Kansas Sea Holly, Eryngium leavenworthii

Hmmm, a “Sea Holly” from land-locked Kansas. Begins to give you some idea of the quirky nature of this annual flower. Each of the many small flowers look like a metallic purple pineapple with a wild, jagged haircut and wearing an equally wild and jagged tutu. Then, the stamens that emerge from all over the “pineapple” are long and bright blue. The stems and leaves also turn purplish in late summer.

This sun-loving, spectacularly spiky-looking plant is sought after as a unique accent in the garden and appreciated as a long lasting, contemporary-looking bouquet flower. It is also valued as easy, drought-tolerant addition to a xeriscape, gravel garden, or prairie garden, complemented by any goldenrod or “big yellow daisy.” Last summer, visiting gardens in England, I saw this and many other species and cultivars of Eryngium used in the best English gardens, often in purple-themed borders and mingling with swirly grasses. 36″ sun

(If you are wondering about the leaves with the orange thorns, that’s Firethorn, Solanum pyracanthum.)

Just for fun, here is the recent plant introduction Duckalicious Nasturtium (Tropaeolum ‘Duckalicious’) with Coleus ‘Quack’ and some Duckfoot Ivy.

A brand new flower form for an old favorite, each bloom is like a bouquet of tiny yellow duckies’ feet.  Even the leaves are lobed rather than the usual round shape. Trailing.

6-12”      sun

Gloriosa Lily (Gloriosa superba ‘Rothschildiana’)

The unusual, almost bizarre, 3–5” blooms of this vine begin as pale green hanging petals that gradually lengthen, become wavy, and arch backward, changing color to yellow and then scarlet in summer.

You can lift the roots in fall and overwinter in a dry basement. The roots are delicate, so handle them carefully.

Available in our Bulbs & Bareroots section.

As of February 1, our online sign-up system is live and ready for volunteers to sign up. To give it a try, go to volunteer.friendsschoolplantsale.com. You’ll be asked for your name, email, phone and address, and then you’ll be able to pick a shift, after reading the brief job description to make sure it’s what you were expecting.

If you’ve volunteered before, just give it your name and phone number, and assuming it matches the way you typed it in the past, the system will know who you are. Be sure to update your address if needed!

Volunteers are welcome to shop early, at our Thursday evening pre-sale (May 6 from 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.).

New this year: If you volunteer before the pre-sale, you’ll be getting your postcard for pre-sale admission after you’ve volunteered. Only volunteers who work after the pre-sale will receive their postcards by mail.

We would love your feedback on the system. Please send it (or any questions about volunteering) to signup@friendsschoolplantsale.com