Old House Gardens Heirloom Flower Bulbs

Web-Only Rarities

From America’s Expert Source for Heirloom Flower Bulbs

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Fabulous Treasures from the Hortus & More!

Treat yourself to something unforgettable! Once again this year from the Hortus Bulborum and world-renowned private collectors we’ve received a handful of treasures so rare that we can offer them ONLINE ONLY. If you see something you like here, don’t delay. They always sell out quickly!

Web-Only Daffodils

BRILLIANCY, 1906 RAREST & WEB ONLY

Brilliant? No. Luminous, graceful, and wonderful? Yes! Though a century’s worth of color advances have left its orange rim barely worth mentioning, ‘Brilliancy’ was still a thrill in our trial garden this spring. There’s something uncannily luminous about its sulphur-yellow petals and deep gold cup, and the graceful way it arches back its petals ever so slightly gives it an almost breathless, “it’s spring!” kind of look. 3Y-YYO, 21-23 inches, zones 5-8aS/10aW, from Holland’s greatest daffodil collector.

#DA996 Add to Basket: 3/$11.50 5/$18.50 10/$34.00 25/$77.50 Limit 25, please.

FOLLY, 1926 RAREST & WEB ONLY

$50! At a recent ADS auction, that was the winning bid for three bulbs of this vivid, sun-proof, blue-ribbon charmer that E.A. Bowles praised as the epitome of “brilliancy, gaiety, and refinement.” Though it’ s so rare we’ ve never been able to offer it before, we’ re charging half that much. We really want you to grow it! 2 W-O, 18-20 inches, zones 5-7bS/9W, from Pennsylvania.

#DA992 Add to Basket: 1/$9.25 3/$25 5/$39.50 Limit 5, please.

VIREO, 1962 WEB ONLY

“Nature’s first green is gold,” the poet wrote, and it’s the vivid green deep in the cup of this great little jonquil that sets it apart, giving its lemony flowers a distinct, fresh, spring-time feeling. Named for a small, olive-green songbird, it was bred by America’s greatest daffodil breeder, Grant Mitsch, who was also an avid birder. Last offered web-only in 2006. 7 Y-GYY, 9-12 inches, very late blooming, zones 6-8S/10W, from Holland.

#DA102 Add to Basket: 3/$13.50 5/$21.50 10/$40.00 Limit 10, please.

Web-Only Hyacinths

double, DREADNOUGHT, 1899 RAREST & WEB ONLY

With outer petals that curl back like those of a turk’s-cap lily, and shorter inner petals crimped into a squiggly rosette, this unique double hyacinth is so rare and desirable that it sells out in a flash every time we offer it. Consider yourself warned! 10-12 inches, zones 5-8aS/10W, from the British National Collection.

#HY42

SOLD OUT

~~3/$23.50~~

~~5/$37.50~~

~~Limit 5, please.~~

GRACE DARLING, 1910 RAREST & WEB ONLY

‘Grace Darling’ is named for the brave young daughter of a lighthouse keeper who rowed out with him in a raging storm to rescue shipwreck survivors. Her story captured the imagination of the Victorian age and before long people everywhere were singing songs and hanging lithographs of Grace on their parlor walls. Her namesake hyacinth is a lovely blue-purple, soft but vibrant (how fitting!). Though we can’t pin down its date of introduction, Alan Shipp of the UK National Collection assures us it is “very old.” Zones 5-7, from England.

#HY43 Add to Basket: 3/$13.50 5/$21.50 10/$40 Limit 10, please.

GRAND MONARQUE, 1863 RAREST & WEB ONLY

Unusually old — Mark Twain, Van Gogh, and Florence Nightingale could have grown it — this luminous beauty is a surprisingly true, light blue that may remind you of soft spring skies. Lost to us years ago when it went “commercially extinct” in the Netherlands, it has been preserved by our good friend (and former potato farmer) Alan Shipp of the British National Collection of Hyacinths. Zones 5-8aS/10W, from England.

#HY17 Add to Basket: 3/$12.50 5/$20 10/$37 Limit 10, please.

MENELIK, 1911 RAREST & WEB ONLY

Black is beautiful, and this astonishing hyacinth — named in honor of the Victorian king of Ethiopia and quite possibly the most exciting hyacinth we’ve ever offered — is an intense indigo-purple shading to absolute BLACK. Though it went commercially extinct in Holland in 2001, every now and then we get a handful of bulbs from Alan Shipp of the UK National Collection. Don’t delay — we always sell out! Zones 5-7, from England.

#HY27 Add to Basket: 1/$12.50 3/$34 5/$54 Limit 5, please.

MULBERRY ROSE, 1946 RAREST & WEB ONLY

The unusual, old-fashioned color of this rare hyacinth sets it apart. It’s a misty puplish-rose, deeper in the center of the petals, paler at the edges, like raspberry ice cream swirled with raspberry sorbet. 8-10 inches, zones 5-8aS/10W, from the UK National Collection of Hyacinths.

#HY34 Add to Basket: 3/$12.50 5/$20 10/$37 Limit 10, please.

SNOW WHITE, 1950 RAREST & WEB ONLY

(No photo, sorry!) Fairy or multiflora hyacinths were developed in the 1940s by crossing Roman hyacinths with traditional hyacinths to yield something in between: varieties like ‘Snow White’ that bloom with graceful, multiple stalks of loosely-arranged flowers. Like Roman hyacinths, they bloom earlier (making them ideal for forcing indoors for Christmas), they multiply (though not with quite the same exuberance as Romans), and they look charmingly informal and natural in the garden. Early spring blooming, 10-12 inches, zones 5b-8aS/9aW, from the Hortus Bulborum.

#HY47 Add to Basket: 1/$7.75 3/$21.00 5/$33.50 10/$62.00 Limit 10, please.

Web-Only Tulips

ADONIS, 1850 RAREST & WEB ONLY

Named for the ancient demi-god of manly beauty and spring’s magic rebirth, this true English florists’ tulip is the first bijbloemen to bloom each spring. With deep purple flames on ivory petals, it’s a thrill you’ll find yourself looking forward to all winter long. 16-18 inches, zones 4b-7a, from the Hortus Bulborum.

#TU970

SOLD OUT

~~1/$18.50~~

~~3/$50.50~~

~~Limit 3, please.~~

ALBA REGALIS, 1838 RAREST & WEB ONLY

Like a bubbling brook or a misty spring morning, ‘Alba Regalis’ is sublimely cool and refreshing. The first reference we can find to it is in the RHS Journal of 1838 where it’s described as having “flowers of good shape, white faintly edged with pale yellow,” and nearly a century later garden writers in the 1920s were still recommending it. When the Hortus Bulborum offered us a handful of bulbs this year, we jumped at the chance to share them with you! Aka ‘Royal White’, Single Early, 12 inches, zones 4b-7bS/7bW.

#TU987 Add to Basket: 1/$7.50 3/$20.50 5/$32.50 Limit 5, please.

CERISE GRIS-DE-LIN, 1860 RAREST & WEB ONLY

“Chocolate with fawn edges,” that’s how Shirley Hibbard described this distinctive old tulip in 1865. But its unusual coloring was more accurately described by Mrs. King in her 1921 best-seller, The Little Garden, as “soft carmine-rose, shaded fawn and margined creamy white.” Either way, it’s cool! For maximum enjoyment of the chocolate and fawn tones – which disappear as the flower matures – pick one when it first opens and bring it inside to where you can savor it up close. Single Early, 10-12 inches, zones 4b-7bS/7bW, from the Hortus Bulborum.

#TU988 Add to Basket: 1/$7.50 3/$20.50 5/$32.50 10/$60.00 Limit 10, please.

DUC VAN TOL RED AND YELLOW, 1595 RAREST & WEB ONLY

If we had to choose a dozen landmark varieties to summarize the whole amazing history of tulips, this 400-year-old miniature would be one of them! Just 6 inches tall and extra early-blooming, ‘Red and Yellow’ is the grand-daddy of the ‘Duc van Tols’, a fabled clan of pixie tulips once grown in every garden and forced for Christmas bloom. In front of purple hyacinths, its tiny flames of red and gold are stunning. Last offered in 2005. Zones 4b-7, from the Hortus.

#TU69

SOLD OUT

~~1/$7.50~~

~~3/$20.50~~

~~5/$32.50~~

~~Limit 5, please.~~

DUC VAN TOL VIOLET, 1700 RAREST & WEB ONLY

Dusky purplish-rose edged with ivory, ‘Violet’ is one of the most unusual of the ‘Ducs’, a group of short, extra-early tulips that grew in every stylish garden from about 1600-1900. Perfect little miniatures at 5-7 inches tall, the ‘Ducs’ are the earliest traditional garden tulips to bloom each spring. Last offered in 2004. Zones 4b-7, from the Hortus.

#TU53

SOLD OUT

~~1/$8.25~~

ELEGANS RUBRA, 1872 RAREST & WEB ONLY

With all the stark simplicity of a wildflower, this bright, dagger-petaled tulip was offered in 19th-century catalogs as a species tulip. It’s never been found in the wild, though, and may actually be a survivor from the early 1700s when tulips much like it were all the rage in the Ottoman Empire. Whatever its origins, it’s spectacular! Last offered in 2005. Lily-flowered, 16 inches, zones 4-7, the Hortus.

#TU81 Add to Basket: 1/$9.25 3/$25.50 5/$40 10/$74 25/$167 Limit 25, please.

GENERAL NEY, 1837 RAREST & WEB ONLY

A bit dazed after looking at row after row of antique tulips, I snapped to attention when ‘General Ney’ caught my eye. It’s decidedly different, a rich dark cordovan — or port? mahogany? — that glows with intensity. Its old-fashioned, globular shape sets it apart, too. Exceptionally rare, it’s named for the inspiring leader that Napolean called “the bravest of the brave.” 18-20 inches, zones 4b-7a, from the Hortus Bulborum.

#TU88 Add to Basket: 1/$9.25 3/$25.50 Limit 3, please.

JOOST VAN DE VONDEL, 1850 RAREST & WEB ONLY

Bold, intense, and impossible to overlook, ‘Joost’ was one of the leading tulips of the Victorian age, and well into the 20th century scores of catalogs were still praising it as “unusually fine” (LaPark, 1922). It’s pronounced “Yohst,” it’s named for the writer they call the Dutch Shakespeare, and it’s sure to cause a hubbub in your garden! Last offered web-only in 2004. Single Early, 10 inches, zones 5-7, from the Hortus.

#TU989 Add to Basket: 1/$8.50 3/$23.50 5/$36.50 Limit 5, please.

LA REINE ROSE, 1904 RAREST & WEB ONLY

Antique beyond its years, this quaint little “Rose Queen” looks a lot like the tulips in Besler’s magnificent Hortus Eystettensis of 1613. Its graceful, flame-shaped petals shade from ruby to deep rose to a feathery edging of pink, and it seems to glow with all the energy of spring itself. Single Early, 10-12 inches, zones 4-7a, from the Hortus Bulborum.

#TU974 Add to Basket: 1/$8.75 3/$24.00 5/$37.50 Limit 5, please.

LORD STANLEY, 1860 RAREST & WEB ONLY

Hockey fans may love this classic Bizarre because of its name (Go Red Wings!), but gardeners love it because it’s so gorgeously flamed with rich mahogany-red on gold. It often wins Premier Flame at shows of the Wakefield and North of England Tulip Society, and the last time we offered it we sold out in a day! Broken, late-blooming, 16-20 inches, zones 4b-7a, from the Hortus Bulborum.

#TU975

SOLD OUT

~~1/$26.50~~

~~Limit 1, please.~~

MABEL, 1856 RAREST & NEW

With bold flames and feathers of cherry-red on white, this stunning English florists’ tulip was bred by a Lancashire weaver over 150 years ago. But who was Mabel? Wife? Daughter? Or maybe a favorite barmaid at one of the pubs where the tulip societies held their shows back then? Multiplies well, late blooming, 18 inches, zones 4-7, from the Hortus Bulborum.

#TU75 Add to Basket: 1/$8 3/$22 5/$34.50 10/$64 Limit 10, please.

MON TRESOR BONTLOF, 1875 RAREST & WEB ONLY

Variegated plants are quite the rage today, but here’s one we’re pretty sure none of your neighbors are growing. Bontlof is Dutch for variegated, and the deep green leaves of ‘My Treasure’ are richly bontlof with a ribbon-like edging of yellow that harmonizes exquisitely with its glowing yellow flowers. And it’s fragrant! Who could ask for anything more? Last offered in 2004. Single Early, 10-12 inches, zones 5-7, from the Hortus.

#TU991

SOLD OUT

~~1/$11.50~~

~~3/$31.50~~

~~Limit 3, please.~~

PAEONY GOLD, 1700 RAREST & WEB ONLY

An exotic green and gold protea from some trendy SoHo floral designer? No, but that’s definitely what this 300-year-old double tulip looks like when it first starts to open — and no modern tulip looks anything like it! For a close-up view of its weird beauty, simply click on our small photo. See what we mean? Now imagine that in a vase where you can watch it day by day as it slowly matures from a chartreuse symphony into a full-blown, peony-like blossom of gold brushed with red. Wow! Double Early, 10-12 inches, from the Hortus Bulborum.

#TU982

SOLD OUT

~~1/$14.50~~

~~3/$39.50~~

~~5/$62.50~~

~~Limit 5, please.~~

PAPILLON, 1914 RAREST & WEB ONLY

A great staff favorite here at Old House Gardens, elegant ‘Papillon’ has unusually dark, garnet-red petals that seem even darker because of their broad, feathery edging of gold (or is that melted butter?). It’s named for the darkly romantic “Madame Papillon”, an 1860 ballet by Offenbach and Taglioni about a butterfly (papillon is French for butterfly) that perishes in flames. Single Late, 18-20 inches, zones 4b-7a, from the Hortus.

#TU76 Add to Basket: 1/$8 3/$22 5/$34.50 10/$64 Limit 10, please.

PROFESSOR SCHOTEL, 1870 RAREST & WEB ONLY

Sheer elegance and grace, that’s ‘Professor Schotel’. Its distinctively long, rounded petals are poised as gracefully as ballet dancers – or a pair of lips, breathless with anticipation. Its sophisticated, deep violet tones would have been perfect for a Gertrude Jekyll cottage garden. The Zandbergen Brothers catalog of 1930 called the professor “extremely handsome,” and as you can probably tell, we totally agree. Single Late, 20-22 inches, zones 5-7, from the Hortus.

#TU993 Add to Basket: 1/$9.50 3/$26.00 5/$41.00 Limit 5, please.

PURPLE CROWN, 1785 RAREST & WEB ONLY

Tulips from the 1700s are exceedingly rare. To last that long, they have to be both wonderful and tough – like ‘Purple Crown’, a raggedy double tulip of dusky, purplish crimson so dark that it’s also called ‘The Moor’. We like to imagine a crystal vase of it sitting by Beethoven as he wrote one of his dark, somber movements. It was grown way back then, so it really could have happened! Last offered in 2005. Double Early, 10-12 inches, zones 5-7, from the Hortus.

#TU61

SOLD OUT

~~1/$11.50~~

~~3/$31.50~~

~~5/$49.50~~

~~Limit 5, please.~~

ROSAMUNDE HUYKMAN, 1895 RAREST & WEB ONLY

This ethereal tulip is snowy white delicately blushed with pink and lilac-rose. No two are exactly alike, and the coloring spreads and intensifies as each tulip matures, like a pink and white sunrise, adding to the enchantment. But don’t be fooled by its gossamer looks – only the strong survive for as long as it has. Last offered in 2004. Single Early, 10-12 inches, zones 5-7, from the Hortus.

#TU994 Add to Basket: 1/$9.25 3/$25.50 5/$40.00 10/$74.00 Limit 10, please.

ROSE GRIS-DE-LIN, 1860 RAREST & WEB ONLY

This lovely rose and white tulip became one of Victorian America’s best-loved bulbs, with countless catalogs and books calling it “beautiful,” “delicate,” and “most desirable.” Plant it up front and prepare to be charmed! Single Early, 6-8”, zones 4b-7a, from the Hortus.

#TU995

SOLD OUT

~~1/$7.50~~

~~3/$20.50~~

~~5/$32.50~~

~~Limit 5, please.~~

ROYAL SOVEREIGN, 1820 RAREST & WEB ONLY

This extraordinary tulip is considered the oldest surviving English florists’ tulip, having “first bloomed about 1820” according to tulip-breeder John Slater in his 1843 Descriptive Catalogue of Tulips. With mahogany-red feathering on golden yellow, it’s the latest flowering Bizarre and, since it multiplies slowly, it’s very rarely offered today. Be prepared to give it extra-good care, and get it while you can! A.k.a. (according to Slater) ‘Defiance’, ‘Duke of Lancaster’, ‘Le Conquerant’, ‘Page’s George IV’, ‘Platoff’, ‘Victory’, and ‘Waterloo’. 16-18 inches, zones 5a-7aS/7aW, from the Hortus Bulborum.

#TU996 Add to Basket: 1/$18.50 3/$50.50 Limit 3, please.

SPAENDONCK, 1893 RAREST & WEB ONLY

Staff favorite! Many spectacular broken tulips bloom in our trial garden, but it seems EVERYONE wants to take ‘Spaendonck’ home with them. With its shapely blooms swirled with crimson, lilac, and rosy-purple on cream, it’s a fitting tribute to Cornelis van Spaendonck (1756-1840), Dutch flower painter and director of the great Sèvres porcelain works. Single Early, 12-14 inches, zones 4b-7a, from the Hortus Bulborum.

#TU997

SOLD OUT

~~1/$18.50~~

~~3/$50.50~~

~~Limit 3, please.~~

STRIPED SAIL, 1960 RAREST & WEB ONLY

Although this looks like a very old broken tulip, it’s actually a virus-free, genetically streaked Rembrandt tulip introduced in 1960. And though we usually scorn modern Rembrandt tulips as crude – and we’ve never offered a tulip this young before – when we saw ‘Striped Sail’ in bloom at the Hortus Bulborum, its dramatic beauty won us over. ’Nuff said? Mid-season blooming Triumph, 14 inches, zones 4b-7bS/7bW, from the Hortus Bulborum.

#TU998 Add to Basket: 1/$9.25 3/$25.50 5/$40.00 Limit 5, please.

THEEROOS, 1890 RAREST & WEB ONLY

The delightful fragrance of this lovely old double shouldn’t have surprised us – its name, after all, translates as ‘Tea Rose’ – but give it a sniff and we bet you’ll be surprised at how great it smells, too. And it’s a treat for the eyes. It opens pale primrose yellow with the faintest misting of pink, and as it matures the pink gets deeper and rosier, giving it a new look every day. Pronounced “Tay-rohs,” Double Early, 10-12 inches, zones 4b-7bS/7bW, from the Hortus Bulborum.

#TU999

SOLD OUT

~~1/$9.25~~

~~3/$25.50~~

~~Limit 3, please.~~

WAPEN VAN LEIDEN, 1760 RAREST & WEB ONLY

Did George Washington grow this legendary tulip? He could have! Its lively rose and white petals are illuminated by a broad yellow flare at the base, and its antique shape echoes the pointed-petaled tulips of Elizabethan herbals. Its name is significant, too. Wapen means “coat of arms,” and it was to Leiden in the late 1500s that Clusius brought the first tulips ever grown in the Netherlands. Last offered in 2005. Single Early, 12-14 inches, zones 5-7, from the Hortus.

#TU71 Add to Basket: 1/$18.50 3/$50.50 Limit 3, please.

WHITE TRIUMPHATOR, 1942 WEB ONLY

This is NOT one of our rarest bulbs, but . . . when Ryan Gainey, the beloved and inventive Southern garden designer, called to say it was one of his favorite tulips and he was having trouble finding true stock of it, we knew we had to offer it. Touched with the slightest hint of green, its long white petals twist and reflex just slightly, languidly, cool and elegant. What would Ryan do? Plant it! Lily-flowered, 24 inches, zones 3-7, from Holland.

#TU93 Add to Basket: 5/$9.50 10/$18 25/$41 50/$76 100/$141

Web-Only Cannas

ALBERICH, 1949 WEB ONLY

One of our most sensuous cannas, ‘Alberich’ blooms in arching sprays of big, languorous bells of a soft, luscious, creamy peach. One of the top award-winners at the 2002 RHS Canna Trials, it’s named for the dwarf-king in Scandinavian myth (and Wagner’s operas) who forges an all-powerful gold ring. Look for it inside these flowers! 3-4 feet, green leaves, from Missouri. We’re not sure we’ll be able to offer this rare variety in 2009. Please check back in February or sign up for our email newsletter.

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BANGKOK, 1923 WEB ONLY

A harmony of green and gold, jaunty little ‘Bangkok’ has pin-striped leaves, wine-red buds, and sunny yellow, white-striped flowers. A Wikipedia article claims it came from Thailand in 1923 as ‘Tinacria Variegata’, and we’re working to verify that. A.k.a. ‘Striped Beauty’, ‘Nirvana’, ‘Minerva’, and ‘Christ’s Light’. 3-4 feet, from Oklahoma.

#SC09 Add to Basket: 1/$3.50 3/$10 5/$14.50 10/$27 25/$60.50

CENTENAIRE DE ROZAIN-BOUCHARLAT, 1920? RAREST & WEB ONLY

Deep, deep, deep rose-pink, astonishingly deep and pure, in flowers so graceful we bet they’ll remind you of frangipani leis and tropical butterflies. The name is a mouthful, and the date is still unconfirmed, but when this blooms in your garden we bet you won’t care either. Green leaves, 4 feet, from Missouri. Last offered in 2004. We’re increasing our stock and expect to offer it web-only in 2009. Please check back in February or sign up for our email newsletter.

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FLORENCE VAUGHAN, 1893 WEB ONLY

This painted lady is flamboyantly splashed and leopard-spotted in true Victorian style. Its identity is confused — it matches the International Checklist but not old catalogs, and some call it ‘Mme. Crozy’ or ‘Yellow King Humbert’. All we can say for sure is that it’s old and wonderful! Green leaves, 4-6 feet, from Oklahoma.

#SC02 Add to Basket: 3/$6.25 5/$9.75 10/$18 25/$41.50 50/$76.50

KONIGIN CHARLOTTE, 1892 RAREST & WEB ONLY

‘Queen Charlotte’ is one of our oldest cannas, and it looks the part. It’s intense and exuberant in a high-Victorian, “painted lady” kind of way, with loads of small, neat blossoms of bright red edged with yellow. Aka ‘Reine Charlotte’, green leaves, 3-5 feet, from Missouri. We're increasing our stock and expect to offer it web-only in 2009. Please check back in February or sign up for our email newsletter.

#SC14

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ROBERT KEMP, 1900? WEB ONLY

Beloved by hummingbirds, ‘Robert Kemp’ looks like a wild canna with its tiny, vibrant red petals — flickering tongues of flame — massed into torch-like clusters held on six-or-seven-foot stalks above lush green leaves. Its history is obscure (can you tell us anything?), but from its “country primitive” look we know that it’s old. From Missouri.

#SC26 Add to Basket: 1/$6.50 3/$18 5/$28 10/$52 25/$117

LIBERATION, 1920 RAREST & WEB ONLY

A warm apricot marbled with orange, gold, and even pink, ‘Liberation’ looks as if it were painted by Rubens. In lovely contrast, its buds have a grape-like bloom that makes them look, as expert Ian Cooke says, “almost lavender.” Ahhhhh! Green leaves, 4-5 feet, from Missouri. We’re not sure we’ll be able to offer this rare variety in 2009. Please check back in February or sign up for our email newsletter.

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Web-Only Dahlias

JANE COWL, 1928 RAREST & WEB ONLY

Over the years we’ve received more requests for ‘Jane Cowl’ than any other lost dahlia. And now we’ve found it! It’s a real beauty, with long, undulating, curly petals of buff, bronze, and gold, like the tresses of a goddess — or actress Jane Cowl (1883-1950), who was once called “the most beautiful woman on the American stage.” 8 inches, 5 feet, from Oregon. Last offered in 2004. We're increasing our stock and expect to offer it web-only in 2009. Please check back in February or sign up for our email newsletter.

#SD27

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MRS. LE BOUTILLIER, 1934 RAREST & WEB ONLY

Big and sensual, that’s ‘Mrs. George le Boutillier’ (say “Booty-ay,” and don’t laugh). The backs of her lush, deep red petals are elegantly highlighted with gold. Though over-refined gardeners may frown, give ‘Mrs. B’ a try and we bet you’ll be amazed. 6-10 inches, 4-5 feet, from Oregon.

#SD09 Add to Basket: 1/$6.50 3/$18 5/$28 10/$52 25/$117

STOLZ VON BERLIN, 1914 NEW & WEB ONLY

Coming soon! Please check back here in February 2009 or sign up for our email newsletter.

#SD19

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YORK AND LANCASTER, 1915? 1935? 1999? RAREST & WEB ONLY

Coming soon! Please check back here in February 2009 or sign up for our email newsletter.

#SD61

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Web-Only Gladiolus

ALLEGRO, 1965 RAREST & WEB ONLY

An unusual red, light-years away from the orange side, ‘Allegro’ is a deep rose-ruby with smoky purple undertones. It’s also lavishly ruffled, as if trembling with intensity – or passion? In Italian its name means “quick, spirited, lively,” and this show-stopper definitely is! 4 feet tall, from Maine. We expect to offer a handful of this rare variety in 2009. Please check back in February or sign up for our email newsletter.

#SGL37

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BLUE SMOKE, 1957 RAREST & WEB ONLY

Here’s a glad that really gets people excited. A half-century after it was introduced, its exotic, smoldering colors are still so unusual. From a glowing heart of apricot and bronze its petals shade into a smoky, rosy lavender-gray that’s almost beyond words – and ravishingly beautiful. Don’t be surprised if it leaves you and your garden visitors babbling! 4 feet, from Maine. We expect to offer a handful of this rare variety in 2009. Please check back in February or sign up for our email newsletter.

#SGL42

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FIDELIO, 1959 WEB ONLY

A very rosy, joyful purple, ‘Fidelio’ is named for Beethoven’s only opera, a hymn to loyalty, love, and freedom. Try a few combined with silvery Russian sage or tall artemisia – stunning! 4 feet, from Holland.

#SGL11 Add to Basket: 5/$6 10/$11 25/$25.50 50/$47

FIREDANCE, 1968 RAREST & WEB ONLY

Looking more like a cymbidium orchid from the wilds of Borneo than an ordinary glad from your own backyard, this tiny, ruffled beauty is a luscious peachy-orange that’s splashed with gold and richly speckled with cayenne pepper. Wow! We sold out way too early last year. 3 feet, from Maine. We expect to offer a handful of this rare variety in 2009. Please check back in February or sign up for our email newsletter.

#SGL34

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FRIENDSHIP, 1949 WEB ONLY

This landmark pink has won every prize there is for glads, and almost 60 years after it first bloomed for the legendary Carl Fischer it’s still considered world-class. “Frosty pink” with a luminous throat, it’s refreshingly cool and exceptionally healthy. 4 feet, from Michigan.

#SGL02 Add to Basket: 10/$6.75 25/$15.50 50/$28.50

LUCKY STAR, 1966 RAREST & WEB ONLY

Fragrant glads like ‘Lucky Star’ are as rare as hen’s teeth. Although some wild glads have substantial fragrance, breeding it into modern glads has proven difficult. In fact, ‘Lucky Star’ is the only fragrant seedling to emerge from years of crosses made by New Zealander Joan Wright using garden glads and the fragrant Abyssinian glad – whose genes are also evident in its looks. For the richest fragrance, sniff its newly opened florets on a hot, humid evening – and watch out for the hawk moths. 4 feet, from Maine. We’re not sure we’ll be able to offer this rare variety in 2009. Please check back in February or sign up for our email newsletter.