skin.” Leaves look like they have been painted! A very vigorous grower — can be trimmed to maintain desired shape & size. Can take anything from full sun to almost full shade, and can withstand a wide range of soil conditions. Looks stunning when planted in groups, both in the spring, as well as all season. We have a large number of very mature specimens for sale.

PAWPAW (Asimina triloba). A small, tropical-looking tree, seldom taller than 25 feet. Grown in full sun, the Pawpaw tree develops a narrowly pyramidal shape with dense, drooping foliage down to the ground level. In the shade it grows tall, with a more open branching habit, horizontally held leaves, and few lower limbs. Shading for the first-year, and sometimes the second, is normally required, and it is for this reason that Pawpaws are almost always found in nature as an understory tree. Although the Pawpaw is capable of fruiting in the shade, optimum fruit yields are obtained in open exposure, with some protection from wind (on account of the large leaves). Plant at least two trees for fruit production, to ensure cross-pollination. The delicious and nutritious fruit look like short, fat bananas. They have a fragrant aroma, a custardy texture, and a tropical taste. The best ones are rich, creamy and sweet, reminding some people of banana cream pie. Compared to apples, peaches and grapes, Pawpaw is higher in food energy, and has more than double the amount of vitamin C, and is much higher in minerals. It is higher in protein, fiber, and carbohydrate. It has a much higher content of amino acids in a good balance.

PERSIMMON (Diospyros virginiana –The American Persimmon). Native to the eastern United States, the persimmon fruit is higher in nutrients like vitamin C, calcium, iron and potassium than the Japanese Persimmon. Its fruit is traditionally eaten in a special steamed pudding in the Midwest. Easily grown in average, dry to medium, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Persimmon fruit is quite astringent when green, but upon ripening becomes sweet and may be eaten off the tree. Fruits are commonly used in syrups, jellies, ice creams or pies.

FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF ALL PLANTS BEING OFFERED AT THE SALE … go here.

We have received a limited number of named daylily varieties from a collector in Ohio. Many of these varieties sell retail for $15 and up, but we’ll be offering them at the June 15th Plant Sale for $3 each! These daylilies will all be double fans and quite vigorous. Look at the gorgeous color variations! (For a complete master list of ALL plants being offered at the sale, go here.)

BROCADED GOWN. People describe this daylily as “stunning,” with its pure lemon-cream petals and green throat, huge 6-inch blooms, and fantastic texture. The delicate markings are truly like the stitching on a brocaded gown. Quick to rebloom. Won the Stout Silver Medal — daylily’s highest award.

 

CREATURE OF THE NIGHT. This is an incredibly beautiful spider-form daylily, and we feel lucky to have found them for this sale. It is a deep, deep purple with a white midrib and a creamy lemon throat. It forms huge 7-inch blooms and is bold, beautiful, and bred to be hardy. Won the Daylily Award of Merit.

LUSTY LEALAND. “Lusty Lealand” is a real eye-catcher in the garden. It has large (6.5 inch), intense deep velvety red blooms and striking green throats. Excellent branching stems, extended day blooms. Considered one of the finest red daylilies. Prolific and tolerant.

 

PRAIRIE MOONLIGHT. This “Award of Merit” daylily is a show-stopper in your garden. Non-stop bloom, exotic fragrance, and huge 8-inch flowers. The color is a pale lemon sherbet with slight white striping. This is one yellow daylily that will get your attention, no matter what else is blooming nearby.

 

RADIATION BIOHAZARD. What fun is this!? The name suggests the almost frightening variation this daylily represents. This is an unusual form and color in a spider daylily. Bicolor petals with maroon alternating with yellow and a yellow midrib above a green-yellow throat. This flowers are huge, clocking in at 9 inches across. Striking. And fragrant  too!

 

DUBLIN ELAINE. An award-winning gorgeous “double headed” daylily that has a wonderful fragrance and blooms profusely. The stalks are loaded with very long-lasting blooms. “Dublin Elaine” is one of the best multipliers around. It’s also one of the most dependable double cultivars for holding its color.

 

FLAMING FROLIC.  Isn’t this just a beautiful daylily? A bright apricot color with yellow striping and huge 7-inch blooms. This daylily is big, has lots of texture, and has a slight ruffling of the petals. The bloom colors and petal shape are very unusual. It’s so startling and bright that you will notice it clear across the yard.

 

CEDAR WAXWING. A true pink daylily! The yummy color is highlighted by white striations and a yellow-green throat. Its gorgeous blooms come abundantly and are held high on sturdy scapes. A wonderful sight when it bursts forth with color. A beautiful, classic daylily that has been hard to find lately.

 

SILOAM TOY TIME. “Siloam Toy Time” is a favorite daylily for the front of a border. It’s very dependable, is well-branched with numerous flowers, has long-lasting blooms, and is fragrant. It’s also beautiful, with deep dusty rose 2.75-inch blooms and a striking green throat. The petals are nicely marked and have a slight ruffle.

 

DOMINIC. Isn’t this a stunning daylily? It’s a real beauty. The dark burgundy/black color makes for a dramatic display in the flowerbed. Tall with large 5.5-inch blooms. The underside of the bud is green with maroon wavy lines. It always rewards with loads of stunning blooms and requires absolutely no pampering. This dark beauty will be a real attention getter in your garden.

MANDARIN CORSAGE. A beautiful double daylily with good branching and large 5-inch blooms. This mandarin daylily is one of the most consistent doubles on the market. The flowers have exceptional substance and very round full form. The color is somewhat between persimmon and mandarin red. Really, really nice.


May 022013

Latest video from the amazing Frank Eaton, featuring some of our familiar county activists: Lainey Edmisten, Jesse Presnell, Ian O’Keefe, Andy Ball.

Dr. Nolo Martinez, North Carolina’s first director of Hispanic/Latino Affairs under Governor Jim Hunt, will address the May luncheon of the Watauga County Democratic Women’s Club on the topic of “US Latino Politics: National Immigration Reform and NC Political Implications for Latinos.”

Members and guests will gather at 11:30 a.m. for dutch-treat lunch on Wednesday, May 8, at the Golden Corral on Blowing Rock Road in Boone. Dr. Martinez will speak at 12:10. The meeting is free and open to the public.

Martinez was appointed in 1998 to the Office of Hispanic/Latino Affairs, and during his tenure he worked to coordinate and develop programs to assist the Latino population of the state, the fastest-growing Latino population in the continental United States.

Prior to his appointment by Gov. Hunt, Martinez had created the first NC Farmers and Farmworkers AgrAbility Project, a statewide project to assist farmers, farmworkers, and their families when affected by disabilities. He is also founder and vice president of the NC Legal Immigration Coalition, a non-profit that educates industry, business, and local governments about the needs for immigration reform.

Martinez was born in Puerto Rico, educated in Puerto Rico, at Rutgers University, and at North Carolina State University, where he holds a doctorate in adult education. He is currently president of Nolo Consulting, LLC, and an adjunct professor at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. He lives in Winston-Salem with his wife and three children.

This is a partial list, as plants are being added on a daily basis. This list is alphabetized mainly by common name, with some cross-referencing to botanical names. 

Details about the Sale: 

One day only! June 15, 2013, starting at 7 a.m. (sorry, no early sales). Prices start at $1 and range upward, depending on the genus, the age and size of the plant, and its rarity. Availability of many of the species listed below will be extremely limited. We’ll have a large selection of container plantings including our container exhibition, “For the Birds.” Personal shoppers are available (see below). Price list for the cultivars below won’t be developed before the sale, but most perennials sell for $1-$3, annuals $1, trees & shrubs & very rare plants may go as high as $15. Heirloom Appalachian apples will be $20. 

Personal Shoppers: If you use a Personal Shopper, you’ll be expected to pay in advance. Refunds will be made for any items that could not be grabbed. 

WHERE: Home of Pam & Jerry Williamson (“Aunt Pymm’s Table Antiques”), 375 Old 421 South, Boone NC 28607. 

Gardens will be open to the public. 

All proceeds go to support the Watauga County Democratic Party.

 

ACANTHUS mollis, Spiny Bear’s Breeches”; ACANTHUS spinosus

ACUBA japonica “Gold Dust” (also spelled AUCUBA)

ALCERA, see Hollyhock

ALOE, MEDICINAL Aloe Vera

ALSTROEMERIA, see Lily, Hardy

ALYSSUM, “Aphrodite Apricot”; ALYSSUM “Giga White”

ANEMONE hupehensis “SEPTEMBER CHARM”

APPLE TREES, Malus, various named heritage apples

ARTEMISIA vulgaris,“Oriental Limelight”; ARTEMESIA ludoviciana, silver wormwood

ASARUM see Ginger

ASTER, STAR WOOD, Eurybia Divaricata

ASTILBE Astilbe x Arendsii “Amethyst” • “Red Sentinel” • “Deutschland”

ASTRANTIA, see Masterwort

BABY’S BREATH, Gypsophila paniculata “Festival White”

BALD CYPRESS, Taxodium distichum

BEAN see Scarlet Runner Bean; see Hyacinth Bean; see Castor Oil Bean

BEGONIA, RHIZOMATOUS  “Cathedral” • “Tiger Kitten” • “Black Truffles” • “Beefsteak”

BELLFLOWER, Campanula punctata

BERGENIA, HEARTLEAF, Bergenia cordifolia

BLACK COHOSH, Cimicifuga racemosa atropurpurea, A.K.A. Actaea racemosa

BLACK MONDO GRASS, Ophiopogon planiscapus

BLACKBERRY LILY, Belamcanda chinensis

BLACK-EYED SUSAN, Rudbeckia hirta

BLACK-EYED SUSAN VINE, “Blushing Susie”

BLUE FESCUE, Festuca ovina var. Glauca

BLUE LYME GRASS, Arenarius Glaucus

BLUEBERRIES, “Jersey” and “Bluecrop”

BROOMCORN MIX, Sorghum bicolor

BRUNNERA, see Forget-Me-Not

CALENDULA, “Solar Flash Back Mix”

CANADIAN MAYFLOWER, Maianthemum canadense

CASTOR  BEAN, “Carmencita”

CATMINT, Nepeta racemosa ‘WALKER’S LOW’

CELANDINE POPPY, Stylophorum diphyllum

CENTAUREA montana, Mountain Bluets

CHAMELEON PLANT, Houttuynia cordata

CHINESE BLOODROOT, Eomecon chionantha “Snow Poppy”

CHINESE LANTERN PLANT

CHIVES, Allium schoenoprasum

CHRYSANTHEMUM “SHEFFIELD” Hardy Chrysanthemum; CHRYSANTHEMUM “SINGLE APRICOT KOREAN” Hardy Chrysanthemum; CHRYSANTHEMUM, DWARF Chrysanthemum parthenium

CIRCLE FLOWER, Lysimachia punctata “Alexander”

CLEMATIS, “My Angel,” Small-Flower Clematis

CLOVER, WHITE, Trifolium repens

COLEUS (different cultivars), Solenostemon scutellarioides

COLUMBINE, Aquilegia canadensis (various colors)

CONEFLOWER, WHITE, Echinacea purpurea ‘White Swan’

CORNFLOWER, “Emperor William”

CORAL BELLS, Heuchera–named Cultivars

CORYDALIS lutea

COSMOS, “Snowpuff”; COSMOS Sulphureus “Ladybird Lemon”; COSMOS “Antiquity”

CRABAPPLE,  DWARF, Malus sargentii ‘Roselow’

CREEPING JENNY, Lysimachia nummularia “Aurea”

CREEPING SPEEDWELL, Veronica “Waterperry Blue”

CREPE MYRTLE

CROCOSMIA “JENNY BLOOM”; CROCOSMIA “LUCIFER”

CULVER’S ROOT, Veronicastrum virginicum

CYPRESS VINE, red

DAHLIA “Bishop of Llandaff”; DAHLIA “Karma Amanda”; DAHLIA “Peaches and Cream”

DAME’S ROCKET, Hesperus matronalis

DAYLILY, Hemerocallis, both common orange and these named cultivars: “Brocaded Gown,” “Creature of the Night,” “Lusty Lealand,” “Prairie Moonlight,” “Radiation Biohazard,” “Dublin Elaine,” “Flaming Frolic,” “Cedar Waxwing,” “Siloam Toy Time,” “Dominic,” “Mandarin Corsage”

DEAD NETTLE, PURPLE, Lamium purpureaum

DIANTHUS gratianopolitanus, “Cheddar Pink”;  DIANTHUS  barbatus “Sweet William”

DOGWOOD, yellow twig, Cornus sericea “Flaviramea”

DRAGONWORT, Persicaria bistorta “Superba”

ECHINACEA, see Coneflower

EGGPLANT, “Pinstripe,” patio eggplant

EPIMEDIUM, see Fairy Wings

EUONYMOUS kewensis

EUPHORBIA, see Spurge

FAIRY WINGS (a.k.a. Bishops’ Mitre), Epimedium, various cultivars

FERN, JAPANESE PAINTED,  Athyrium Niponicum var. Pictum; FERNS  Autumn • Ostrich • Sensitive • Royal • Wood

FEVERFEW. See Tansy, Tanacetum parthenium

FILIPENDULA rubra, Queen  of the Prairie; FILIPENDULA ulmaria, Meadowsweet

FORGET-ME-NOT, Brunnera macrophylla; FORGET-ME-NOT, Brunnera “Langtrees”; Brunnera “Jack Frost”; Brunnera “Dawson’s White”

FORSYTHIA , COMMON AND KOREAN, Forsythia viridissima var. “Koreana Kumson”

FOXGLOVE, Digitalis purpurea “Pam’s Choice”

GALTONIA candicans, Spire Lily, Summer Hyacinth

GARLIC CHIVES, Allium tuberosum

GAZANIA, “Daybreak Rose Stripe”; GAZANIA, “Daybreak Pink”

GERANIUM oxonianum, “CLARIDGE DRUCE”; GERANIUM macrorrihizum, BIGFOOT CRANESBILL; GERANIUM sanguineum “Max Frei,”, DWARF; GERANIUM platyanthum, WOOLY; GERANIUM “Johnson’s Blue”

GINGER, Asarum (Various Cultivars)

GLADIOLUS dalenii,” BOONE,” 1920’s PERENNIAL HEIRLOOM; GLADIOLUS murielae, “PEACOCK ORCHID“; GLADIOLUS primulinus, “Atomic”; GLADIOLUS nanus “Prins Claus”

GOAT’S BEARD, Aruncus dioicus

GOLDENROD, see Solidago

GOLDENSEAL, Hydrastis canadensis

HELIOTROPE, Heliotropium Arborescens “Marine”

HELLEBORUS, see Lenten Rose

HEMEROCALLIS, see Daylily

HEUCHERA, see Coral Bells

HOLLYHOCK, Alcera “Halo White”; HOLLYHOCK, Alcera “Halo Cerise”

HONEYSUCKLE, SOUTHERN BUSH, Diervilla sessifolia

HORSERADISH, Armoracia rusticana

HOSTA, MINIATURE “Electrocution”; HOSTA, MINIATURE “Golden Tiara”; HOSTAS, Unnamed green, gold, white variegated

HYACINTH BEAN, “Ruby Moon”

HYDRANGEA arborsecens. “ANNABELLE”

IRIS “HORNS AND BLUES,” Bearded Iris (Jim Hedgecock, 1996); IRIS, “JOYANCE,” Bearded Iris (Dykes, 1929); IRIS sibirica,  BLUE SIBERIAN Iris; IRIS, LOUISIANA, “Ann Chowning”; IRIS Sibirica, SIBERIAN, “SNOWCREST”; IRIS, WALKING (house plant), Neomarica gracilis; IRIS pseudacorus, YELLOW FLAG; IRIS, LOUISIANA, “Sinfonietta” and “Bold Pretender”

JADE TREE STARTS, Crassula ovata

KERRIA, A.K.A. EASTER ROSE, Kerria japonica

LADY’S MANTLE, Alchemilla mollis

LAMB’S EAR, Stachys byzantine

LAVENDER, Lavandula angustifolia “Ellagance”

LENTEN ROSE, Helleborus orientalis (unnamed cultivars)

LESPEDESA thunbergii “Gilbraltar,” bush pea

LIGULARIA dentata, “Desdemona”

LILY OF THE VALLEY, Convallaria majalis

LILY, Gloriosa rothschildiana, Gloriosa lily; LILY, Lillium Asiatic “Blackout”; LILY, Lillium oriental “Casa Blanca”; LILY, Lillium LA Hybrid “Courier Classic”; LILY, Lillium oriental “Dizzy”; LILY, Lillium Dwarf Asiatic “Tiny Padhye”; LILY, Lillium superbum, Turk’s Cap Lily

LILY, HARDY PRINCESS, Alstroemeria “Sweet Laura”

LOBELIA siphilitica, Great Blue Lobelia

LOOSTRIFE, FRINGED,  Lysimachia ciliata “Firecracker”; LOOSESTRIFE, YELLOW, Lysimachia punctata

LUFFA SPONGE, Luffa cylindrica

LUNGWORT, Pulmonaria saccharata

LUPINE, Lupinus polyphyllus “Gallery Mix”

MAGNOLIA virginiana, Sweetbay Magnolia, a.k.a., Swamp Magnolia

MARIGOLD, “Sunburst Orange Splash”; MARIGOLD, “Vanilla Improved Hybrid”

MASTERWORT, Astrantia major

MEADOW RUE, Thalictrum aquilegifolium

MEADOWSWEET, see Filipendula ulmaria

MILKWEED, Asclepias incarnate, Rose Milkweed

MONKSHOOD, aka ‘Wolfsbane,’ Aconitum napellus

MOONFLOWER VINE, Ipomoea alba

MORNING GLORY, “Blue Picotee”; MORNING GLORY, Japanese

MOUNTAIN BLUET, see Centaurea montana

NASTURTIUM, “Lady Bird”; NASTURTIUM “Tip Top Apricot”

NICOTIANA, Nicotiana sanderae “Whisper”

NIGELLA damascene “Miss Jekyll Blue”; NIGELLA sativa (black cumin)

OAK, Quercus acutissima, “Gobbler”( Sawtooth Oak)

OREGANO, GOLDEN,  Origanum vulgare “Aureum”

PACHYSANDRA, “JAPANESE SPURGE,” Pachysandra Terminalis

PAINTER’S PALETTE,  Persicaria virginiana var. Filiformis

PAPAVER, see Poppy

PAWPAW, Asimina

PENSTEMON,  Penstemon Digitalis “HUCKSTER  RED”

PEONIES

PERIWINKLE, Vinca minor

PERSIMMON, Diospyros

PHLOX, PURPLE GARDEN, Phlox Paniculata; PHLOX, “DAVID” (white phlox)

PLUM, Prunus angustifolia, Chickasaw Plum trees

PLUME POPPY, Macleaya cordata

POPPY, Papaver paeoniflorum “Lavender”; POPPY “Danish Flag Breadseed”; POPPY, “Hen and Chicks Breadseed”; see also CELANDINE POPPY; see also PLUME POPPY

PORTULACA, “Happy Hour Banana”; PORTULACA, “Margarita Cream”

PRIMROSE, Primula polyanthus “Supernova”

QUEEN OF THE PRAIRIE, see Filipendula Rubra

QUERCUS, see Oak

RASPBERRIES

RUSSIAN SAGE, Perovskia atriplicfolia

SAGE, Japanese yellow, Salvia koyamae

SCARLET RUNNER BEAN

SEDGE, BROAD LEAF, Carex siderosticha variegata

SEDUM, Hylotelephium telephium ‘AUTUMN JOY’; SEDUM, various cultivars

SHASTA DAISY, Leucanthemum superbum

SILVER KING WORMWOOD, see Artemesia Ludoviciana

SNAKEROOT, chocolate, Ageratina altissima (syn. Eupatorium rugosum)

SNOW-ON-MOUNTAIN,  A.K.A. BISHOP’S WEED, Aegopodium podagraria “Variegatum”

SOLIDAGO ‘GOLD SPANGLES,’ variegated goldenrod

SOLOMON’S SEAL, DWARF, Polygonatum humile “Tom Thumb”

SORGHUM, see Broomcorn

SPIDERWORT, Tradescantia andersoniana

SPINY BEAR’S BREECHES, Acanthus spinosus

SPURGE, Euphorbia esula; SPURGE, CYPRESS, Euphorbia Cyparissias; SPURGE, PURPLE, Euphorbia dulcis

STOCK, Matthiola incana, “Evening Scented”, “Virginia Spring Sparkle”

STOKES ASTER, Stokesia laevis

STRAWBERRIES, EVERBEARING

SUNFLOWER, “Orange Hobbit”

SWEETPEA, “Matucana”; SWEETPEA, “Old Spice”

SWEET WILLIAM, see Dianthus barbatus

SWEET WOODRUFF, Galium odoratum

SWEETSPIRE, VIRGINIA, Itea virginica ‘Henry’s Garnet’

TANSY, Tanacetum vulgare “ISLA GOLD”; TANSY, Feverfew

TOADFLAX, Linaria maroccana “Northern Lights”

TOAD LILY, VARIEGATED, Tricyrtis macropoda “Tricolor”

TRILLIUM grandiflorum

TURK’S CAP LILY, see Lily

TWISTER PLANT (houseplant), Aeschynanthus ‘Rasta’

VERBENA-ON-A-STICK, Verbena bonariensis

VINCA, see Periwinkle

WILLOW, Salix Integra “Hakuro Nishiki,” dappled willow (tri-color)

WINTERCREEPER ‘EMERALD & GOLD’ Euonymous Fortunei; WINTERCREEPER “EMERALD GAIETY” Euonymous Fortunei

YARROW,  Achillea “Paprika”

ZINNIA gigantica “Carmine Rose”; ZINNIA “Senorita”

April 13, 2013, Watauga County Democratic Convention:

Friends and fellow Democrats, I have some great news to tell you today: We are going to make history in this room. It’s a pretty audacious claim, I know, but it’s true. We are going to make history today in this room, because we are unveiling the future of Watauga County and the High Country.

We are creating a “New South.” We are going to stand up and fight Republicans who intend to weaken our right to vote.

We are going to stand up and fight them as they threaten to shut down two of our UNC system schools.

We are going to fight them as they try to privatize the Medicare system.

We are going to fight them as they try to dismantle the North Carolina we know and love.

We are going to stand up for North Carolina and its people.

And you know what?

WE WILL WIN! And we will do this by coming together and working hard.

Full disclosure: It’s not gonna be easy.

But I’ll let you in on a little secret … nothing worth fighting for is ever easy.

And if you are worried about what people will think, then you might want to leave now.

Because I can promise you, people will look at us and say, “Why are y’all doing this? Why do you care?”

“You can’t win this!”

And do you know we will say?

We will say “YES WE CAN! AND YES WE WILL! Because there is no other option.”

If we don’t stand up and fight for what we believe in, then it could all slip away, and I don’t think any of us could stand to let that happen!

So what are we gonna do? Well I’ll tell you.

We begin our canvassing efforts on the first of next month, and we will continue to knock for as many months as it takes until we have walked up every drive, stood on every stoop, and knocked on every door in this county!

Now, this is not short-term. This will take investment. This will take sacrifice.

But what we do today, tomorrow, next week, this year, will affect what happens in this county, in this state, and in this great nation for years to come.

Next year, the second woman senator from North Carolina ever will be up for reelection, and guess what … the Republicans have been plotting to have her overthrown since the day she stepped into office.

But, you see, I’m not worried. Because I know the actions we start today will allow us to ride a wave of blue to a Democratic win in that race and in so many more!

I am truly honored to have been asked to continue this fight on behalf of the Watauga County Party, and I promise you today that I will fight with every fiber of my being to win this election and turn Watauga blue for good!

But to do this I need a little bit of help. Now I was watching Fox News, and I was told that Democrats love spending money and giving handouts, so I’m kind of banking on that because the party has told me that my first responsibility since taking on the title of field director is to raise my own salary. Yeah. It’s gonna be that kind of job.

So today I humbly come before you with a proposition; you see, contrary to what Fox News might think, we Democrats are not ones to take handouts. We are a party of workers, and I am no different.

For those of you who don’t know, at 19 years old, I have been able to accomplish quite a bit in this political game.

I began my political career as the treasurer of the People’s Alliance for American Liberties and instantly was hooked. I went on to work on the statewide campaign against Amendment One.

I decided to leave my life on the road campaigning behind and set my efforts here in Boone with the Watauga County Democratic Party.

Many of you saw how hard I was willing to work last fall as I ran the party’s youth team. And I plan to continue this effort to lead the youth who are picking up the banner in this monumental fight.

I will accomplish this by implementing a field plan that not only leads us to a win in this election but builds a stronger party, fit to fight and win elections for years to come.

So here is what I am proposing: if you will take on the responsibility of sponsoring one of the various expenses related to my employment, I am going to do some work for you. Actually, let’s up the ante: I am going to do some work for you, your neighbors, your statesmen, and your fellow Americans.

I don’t require much, but I do like Mexican food, and my girlfriend Sarah likes me a lot more when I wear clean clothes.

I’ve actually made a list of what I need, and I am going to pass it around. If you feel inclined to sponsor my expenses, then I want you to sign your name on a line below one or two or more items. Keep in mind, there are four months going around, and although it is great to have food one month, eating the other three months might be nice too!

Again, thank you so much for your sponsorship and for the incredible opportunity to serve as a leader in this party. I am so excited to start building the New South together!

Thank you for giving me one more opportunity to serve as chair of the Watauga County Democrats.

Being Chair has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Working with this large, opinionated, dedicated, and hard-working group has made me realize how important small voices can be. And our Executive Committee – wow! This incredible group hangs in there through thick and thin and keeps coming up with the time and energy and heart to shine light on the darkness and destruction that is being wreaked by the Republicans, who are chomping at the bit to tear down all of the programs and protections fought for by our Democratic forefathers.

Almost every morning when I get up, my husband Joe is sitting in his recliner with his laptop open, and when I come through the bedroom door, he says, “Well, you’re not going to believe what they’ve done now.”  I know who “they” are, and I know it’s not going to be anything good.

It’s not going to be anything that will…

  • create jobs
  • or strengthen our educational system
  • or ensure that everyone’s right to vote is protected

Oh no!  It’s more likely to be a bill…

  • that will streamline laws to allow fracking, supposedly moving us toward energy independence, but in reality costing us precious drinking water
  • that will cut the unemployment safety net that has allowed our unemployed to feed their families
  • that will deny our poor and older citizens access to affordable health care
  • that will dissolve our state income tax and increase sales tax, shifting the tax burden to the poor and middle class
  • that will punish college students and their families if they insist on exercising their constitutional right and vote where they go to school
  • that will deregulate educational requirements and criminal background checks on teachers at tax-funded charter schools
  • that will end voting as we know it by curbing early voting and ending same day registration and straight party voting.

Those were the highlights when I was beginning to prepare these remarks.  Since then…

  • they’ve proposed a “show me your papers law” that would allow law enforcement to check for immigration status, make it harder for unauthorized immigrants to get out of jail and bill them for their prison expenses
  • they’ve proposed repealing the lobbyist gift ban
  • they’ve proposed raising the speed limit on some highways to 75 mph
  • they’ve proposed vouchers that would offer up to $4,200 for parents to send their children to private schools
  • and they’ve proposed dropping the corporate income tax rate from the highest to the lowest in the southeast.

North Carolina has the proud distinction of making national news for the swift, surly, insidious actions Republicans have taken to dismantle anything and everything … simply because they can. And our own representatives, Dan Soucek and Jonathan Jordan, have been right on that bandwagon, making sure that laws are introduced that will take away citizen rights and feather the already overflowing nests of the powerbrokers across the state.

Here in Watauga County we’ve also seen the evidence of this frenzy with attempts to threaten the Town of Boone with redistribution of property taxes if it passes a Workforce Housing plan, a plan that has been sorely needed for over a decade, and an attempt to wrangle County Commission control of the Department of Social Services.

Even at the Watauga County Republican Convention, local Republicans were admonished by none other than Virginia Foxx to toe the “party line” and were discouraged from voicing any dissention among the ranks regarding who should serve as officers or which resolutions they should support.

Every year since I have been Chair, at some point during my remarks at the county convention, whether we’ve won, and I say we can’t rest on our laurels, or whether we’ve lost, and I say we can’t wring our hands in despair, I always bring up how important the next election is. But this year I’m going to say it loud and clear – WE HAVE TO ELECT DEMOCRATS IN 2014!

During the Republican landslide in 2012, Watauga County did amazing things:

  • We elected Barbara Kinsey and Brenda Reece to the school board and
  • We elected Billy Kennedy and John Welch to the county commission!

But they need help! And the only way we’re going to get the help they and we need is by pulling out all the stops in 2014!

The Watauga County Democratic Party needs YOU!

WE need you…

  • to join the Century club. it’s still the easiest way to participate
  • and support Ian O’Keefe. We need him working this summer to build our party base
  • and donate plants and attend the Plant Sale and Home and Garden Tour.

If this sounds like we’re always asking for money, it’s because we are!  It’s going to take everyone giving as much as they possibly can to overcome the Republicans and their notoriously deep pockets.  Consider the upcoming election the “Ultimate Democratic Party Cash Mob,” because if you don’t support the Party monetarily, we will not win in 2014!

But we also need you…

  • To sign up to canvass and to learn to LIKE knocking on doors!  It’s going to be our most effective tool in the next election
  • To volunteer! Sign up to help with the plant sale, sign up to help with the Home and Garden Tour, attend a Cash Mob, sign up to make phone calls and cookies or pies, or whatever.

Everybody, doing his and her share, and then some, is the only way we can begin to rebuild!

I like to think that some of the very things the Republicans are proposing will come back and bite them in the ass. That once they have cut off their noses to spite their faces, the great noseless hoard will realize that perhaps they have been hasty. And I hope with all my heart that this realization will come in November 2014 when the people across the land will raise our voices, not in spite of everything that is being done to prevent our doing so, but because we realize that we do not want to live in a society where a small minority of power-hungry individuals are allowed to dictate who has rights and who does not … that we will raise our voices in the voting booth and let those in office know who really holds the power!

Will you join me in taking back our voice of reason?

Will you join me in letting those in office know that the will of the people still stands for something?

Will you join me and the other Democrats in Watauga County, the State, and the Nation, as we begin to rebuild everything that has so quickly been torn down?

TOGETHER, WE CAN MOVE FORWARD IN 2014!

By Anna Oakes, in the Watauga Democrat:

Ian O'Keefe

Watauga County Democratic Party leaders on Saturday emphasized youth engagement and leadership in efforts to build a stronger party and get Democrats elected to offices in the Fifth District and state in 2014.

The county party held its 2013 convention Saturday at the Watauga County Courthouse to elect party officers, select delegates and consider resolutions for the Fifth District Convention in May and announce upcoming party events.

The county party’s focus on youth was reflected in its choice of featured speaker — 19-year-old Ian O’Keefe, a sophomore political science student at Appalachian State University.O’Keefe first entered the local political scene as a freshman at ASU, helping to organize the People’s Alliance for American Liberty to fight Amendment 1, the referendum on a state constitutional amendment providing that marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic union legally recognized in the state.

The measure succeeded statewide in May 2012, but Watauga County was among fewer than 10 counties in North Carolina to defeat it. The statewide Coalition to Protect North Carolina Families used Watauga’s PAAL model to organize against the amendment across the state.

O’Keefe will be working for the county party over the summer to develop a field plan for upcoming elections.

“We’re going to make history today in this room,” he said. “We’re going to create a new South. We’re going to stand up for North Carolina and its people, and you know what? We will win.”

Fifth District party secretary and political consultant Lainey Edmisten said North Carolina’s recent redistricting — conducted by a Republican-led General Assembly — looks to be favorable for district Democrats. She said that the redrawn fifth district includes 90,000 eligible adults who are not registered to vote.

If Democrats can find those people and get them to the polls, “we will take back the Fifth District,” Edmisten said.

Edmisten said the state party has hired her to begin a new youth initiative, noting that the “millennial” generation will represent 40 percent of the electorate in 2020.

“The millennials are here, and they are ready,” she said.

The convention re-elected chairwoman Diane Tilson; first vice chairman Charlie Wallin; second vice chairwoman Marjory Holder; third vice chairman Jesse Presnell; volunteer coordinator Marsha Walpole; community outreach director Faisuly Scheurer; get-out-the-vote chairwoman Emily Bish; treasurer Susan Phipps; and secretary Jerry Williamson.

Billy Kennedy and Loretta Clawson were once again elected to serve as Watauga members of the party’s State Executive Committee, and joining them was Wallin, who replaces former committeeman Andy Ball, now third vice chairman of the state party.

© 2013 wataugadems.com