We have begun propagation of a prostrate Podocarpus from Tom Dodd Jr. It has performed very well in our zone 8 landscapes. Ten-year old plants are 3-4 feet across and only 16" high. A wonderful texture, easy-care groundcover.

Propagation has begun on a hardy strain of Sequoia sempervirens from a 70 year-old tree in the area that has survived numerous hurricanes, drought and record heat to aspire to sixty-foot height.

Among the many Camellia japonica we have evaluated, several stand out as exceptional garden performers and production has increased ten-fold on them. A few are now available: Daijokhan, Delores Edwards, Gus Menard, Jerry Donnan, Sawada's Mahogany, Scentuous, Valerie, Willard Scott (See current price list for descriptions.)

• Among the Camellia Sasanqua, Hiemalis, Vernalis group, propagation has begun on several of our seedlings that have met with praise from all who have seen them. Admittedly, not many, as they are quite cloistered.
• A very double white, reminiscent of 'Mine-No-Yuki', but with more upright growth and quite often magenta picoteed edges and/or centers.
• A very large flowered ruffled pink with a spreading dense habit.
• A Camellia vernalis 'Dawn' seedling with improved flowers and much earlier bloom time. Hopefully carries Dawn's extremely cold-hardy genes.
• A seedling of Camellia sasanqua 'Hana Jiman' with more intense bicolor variegation and compact habit.
• And a truly blue seedling of Camellia hiemalis 'Shi-shigashira'. Growth is similar to the female parent but "The buds emerge grape-juice purple, open to a rich purple-blue in the evening sun, and by the second day, lose all trace of reddish purple revealing truly blue petals." (Bill Finch, Mobile Register).

Camellia hiemalis 'Shi-shigashira' is now a standard landscape plant in both commercial and residential design but it was always missing a little something. The flowers have an identity crisis; they are not red and they are not pink but caught somewhere in between. Tom Dodd Jr. came up with a wonderful seedling with all the fine growth characteristics of "Shishi" but with RED flowers and I mean almost a ruby red. He named it 'Reverend Ida' and I understand it also carries the unfortunate name of 'Hot Flash', but just give it a little Osmocote and no estrogen will be necessary. Can I say that? As good a plant as 'Shi-shigashira is, the red flowers on this plant make Shishi pale in comparison. A very few available this now. Cuttings stuck in pots all over the place.

Finally available are Camellia hiemalis 'Rose Of Autumn' with its large glowing "cabbage rose" flowers…..and an unknown sasanqua cultivar which arrived to us years ago as "Mr. Ohta", a picture of grace with upright loose, somewhat pendulous growth and large single flowers of light pink, shading to a dark rose-pink at center!