A Fan of Foliage

It's a well-known axiom that plants with interesting foliage are the real workhorses of the ornamental garden. After all, foliage usually has a longer season than flowers. Variations in color, shape, size, texture, and arrangement on the stem offer a multitude of design choices.

In our own garden, arranging and balancing foliage is a constant dance. Too much of a similar texture in one area? Something's going to get moved. Same with leaf color or variation or size.

Here's some of the foliage I'm enjoying this week in the garden.

Clerodendrum  trichotomum 'Carnival'

Daboecia cantabrica

Eryngium 'Big Blue'

Eryngium venustum

Eucomis 'Freckles'

Fothergilla gardenii 'Blue Shadow'

Geum triflorum

Helichrysum italicum

Heliopsis helianthoides 'Lorraine Sunshine'

Ledebouria cooperi

Olearia lepidophylla

Pinus mugo 'Carsten's Wintergold'

Sanguisorba menziesii

Uncinia unciniata 'Rubra'

Yucca flaccida 'Yellow Stripe'

Spring Flings

Cardiocrinum giganteum

 Things have really picked up speed in the garden the past couple of weeks. Perhaps the fastest growing plant award should go to Cardiocrinum giganteum. Our little colony now has seven or so plants, only one of which seems heading toward bloom this year. The plant that bloomed last year produced five healthy offsets, so it looks like future years will be spectacular for these plants.

Arisaema sikokianum

Another speedster is this Jack-in-the-Pulpit. The plants emerge as a sharped round shoot completely encased in this beautifully textured brown sheath. The leaves and flower are tightly rolled up inside, and rapidly unfold in a matter of days.

One fascinating thing about cobra lilies is that they often change sex, usually starting out male and switching to female as they age. This can be affected by genetics and growing conditions.

Eremurus 'Spring Valley Hybrids'

This hybrid foxtail lily has developed a highly rhythmic twist in its leaves, the only one of five to do so. Fabulous!

Callistemon critrinus 'Little Joe'

We've had good luck so far with another callistemon, so we added this C. citrinus cultivar recently. It will grow to just three feet tall and about 5 feet wide, unless it gets killed off in a harsh winter. It happens.

Euphorbia characias 'Black Pearl'

Euphorbia characias 'Black Pearl'

One of the stalwarts of the spring garden is euphorbias, and E. characias 'Black Pearl' is a beauty. Growing to about three feet tall and a little wider, it is wonderfully architectural, and the black eyes of the bracts are luscious.

Grevillea juniperina 'Lava Cascade'

One of several grevilleas we are growing, G. juniperina 'Lava Cascade' has really grown since it was planted last spring. We situated it at the top of a rockery, where it can cascade down and it has sharp drainage. It's currently covered with buds, so it should be really exciting in a couple of weeks, if these early blooms are any indication.

Hybrid hellebore

Hybrid hellebores are endlessly fascinating, and are such workhorses in the garden. We cut all of the previoius year's foliage off once the flower stalks emerge; fresh new foliage quickly follows the flowers. This one is a division of a clump we grew in our Vashon Island garden. I love the spotting.

Muscari latifolium

These grape hyacinths are so cute with their little topknots of pale blue, plus their peculiar tulip-like foliage. These are a robust miscari, growing about eight inches tall.

Hacquetia epipactis and Fritillaria meleagris

An apparent rarity (although I don't know why, as it is easily propagated), Hacquetia epipactis is the cutie pie of the spring garden, forming a tidy mound about one foot across that is covered with the most amazing line-green "flowers." The actual flower is the yellow center; the green parts are sepals.

We bought our original three plants at the now-defunct Heronswood back in 2005. This clump is one of three that self-sowed for us. We now have more babies that will be ready to move to other locations when they're a little bigger.

Ribes sanguineum 'King Edward VII'

Although by no means a rarity in the Pacific Northwest, red-flowered currant is still worth growing for a welcome burst of bright color in the spring, paired with fresh green foliage. This hybrid has larger flower sprays than the straight species.

Soon, there will be peonies, alliums, luecojums, species tulips, coral bells, and more. The tea tree (Leptospermum lanigerum 'Mt. Wall') is heavily budded, as is Callistemon viridiflorus. Fothergilla gardenia 'Blue Shadow,' which we thought had died last year, is not only budding out but starting to bloom. And one of the giant pokers, Kniphofia northiae, has a monstrously large flower spike emerging. That will be exciting!

March Madness

Hacquetia epipactis

No, not basketball.

I mean the madness that engulfs me every year as plants begin to break dormancy and bulbs push their way out of the soil. I mean the madness of checking the garden twice a day to see what's progressing. It's madness because we are just approaching the official start of Spring, we are still having morning frosts occasionally, and the soil has barely warmed at all.

Still…

I could blame the snowdrops and Iris reticulata—they have already bloomed (although some snowdrops are still in bloom). Hellebores have be going strong for several weeks now, including "Ivory Prince," seen with the Hacquetia epipactis in the first photo. We had several of these in our Vashon Island garden; this one was in a container, so it came with us to the new house in 2010. It's a reliable performer, sending up ever-larger clumps of blooms each year. We remove all of last year's foliage when the flower stalks emerge; new, fresh foliage will form soon.

The little charmer in the forefront is Hacquetia epipactis, a charming little oddity that pushes its "flowers" directly out of the ground until a low mound of color forms. The only species in its genus, it prefers moist woodland settings and spreads gently by both rhizomes and self-seeding, although never thuggishly. We have these tucked under the skirts of a hardy fuchsia, which offers some protection from late summer sun.The "flowers" are actually just the yellow centers; the "petals" are actually sepals. In any case, it is a fabulously fresh color for early spring.

Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost'

Another hard-working plant that b rightens the early spring garden is Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost.' Just before the main leaves emerge, a cloud of clear blue forget-me-not flowers forms; on mature plants, this cloud can be two to three feet tall and wide. This blue really carries!

As the cloud develops, new leaves push up, green with an incredible overlay of silver patterning. In our Vashon Island garden, we had many of these as they prefer at least part shade and are unpalatable to deer, perhaps because their leaves are stiff and rough. We have one in our small shade bed and two in a bed that gets more sun. Unfortunately, they get too much sun later in the summer and they burn to a crisp. Perhaps this will be the year we get around to moving them to a more shaded position so they look great until fall.

Helleborus x hybridus

Also going strong right now are an assortment of hellebores, including this stunning unnamed seedling from Peter Ray at Black Dog Plants on Vashon Island. We bought this as a small plant at the Vashon farmers' market about four years ago. This year it has over 20 of these beautiful blooms.

The Helleborus argutifolius that was here when we bought the house bloomed spectacularly last winter and spring, with mounds of acid green flowers over the toothed glue-grey leaves. Then, we moved it.

We really had no choice. We completely redid the front yard, and anything we wanted to save we had to dig and either pot or plant elsewhere. This hellebore sulked all summer, although it didn't die outright, and it didn't bloom this year. However, new growth is sprouting from the roots, so we've cut down all the old tatty foliage and will see what happens. This plant produced one seedling last year, which is happily growing in one of the new beds in the front garden. In our makeshift nursery (we all have them, no?) we have about a dozen little hellebore seedlings coming along in 4-inch pots. Who knows what colors they will be? You never really know with hellebore seedlings until they bloom. We will probably plant these out in the new beds later this spring.

Hyacinthus orientalis 'Jan Bos'

Finally, here is a small clump of hyacinths, an old named cultivar that has a little more space between the individual flowers. Hyacinths are useful spring bulbs, although they come in a limited range of colors. I still want to plant some of the dark blue ones; perhaps this fall?

These are happy at the foot of a Mahonia x intermedia 'Charity' and are surrounded by a sea of Sedum 'Angelina,' which is just taking off for the season.

Next up—lots and lots of narcissus, three kinds of species tulips, chionodoxa, leucojum, and parrot tulips, followed by alliums, eremurus, and lilies. By the time the lilies are up, peonies will be surging toward bloom, along with hardy geraniums. The madness of waiting impatiently will give way to the thrill of full beds and problems revealed.

A Race Against the Rain

Here in the Pacific Northwest, fall usually means a return of the rain. Heck—sometimes it just starts raining and doesn't stop until the following summer. We had an unusually dry summer this year, so the rain is welcome.

Fall is also the time to plant spring-flowering bulbs. Just as the bulbs arrive, the rains start. We ordered over 800 bulbs this year to plant in our completely re-done front garden, and they all need planting now.

We're now playing a cat-and-mouse game with the weather, darting outside whenever the rain slows to a sprinkle and plunging more bulbs into the dirt. So far, we've planted 380, with four beds remaining to be planted.

Of course, the more rain we have, the wetter the soil becomes. It's become a race to get them all planted before the garden is just mud.

Here's what we're planting this fall:

Narcissus 'La Belle'
Narcissus 'Avalanche'
Tulipa batalani 'Bronze Charm'
Tulipa 'Tinka'
Tulipa whittalii
Allium aflatunense 'Purple Sensation'
Allium christophii
Chionodoxa forbesii 'Blue Giant'
Crocus flavus 'Golden Yellow'
Eremurus (Spring Valley Hybrids)
Galanthus elwesii
Iris reticulata 'Harmony'
Leucojum aestivum 'Gravetye Giant'
Lilium 'Red Hot'
Muscari latifolium
Muscari 'Valerie Finnis'
Triteleia 'Queen Fabiola'

Pictures next spring!

Tigridia pavonia

Mexican Shell Flower, or Trigridia pavonia, is a showy summer-blooming bulb in the iris family. Each large flower opens in the morning and lasts just one day. By late afternoon, it has crumpled and shrunk.

It is always a delight to notice these blooming, especially now, in late September, months after the initial bloom.

Somewhat tender, many people lift these in the fall and store like gladiolas. Here in the Pacific Northwest, we're thinking we'll just leave them in the ground and take our chances. Mulching would probably increase our chances, but we rarely get around to that.

Tigridias come in a range of colors, including reds, oranges, yellows, and creams. Among the species, there is even one that is a heavily patterned purple, Tigridia vanhouttei.

Ptilotus exaltatus 'Joey'

 Last spring, as we were shopping for things for our patio containers, we spotted a little, somewhat nondescript plant among the annuals. Hardly a showstopper, especially surrounded by all the other floriferous selections, there was something about it that caught our eye.

Perhaps it was the tidy, dark green foliage, or its somewhat stiff habit. Most likely it was the little cone-shaped tight buds that promised…something to come.

 The plant is Ptilotus exaltatus 'Joey,' commonly called Pink Mulla Mulla. It is a native of Australia.

As summer winds down, they have really come into their glory. The plants are covered with large (3-4 inch tall) fuzzy blooms that are covered with bees on sunny days. The foliage is a fresh as it was last May, and the blooms show no signs of flagging.

Viewed from the top, the individual flowers reveal their slightly spiraling arrangement. Wonderful!

We will definitely look for these again next year.

Summer in the Garden

Summer in the garden is often an embarrassment of riches. Plants that have lain semi-dormant burst forth with spectacular floral displays. The chores of spring—weeding, mulching, planting, pruning—are mostly over (until the fall!) and the warmer days invite us to simply relax and enjoy the show.

In a bed planted just last year, self-sown tobaccos are cheery in front of Geranium 'Rozanne.' The white one is Nicotiana 'Aztec Jasmine' and the pink one is Nicotiana mutabilis. Behind the geranium is Origanum vulgare 'Aurea.'

Geranium 'Rozanne' is truly a monster this year, spreading to a mound nearly eight feet wide and three feet high (and it's still growing), covered with thousands of beautiful blue and white flowers that are beloved by honeybees. The grass is Festuca punctata.

Geranium 'Ann Folkard' scrambles through all of her neighbors, in this case Fuchsia magellanica versicolor. Bees come for the geranium, and hummingbirds enjoy the fuchsia. This combo will now bloom until frost. Ann Folkard is a bit too lax in habit to leave unsupported, and will look gangly sprawling across the dirt by herself, but provide nearby shrubs for support and watch her go.

Agastache 'Blue Fortune' is another bee favorite and has a nice long bloom time, especially if deadheaded. This plant seems completely unaffected by pests, perhaps because of its highly scented foliage.

Long after it has finished blooming, Allium christophii provides ornamental interest with its architectural seed heads. Ranging in size from eight to twelve inches in diameter, these starry globes will persist until we cut them down.

The developing floral spikes of Cimicifuga simplex Atropurpurea Group are fascinating. Eventually opening with tiny pure white flowers, these have a delightfully sweet fragrance that is especially strong in the early evening. We don't know the exact cultivar of these, but they clearly belong in the Atropurpurea Group, which includes 'Black Negligee,' 'Hillside Black Beauty,' and 'Brunette.' They are all garden-worthy. We grow ours with quite a bit of sun, which keeps the foliage lusciously dark all summer.

The dark foliage of Cimicifuga simplex is beautifully paired with Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost' and Carex 'Evergold,' which has lost most of its gold coloration in this location, perhaps to excessive sun exposure. An intense red-orange hybrid crocosmia at upper right will soon contribute a splash of color to this tapestry.

Fuchsia magellanica versicolor, usually bitten to the ground each winter, came through this year nearly unscathed, which has resulted in the largest specimens we have ever grown. We brought three plants with us from our garden on Vashon Island, and they are now thriving.

The variegated foliage in arranged along arching stems, with masses of small red and purple dangling flowers that dance in the slightest breeze. Quite the favorite with hummingbirds.

Heliopsis 'Lorraine Sunshine,' has fantastic variegated foliage and perky daisy flowers of a good rich yellow. We have two plants, both divisions from an original plant that was grown from seed on Vashon Island. A workhorse of the summer garden.

 Orienpet hybrid lilies are created by crossing Oriental and Trumpet lilies. They often have large, voluptuous flowers and heavy scent. I can smell these all the way inside the house as I type!

Another Orienpet lily, this one's color is a surprise.

Eryngium 'Big Blue' is stunning. Not as complex as Eryngium alpinum, it is just as shockingly blue, with silver undertones. Add variegated green and white foliage, and yowza!

The flowers, bracts, and stems of Eryngium 'Jade Frost' turn increasingly dark purple as they age. Very popular with bumblebees.

Finally, a pot specimen, just because it's so wonderful. This is Echeveria 'Lace,' a Baroque ruffle of thick, succulent, delicately colored leaves on a thick stalk. This is planted with a red cordyline and a Drunkard's Dream (Hatiora salicornioides) in a pot than can be overwintered inside.