Klehm’s Song Sparrow Farm and Nursery
A long time ago I visited the New York Flower Show in Manhattan and was seduced by a beautiful peony from Klehm Nursery. The New York Flower Show may be defunct, but for twenty years and counting I’ve been a Klehm plant groupie.
The nursery specializes in and hybridizes peonies and daylilies but it has also been my go-to place for fabulous woody ornamentals and perennials. Here are some of my 2013 picks:
Tree Peony, Paeonia ‘Guardian of the Monastery’, is a vision with dazzling flowers in shades of mauve and lavender with purple flares. From spring to fall, Klehm ships these 3-to-4 year old woodies in pots. (Note: I’m delighted that apart from daylilies and herbaceous peonies all of Klehm’s plants are shipped in their containers.) Zones 4-8.
Clematis ‘Omoshiro’, has large, 5-7 inch, lightly fragrant, pale-pink flowers with a dark-pink edge and reverse. I am surprised that the name Omoshiro means amusing, interesting. In this case, don’t you think WOWIE! is more apt? The plants are two-year-old trellised vines that will probably bloom the first season. (That’s my experience with Klehm clematis, not a Klehm guarantee.) Zones 4-9.
Pinus cembra ‘Big Blue’, is a dense, slow growing, showy, evergreen conifer with long blue needles. I am very fond of blue plants and the birds love conifers. A win, win. Zones 2-8.
x Heucherella ‘Gold Zebra’ is a ground-cover or edging plant sporting gold leaves splashed with dark red swirls. There are white flowers in the spring, but this shade perennial is all about the foliage. Zones 4-9.
Klehm’s 2013 catalog can be easily accessed by clicking on this blog’s LINKS.