Poker Hill Gardens

Poker Hill Gardens We are a small nursery that propagates cold hardy, beautiful and unusual plants. Hardiness is assured. Woodland perennials are another specialty.

Poker Hill Gardens began in the 1980's as a hobby business by Phil Cook who at the time was a faculty member at the University of Vermont. It is now a small specialty nursery operated in partnership with another plant lover, Mark Dumont. The "gardens" are separate groupings of plants scattered over the diverse habitats provided by the landscape which includes woodland, open meadow, and a small s

tream. It is plants growing in the various groupings which provide the stock for propagation and sale. Irises form a large portion of the collections and several hundred cultivars are grown. These include Siberian and Japanese irises as well as smaller bearded irises. They are grown in beds separated by an area of "lawn" (in the broad sense). A smaller number of tall bearded irises and daylilies add to the variety within each of the beds. Irises in bloom can be seen from late April though early July with the daylilies carrying the color for July and August. The emphasis is the broad range of size and textures of the foliage found among the shade loving plants. Irises put in an appearance again along with primulas and ground phlox providing a blanket of color in May. Epimediums slowly form dense patches of foliage which over time merge into a subtle tapestry of green. Larger plants such Rodgersia, Ligularia and Darmera provide a transition in height to the surrounding native shrubs. Some varieties of Epimedium have interesting foliage color in spring and autumn; others are evergreen. As a small nursery, it is only possible to carry in stock a limited number of varieties. We encourage plant lovers to visit the nursery. Many plants we can propagate on request at the appropriate time. We do not have a regular schedule of operations and you should contact us in advance of your visit if you wish to buy plants or chat with one of us. We look forward to seeing you.

This is "George" which is a reticulata hybrid and is the earliest to flower in my garden.
04/08/2016

This is "George" which is a reticulata hybrid and is the earliest to flower in my garden.

SNOWDROPS and SNOWFLAKESSnowdrops and snowflakes thrive at Poker Hill Gardens. Granted, you won't win any special award...
03/21/2016

SNOWDROPS and SNOWFLAKES

Snowdrops and snowflakes thrive at Poker Hill Gardens. Granted, you won't win any special awards for growing them but at this time of year, even weeds are welcome. Both self-sow and are often neighbors in the light shade of deciduous trees. For example,snowdrops are abundant under the apple tree which has a collection of other shade tolerant plants. However, they are absent from the surrounding open space but appear again under another apple tree some distance away. Snowflakes aren't quite as abundant but I've found them self-sown in sites which have some shade from the summer sun. Both prefer moisture and grow in a clay loam rich in organic matter.

There is a "double" cultivar of the snowdrop which is occasionally available. Photos show both the single and "double" varieties. It is apparent that the number of floral parts is more than doubled. Aesthetics? I am not the greatest fan of "double" flowers and find that this one looks too chubby but the flowers do last longer.

A "double" form of the snowflake has been given the name of "Gertrude Wister" in honor of the lady who found it in her garden. In this case, the "double" flower is the result of the fusion of three flowers (a "triple" ?) Again, I find the single flower to be more attractive.

03/09/2016
Addendum to below--some popular daylilies. They are: Custard Candy, Bisque, Primal Scream, Siloam Paul Watts
08/23/2015

Addendum to below--some popular daylilies. They are: Custard Candy, Bisque, Primal Scream, Siloam Paul Watts

The past two weeks have been busy filling orders for irises and daylilies. We brought flowering stems to the farmer's m...
08/23/2015

The past two weeks have been busy filling orders for irises and daylilies. We brought flowering stems to the farmer's market throughout the season so customers could see the flowers and then, if they wished. we could take their order for delivery in August. We had about 30 orders but the low price of the divisions in no way compensated for the time and effort of digging and packaging of the plants. Experience is a great teacher and next season we'll be more realistic in our pricing and limit the selection available for orders. The customers got a real bargain this year!

A few photos of some plants which were selected are included..

This is just a small portion of Arlene's extensive primrose garden.
08/13/2015

This is just a small portion of Arlene's extensive primrose garden.

08/02/2015

Yesterday (Aug 1) we visited the garden of Arlene Perkins in the hills near Montpelier, She opened her garden for visitors to see her extensive collection of cone flowers (Echinacea). She also has a fantastic collection of primulas which can be viewed during May. She's a great plants person!

This is Mark and one of the tallest of our daylilies
07/29/2015

This is Mark and one of the tallest of our daylilies

07/29/2015

We are currently selling plants at the Jericho Farmer's Market --it's a fun place to gather with about 20 vendors. July is the season for daylilies and we'll be posting a few photos.????

Address

49 Bill Cook Road
North Underhill, VT
05489

Telephone

(802)8999928

Website

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