Garden Design

Tagua (pronounced tog-wah) nuts, or "ivory of the rainforest," are a vegetable-based and sustainable alternative to elephant ivory. The seeds are hard and smooth, and easily carved and dyed. They were once used for military buttons, Victorian chess pieces, and dice. Today, tagua "vegetable ivory" is a popular material for jewelry and baubles.  Read More »

Paris japonica has the largest genome—the most DNA—of any organism, flora or fauna. The rare plant's genome is 50 times longer than humans, though a long genome isn't always a good thing for a species.  Read More »

Passion flowers are blooming! A genus of about 500 species of vines (and the occasional shrub), Passiflora flowers are distinguished by a characteristic design of radiating filaments and multi-leveled structure. They've long fascinated botanists, gardeners, and even theologians. We've designed a brief primer of several... Read More »

Matilija poppies (Romneya coulteri) are fondly referred to as the fried egg flower, nicknamed for bleached-muslin petals and buttery yellow stamens. It's the largest poppy blossom, and the largest California native flower. Blooming begins in early May, and sweeps north along the west coast—the poppies are now still blooming in Oregon... Read More »