Focus on Hellebores
We invite you to browse Focus on Hellebores, for image galleries and information on breeding, propagating and cultivation. We specialize in breeding Helleborus. We grow virtually every Hellebore species within the genus and maintain more than 50,000 flowering size stock plants for seed production. Our Helleborus x hybridus 'Sunshine Selections' are produced using a labor-intensive process of emasculation and hand-pollination to produce the only commercially available line of true F1 hybrids. And... you can even meet the King of Helleborus.

While you were waiting...
To reward your patience as you eagerly anticipate the availability of our 'Sunshine Spectaculars' line of double and anemone flowered Hellebores, I've commissioned world famous botanical illustrator Wendy Hollender to create illustrations of select plants. These highly collectible prints are created in the style and tradition of the 18th and 19th century pre-photographic prints. [More...]

Plant Evaluation Program
Continuing with my grand ambition to grow every plant in the world, we have implemented a scientific plant evaluation program that is resulting in some very cool discoveries. For the curious, we offer this list of plants under evaluation. -- Barry

Hardy Cyclamen
There's virtually not a garden in England that doesn't have a beautiful drift of Cyclamen hederifolium and Cyclamen coum growing in it. Yet here in the US, we tend to overlook these winter-blooming perennials that will grow in every state of this country. [Learn more about Cyclamen]

Fantastic Sampler Offer
Try our 100-plant Home Garden Sampler for home gardeners and collectors. With a sampler consisting of five each of 20 different plants, we make it easy for you to get started with plants which, although rare and unusual, are still virtually idiotproof for the average home gardener. Also available: The Trade Sampler for garden centers, nurseries, professional landscapers, etc.

That's what your shade garden will look like when you plant a drift of the very easy to grow, reliable native woodland Aster, Aster divaricatus. The glistening, pure white snowflake shaped flowers have bright yellow centers that fade to a deep rich burgundy as they slowly age over their long, long bloom period during late August through mid October. Here's one of my very favorite plants for interest at a time of year when there isn't much happening in the garden.
[More...]

Wild Patoonyas!

"Wild Petunia" is the common name for a genus of plants in the Acanthaceae family known as Ruellia. The charming plant pictured below is Ruellia humilis, a very easy to grow, native, flowering perennial. It can be found growing wild in exactly half of the states in the US - http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=RUHU The specific epithet "humilis" refers to the low growing habit of the plant. In that respect, I've used this colorful, long flowering plant as a ground cover. The deer pay no mind to it, and it can take full sun to full shade quite well. I grow Ruellia in average soil but have trialed it in various conditions and the only habitat this plant seems to object to is wet soil. [More...]

Solidago caesia

Solidago caesia happens to be one of my very favorite Autumn blooming perennials. The bright, Primrose yellow brilliance of its unusual zig-zag, axillary, long lasting flower heads never fail to garner praise from garden visitors. One of the most commonly asked questions, after I answer the "WOW...what is that?" question is "Doesn't it make you sneeze?" Poor, poor Goldenrod, taking the heat for Ambrosia artemisiifolia just because it coincidentally shares the same window of time in flowering. Ambrosia artemisiifolia is the dreaded allergen, "Ragweed!" Goldenrod pollen DOES NOT cause an allergic reaction.[More...]

Saruma henryi

Seems like the taxonomists that were assigned to name a rare plant discovery from China were either bored, suffered a lack of imagination, were just plain lazy or had a brilliant sense of humor. Whatever the case may be and "A rose by any other yada yada yada", what we have here is a superb garden plant. I've enjoyed Saruma henryi in my garden for about 12 years now and season after season, it never fails to impress all who behold it. [More...]

Hemerocallis thunbergii

Imagine a daylily 84" tall. That's 7 feet! And imagine one that has sturdy flower stems with brilliant yellow flowers and an intense sweet fragrance. Well, imagine no more, because it exists. I'm describing Hemerocallis thunbergii, a native of Japan, and an essential, worthwhile addition to any perennial garden. As with most Hemerocallis, this is quite the easy plant to grow. I grow it in full sun and it makes a 24" -36" wide clump in just a couple of years. [More...]

Euphorbia 'Jessie'

Euphorbia 'Jessie' is the first plant that I've felt was worthy of patenting. She's an interspecific Euphorbia hybrid, a cross between E. griffithii and E. polychroma and she brings the best qualities of both her parents into a dramatic 48" to 60" plant.

I'm zone 5 here and we know she's hardy here for the last 7 years. I'd venture a guess that she'll grow well in any state of the US. As far as heat tolerance, my friend Jimmy Turner at the Dallas Arboretum in Dallas TX reported that she didn't blink an eye in 100 degree sun with 100 % RH, now that's one tough plant. I grow her in full sun and the height is over 6 feet. In shade, you can expect 4 feet to 5 feet. A mature clump can be up to 3 feet in diameter. Bloom time is the entire month of June here and it's now August and the plants all still look great. [More...]

15 Minutes of Fame

Well, Barry just got his 15 minutes of fame, read the article now before his ego gets so big that there won't be enough broadband on the Internet to carry it. Just click on the magazine cover to be whisked away to the story.

Hellebore Naming Challenge
The Hellebores from our new 'Sunshine Spectaculars' series need names! If your name is chosen, you will win a 4" pot of your plant once it becomes available for sale. [More...]

Hellebore Breeding Gardens
Many gardeners who would love to visit during peak bloom season, mid March, and are unable to, have asked me for photos of the 6-acre section of the hillside gardens that are home to the more than 68,000 mature, blooming Hellebores, so here's a gallery for you to walk through.

Plants Up Close
Over the last several years, world-famous garden photographer Mark Turner of Turner Photographics has been a regular visitor to Sunshine Farm and Gardens. His beautiful photographs of our display gardens and exquisite plant close-ups make up several self-guided garden tours which have become one of the most popular sections of our site.