I love Dan Hinckley.  I just heard him speak at the Flower Show and it was fascinating.  To see plants growing in their native habitats adds such an understanding of their culture.  He discussed the plants in his garden at Indianola, Washington, especially those that survived the last few deathly cold winters.  I loved hearing of these brave new plants that can not only live in the Pacific Northwest, but also thrive here.  And seeing pictures of them in their native habitats was frosting on the cake.  Here are some of the plants from Dan Hinckley’s talk, and what he had to say about them:

Molina nelsonii, razor grass.  Takes full sun, very hardy and has 6 foot stems with blossoms.
Opuntia, cactus. Amazing flowers, not hurt in the last few winters.
Agapanthus suffered, some hardier. Seedheads look great into winter.
Eucomis, Pineapple Lily. Makes long-lasting cut flowers.
Dierama, Angel’s Fishing Rod.  A graceful perennial.
Musa basjoo. Hardy banana. Cut down in winter, it can grow up to 15 feet in one season.
Euphorbia, Enchantress.
Gunnera. Grows naturally in full sun in sharp draining soil, near the beach in Chile. Pile the leaves on the crown for winter protection.
Melianthus major, Honeybush. ‘Antonow’s Blue’. Plant them a little deeper, the crown 3″ below soil level.
Rhodacoma capensis, bounced back from horizontal to vertical after the snow.
Lobelia tupa. Blooms June through November, 6 months!
Fuchsia magellanica ‘Windcliff’. Covered with so many flowers you can’t see the foliage.
Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Imbricata Pendula’. Thread-leaf form, diaphanous nature.
Embothrium. A fast plant to develop, growing from 4 inches to 15 feet  in 3 years. From Chile, surrounded by hummingbirds.
Drimys winteri ‘Pewter Pillar’ Good hedging plant for the Pacific Northwest.
Olearia cheesemanii. A favorite shrub and superb survivor. Evergreen, blossoms mid-summer. Intense coconut oil scent, flowers self-cleanse.
Pseudopanax crassifolius. Long, metallic leaves. Plant transforms as it matures.
Grevillea victoriae. The best. Blossoms all winter.
Leptospermum. Beautiful textured bark, evergreen, vase shaped.
Magnolia insignus. Evergreen. Pink/white flowers.
Schleffera alpina. Fantastic texture.
Mahonia. Attracts birds ‘Lionel fortescue’ the hardiest.
Stachyuris salicifolia. Late winter flowering, bamboo-like.
Hydrangea angustipetala. Early bloomer on new wood. Most fragrant shrub in the garden!
Beesia deltophylla. Works well with Disporum in shade.
Disporum ‘Green giant’. Bamboo-like shoots.
Holboellia ‘Cathedral Gem’. Sausage Vine. Incredibly fragrant, like Jasmine.

Some of the best and the brightest from Dan Hinckley!