spring garden foliage

On the upper left is a combination of Asarum europaeum (European ginger) in front and Athyrium ‘Lady in Red’ (lady in red fern) behind. I especially like the pairing of shiny, rounded heart shaped leaves of the ginger with the feathery fern fronds. ‘Lady in Red’ has a fresh, light green colour, but the centre of each frond is red when they first emerge. The foliage pairing is appealing all season long, and both do well with very little light.

On the upper right is Heuchera ‘Green Spice’ (coral bells). Most of the Heuchera have great foliage, but ‘Green Spice’ stands out for its wonderful contrast of purple red veins on a light silvery green background. The darker green border around each leaf completes the colourful package. The large scalloped leaves look super next any plant with feathery leaves.

In the middle on the left are Tiarella ‘Jeepers Creepers’ (foamflower) leaves with deeply cut lobes and a dark contrasting line down the middle of each section. These perennial leaves make an attractive evergreen groundcover, topped by pretty spikes of flowers.

In the centre of the collage is a  Hosta ‘Patriot’ that is still unfurling. I like the creamy white bands around the margins of the leaves, since get you attention as you scan along in the darker areas of the shade garden. ‘Patriot’ adds a dappled effect in the shadows. The large leaves look good next to delicate or finely cut foliage.

On the right side of the centre row is Heuchera ‘Cinnabar Silver’ (coral bells ) with green and purple leaves that have pronounced vein marks. Not all Heuchera have showy flowers, but these get very attractive red flowers later in the summer. A leftover blue Scilla flower is draped over the ‘Cinnabar Silver’.

On the bottom left is Heucehra ‘Raspberry Ice’ (coral bells), which also has the complete package of both wonderful leaves and flowers. Like many Heuchera, the leaves can change colour through the season, depending on the temperature. You can see some of the silver and green leaves, as well as the purplish red ones. One perk with the Heuchera is that the evergreen leaves will decorate the shady garden all year.

On the bottom right is a closeup of the fantastic foliage of Asarum europaeum (European ginger). These shiny leaves have finally been spreading over the last few years to fill in and create a terrific groundcover. I highly recommend these short plants for the front of the border. Although they are a little slow to start spreading for the first few years, they will gradually fill in to great a really nice edging in even your shadiest areas. The high gloss finish adds some sparkle to the darker sections.

perennials with silver leaves

Above is a collage of  some silver perennial leaves, which are great for bringing highlights to a shady corner. Whether solid, spotted, or patterned silver, the light colour bounces back the few light rays to make it into the shaded sites under the trees, making them stand out and be noticed.

At the top is Pulmonaria ‘Samourai’ (lungwort) with mostly solid silver leaves. Each leaf is long and narrow, with a slender border of green and a central green vein. This make a light coloured background for the blue flowers. These silver grey ‘Samourai’ looks great next to solid green or dark leaves.

In the middle row on the left is Zantedeschia araceae ‘Golden Chalice’ (calla lily). I use these as a centre foliage plant in a planter for a very shady area. They don’t produce much in the way of flowers there, but the tall, silver spotted leaves are a great centre piece for the flowering annuals in the pot. I also have a calla lily in another part shade container, where they produce funnel type blooms.

In the centre of the collage is a Brunnera macropylla ‘Jack Frost’ (bugloss) leaf. This is the king of foliage plants for the shade. Everything about the leaves is perfect, from the beautiful silver colour, to the wonderful patterns of contrasting green along the veins. I always have to stop and admire them when puttering around the garden.

On the right side of the middle row is a Pulmonaria ‘Majeste’ (lungwort) leaf. ‘Majeste’ starts off as spotted silver in spring, and gets more of an overall silver colour later in summer. The freckles are cute, and keep the green foliage from fading into the background.

On the bottom left is a Heuchera ‘Mint Frost’ leaf. It is a light silver green, with darker green veins. These are highly variable perennials, as in the spring and fall they can have orange, red and purple leaves, too. However for most of the summer this is the standard colour.

On the lower right is the solid silver leaf of  Brunnera macrophylla ‘Looking Glass’. It produces large leaves, with slender green lines along the veins. This is a real knockout in the shade as it reflects a lot of light.

Alocasia calidora elephant ear leaf

Here is a very attractive giant leaf of Alocasia calidora (elephant ear). It’s large, wet, and just look at those patterns. The rubbery leaves are about 50 cm (20 in) long right now, and get bigger all summer. I have these Alocasia in a few of my planters in part shade, where they make super focal point for the centre. Elephant ears bring a wonderfully lush tropical look to a planter. In zone 3 they are treated like an annual, although you could overwinter the bulbs inside.  If you’re wondering what the green ‘worms’ are behind the leaf, those are the catkins that just fell from a willow tree.

These are some of the perennial leaves that caught my eye this week when I was out gardening. Although there are lots of spring flowers right now, the foliage of these plants will look great right through until fall. You can see more pictures of great foliage for your shady garden here, and even more photos of  shade plant leaves here.

At smaller resolutions, you have to click to see the full photo, since the photo overflow is hidden.

Athyrium fern Heuchera coral bells

This is across the walkway from the garden under the evergreens, that I wrote about earlier. This section of garden is extra shady, since it is on the north side of my house with tall conifers. I rearranged this part of the garden bed, and added new Heuchera and the Athyrium ‘Ghost’ at the back in the corner. I’ve planted this fern in a few shady garden areas, since it brightens the bed up with the reflective silvery green fronds.

Heuchera 'Cinnabar Silver' coral bells

To one side in front are three Heuchera ‘Cinnabar Silver’ (coral bells). There are another three of these Heuchera across the walkway. This cultivar will stay fairly short, including the flower stalks. ‘Cinnabar Silver’ has a wonderful silver sheen, with purple tones on the leaves. The veins are a dark contrast to the metallic leaf. I admire the way this foliage looks with the silver fern.

Heuchera 'Green Spice' 'Eco-improved' coral bells

On the other side in front are three Heuchera ‘Green Spice’ (also called ‘Eco-improved’). These coral bells have slightly silver green leaves with purple running along the veins, making beautiful patterns. The newest leaves have a red colouring along the veins. Around the edge of each scalloped leaf is a medium green band. The foliage of ‘Green Spice’ is fantastic, coordinating well with the woodland plants across the walkway, yet having a little extra dazzle.

Athyrium 'Ghost' fern next to Heuchera

The Athyrium ‘Ghost’ fern produces a good number of these light green and silver fronds. They develop a very lush look over the season, since they send up new fronds throughout the summer. It grows about 45 cm (18 inches) to 60 cm (2 feet) tall in my garden. This cross between Athrium filix-femina (lady fern) and Athyrium niponicum (Japanese painted fern) is a real winner, both beautiful and hardy.

Athyrium 'Ghost' fern Heuchera 'Green Spice' 'Cinnabar Silver'

I like the green, silver and purple colour scheme in this garden area now, and it coordinates nicely with the green, silver and white scheme on the other side of the walkway. The green and silver fern, green, silver and purple ‘Green Spice’ and silver and purple ‘Cinnabar Silver’ make an attractive trio. This fern and Heuchera combination can handle the shade cast by the house and trees, and provide beautiful colour with their foliage all season.

Here are some more photos and information about coral bells in my garden, including Heuchera ‘Mint Frost’, and Heuchera ‘Plum Pudding’. You can see the flowers of ‘Cinnabar Silver’ in this article, and here is a comparison of the different Heuchera foliage.

patio west Heucherella Campanula and planter

Here is a shady garden bed with blue, pink and white flowers that I recently rearranged. It gets some morning sun for a short while, and then some dappled shade. There are perennials in the border, and a pot of annuals on the corner that blends right in. Since I planted the container first, I might have got the colour scheme for the perennial bed from it.

Heucherella 'Tapestry' and Campanula cochlearifolia 'Bavaria Blue'

The pink flowers are Heucherella ‘Tapestry’ (foamy bells). This perennial is a cross between Heuchera (coral bells) and Tiarella (foamflower), showing some of the best traits for both. It has beautiful leaf markings, but the flowers are much showier than most Heuchera. The Heucherella like more light than Heuchera. ‘Tapestry’ is  new to my garden this year. I’m very taken with these beautiful plants, and hope that they are hardy. I’ll definitely be planting more of them.

Update: These Heucherella overwintered just fine, and still look great.

Heucherella 'Tapestry' foamy bells leaves

The leaves of this Heucherella remind me of the foliage of Heuchera ‘Green Spice’ (coral bells), with a green background and dark purple coloured veins. These plants are very attractive. I have some Heuchera with all purple leaves in another part of the garden, and I think ‘Tapestry’ would make a good bridge between them and other green plants if planted next to them.

Heucherella 'Tapestry' foamy bells flower

Here is a closeup of the gorgeous pink flower spikes of ‘Tapestry’. They are thick stalks with very noticeable flowers, in a pretty pink colour. The blooms also last a long time, over six weeks already. You could grow ‘Tapestry’ for the flowers alone, even if they didn’t have decorative leaves. In the background is a Colocasia leaf in the planter with pink and blue flowers.

Campanula cochlearifolia 'Bavaria Blue' flowers

The little blue flowers in the garden bed are Campanula cochlearifolia ‘Bavaria Blue’ (fairy thimble bellflowers). I also have these perennials in another garden section, and added them here for a little more blue colour. With a multitude of tiny blooms, these dwarf bellflowers are colourful and charming.

Campanula portenschlagiana 'Blue Waterfall' flowers by Heucherella

Another dwarf bellflower in this garden bed is Campanula portenschlagiana ‘Blue Waterfall’ (Serbian bellflower). The flowers are just opening, but there are lots more buds to bloom soon. The pretty stars of this Campanula bloom in rows all along the flower stems, which mostly radiate out in sprays along the  ground. This was already planted at the front corner, and you can see how short it is, by the Heucherella towering over it behind.

Actaea ramosa 'Atropurpurea' with Heucherella 'Tapestry'

The tall plant in the middle is Actaea ramosa ‘Atropurpurea’ (bugbane, used to be Cimcifuga). It will grow two metres (six feet) in height by late summer, and will have beautiful tall spikes of cream coloured flowers, high above the other plants. It coordinates well with the Heucherella, because both of them have purple on their leaves. ‘Tapestry’ has conspicuous purple in a pattern along the veins of the leaf, and this Actaea has subtle purple edges to the leaves, as well as purple stems.

Actaea racemosa with Campanula cochlearifolia 'Bavaria Blue'

The photo above shows Actaea racemosa (bugbane) with Campanula flowers underneath. This Actaea also has cream flower wands over 2 metres (6 feet) tall, and was already planted here.  Bugbanes make great plants for some height in a shady garden. I find the scientific naming of Actaea a little confusing, and it might be that these are actually the same. They were switched from Cimicifuga, which is straightforward, but I see ‘Atropurpurea’ listed as a cultivar for both of these species and they look very much alike. You can see photos of Actaea flowering in my garden.

Osmunda regalis royal fern

In between are two Osmunda regalis (royal ferns) in the spotlight above. The fronds of this fern are a light green, which gives them a little glow next to darker leaves. Some lighter coloured foliage show up well in a shady garden. Both of the sections above belong to one plant. The second fern  is behind and can’t really be seen in this photo. This one was originally planted in back, because I thought it would grow taller, so I moved it forward to better enjoy the foliage.

Osmunda regalis royal fern with Campanula cochlearifolia 'Bavaria Blue'

Osmunda regalis has a bit of a shrub appearance. These are supposed to grow quite tall, but don’t get beyond 60 cm (2 feet) tall in my garden. They probably need a longer growing season to reach their full height, or perhaps a warmer climate. One thing they really like is water. They make nice garden plants, even if they don’t get to two metres (6 feet) in my garden. Now that I’ve moved this one to the front of the bed, I hope it doesn’t put on a growth spurt after five years.

Begonia 'Non-Stop Pink' lobelia colocasia esculenta

The planter in the corner has a tall Colocasia esculenta (elephant ear) in the middle. There are Begonia ‘Non-Stop Pink’ putting on a good floral show around it with their double flowers, as well as some pink double Impatiens, and blue Lobelia cascading over the edge.

Begonia 'Non-Stop Pink' and lobelia planter

Here is a closeup of the lovely double begonia flowers. They don’t mind the shade, and seem to thrive in the extra water that the Colocasia gets.

Colocasia esculenta elephant ear plant

This closeup of the Colocasia esculenta leaf shows the wonderful leaf texture and size. If there is anything better than a nice big leaf, it’s a big wet leaf in the rain. It makes an umbrella for the begonia, one of which is peeking out to see if the rain has stopped.

patio west Heucherella 'Tapestry' and pot

This garden bed in part shade has pink and blue flowers, and there will be white from the Actaea in late summer. Continuing along, just to the north of this section, is a Philadelphus (mockorange) shrub with white blooms, while to the south are some Lamprocampnos spectabilis ‘Alba’ (bleeding hearts, used to be Dicentra) with white flowers. You can see a few of the bleeding heart flowers still left at the back of the photo above. I used to have some daylilies where the Heucherella are, but it is more shaded now, and they weren’t doing as well. I instantly liked the new arrangement in the shady garden, as soon as it was finished.

The soil under the spruce is a pleasure to work in. It has years of decomposing needles and tree debris, making a thick spongy layer. It is difficult to dig with a shovel, because of the lower tree branches getting in the way of the handle, so I ended up scooping some of the holes easily with my hands, since the soil was so soft.

Pachysandra terminalis 'Green Sheen' under evergreen

Do you see how dim it looks at the back of this photo? That’s because they are planted right against the spruce trunk with branches coming down within half a metre (under 2 ft) of the plants. Yet, the Pachysandra terminalis ‘Green Sheen’ is glowing in the background, even where the dappled light doesn’t reach into the shade.

Pachysandra terminalis 'Green Sheen'

The glossy Pachysandra terminalis ‘Green Sheen’ (Japanese spurge) is reflecting light in the deepest shade. I never had the urge to add Pachysandra to my shade garden before, until I saw the foliage of  ‘Green Sheen’. Like a magpie, I’m attracted to shiny things in the garden. :) This groundcover is recently planted, so I don’t know for sure how it will overwinter in zone 3, but I think it is going to do well in this siting.

Asarum arifolium ginger leaf detail and woodland floor

I just moved the Asarum arifolium (wild ginger) from under the darker spruce tree, where the Pachysandra is now located, to the base of the pine tree. I’ll be able to see the attractive leaves better here, and it will get a bit more light. I’m pleased with how these Asarum have survived so far. I planted them last fall, but they were rated for a warmer zone. The evergreen leaves of the ginger were there in spring, but disappeared at the end of May when we had a snowfall and frosts. Then a few weeks later, one appeared, and now there are five plants showing. I hate to stress them by moving the plants again, but this will be a better position for them, right next to a silver and green grouping, where their faint silver markings will look super.

Asarum arifolium flower detail

As I was moving them, I notice that they already had a flower this year, so they not only survived the winter and the very late spring  frost, they even had enough energy to flower. The flower is the green structure, looking like a pitted olive, on the upper left of the photo.The flower is not showy, just rather interesting, but it’s a good sign that they are actually hardy in zone 3. The flowers of Asarum are usually right on the ground, hidden by the leaves, but this plant has been dug out and is laying sideways, so you get a good view.

front shade garden under evergreens

This is one of my favourite foliage combinations for the shade: Athyrium ‘Ghost’ (ghost fern), Hosta ‘Francee’ and Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’ (Siberian bugloss). The white edges of the Hosta leaves, with the silver fern fronds, next to the silvery green Brunnera are very attractive. The transplanted Asarum are at the top in the middle, but you have to click the picture to enlarge and see them. This pine is multi stemmed, so I’m planting in the shady pockets between the small curving trunks.

Asarum arifolium behind other perennials

Here is a closeup, so you can see how nice the leaves look on this ginger. The Asarum arifolium has faint silver markings on it,  so it coordinates beautifully with the perennials that were planted last year in front. If I leave them alone, they should fill in and cover the ground.

Hosta 'Patriot' under evergreens

Hosta ‘Patriot’ gets a spot on the other side of this shade garden. It has a wider white margin than the Hosta ‘Francee’ that is already in this bed, so it reflects more light under the shade of the pine. I also added another Athyrium ‘Ghost’ (ghost fern) between the two Hosta. Partly because I appreciate the look of the delicate fern fronds next to the bold Hosta leaves, and partly because it will repeat the silver ferns from the front of the bed.

Heuchera 'Cinnabar Silver'

Another new perennial is Heuchera ‘Cinnabar Silver’, which has fabulous silver leaves, with purple underneath. I especially like leaves where the variegation follows the veins of the plants, making beautiful patterns. I chose this Heuchera because it grows shorter, so it fits underneath the low evergreen branches. Even the red flower wands are shorter, so they won’t get tangled with the overhead boughs. Heuchera are great in a shade garden, because their patterned, colourful leaves add interest even when the plants are not in flower.

Epimedium grandiflorum 'Lilafee' with late flower

These Epimedium grandiflorum ‘Lilafee’ (barrenwort) were planted last year, and they have filled in beautifully. This one even has a late flower on it. There were many of these purple flowers dancing over the leaves back in May and June. This plant is terrific for the shade garden, as a nice groundcover.

Hepatica nobilis perennial

These Hepatica nobilis (liverleaf) were planted in the late fall last year, when they were dormant. This year they sent up these good looking leaves, but only one flower so far. I’m assuming there will be more of the beautiful blue blooms next year as the plants mature.

Aruncus aethusifolius (dwarf goatsbeard) with Brunnera

The Aruncus aethusifolius (dwarf goatsbeard) was planted last year, too. It has finely cut leaves, like a fern, with small creamy white plumes waving over top. Mine bloom well in the shadiest areas of the garden.

Cornus canadensis plant

Cornus canadensis (bunchberry) is a very common woodland plant across Canada. This hardy perennial makes a good groundcover under the spruce. I planted these late last summer, and they are starting to spread now.

garden forest floor under evergreens

You can see in this photo that I’m going for a woodsy look, even though the shade garden is on a suburban front lawn. I leave the tree needles and cones here to add to the forest duff, and have been trying to get more moss to grow. The moss is slowly expanding, and should give a nice green setting for the perennials.

The plantings are looking more full, now, and it is greatly improved from the scraggly grass that was here before. This previous post about this shade garden has a good before picture, showing what it looked like when I started planting. I give this garden some supplemental water, but I don’t have to mulch it, since the conifers do that for me. I’m going to continue expanding the bed out more to the next tree.

blue flowers of late May

Above are some of the blue perennial flowers of spring, bringing a bit of the sky into the garden and making the beds a little more serene. On the upper left is the beautiful sky blue of Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’ (Siberian bugloss). Three established, large plants of these can produce a square metre (around a square yard) of airy blue flowers. On the upper right are the pretty light blue flowers of Muscari azureum (grape hyacinth) bulbs.  The flowers over the spotted leaves are Pulmonaria ‘Majeste’ (lungwort). They emerge pink, but quickly turn this bright blue shade. The fern fronds behind make a good background for them.

silver leaves of May

Silver leaves are my favourite with blue and white flowers. The steely tones pull together the cooler coloured blooms, and show them off . The top left picture is of Athyrium niponicum (Japanese painted fern), with its first silvery green frond. These ferns are slow to come up in my garden in spring. On the top right is the silver grey foliage of Pulmonaria ‘Samourai’. The bottom of the picture shows the king of shade foliage, Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’. The exquisite silver and green pattern make this my favourite leaf. The silver colours of these perennials add an extra glow in the shady areas of the garden.

white flowers of late May

White flowers are a stand out in the darker areas of the garden. On the upper left of the above picture are the white flowers of Tulipa ‘Foxtrot’ when they first open. As the flowers of these bulbs age, they turn pink. These are in a part shade location, so I’m not sure how they’ll return next year.  On the upper right are the sweetest smelling Conavallaria majalis (lily of the valley) flower bells. The garden is full of this wonderful scent right now. Along the bottom of the photo are the pure white flowers of Sanguinaria canadensis (bloodroot). This perennials bloomed briefly, but shone while they were out. Another white woodland flower coming out now is the Trillium grandiflorum (great white trillium).

Purple leaves and flowers in May

This image shows some purple leaves and flowers. On the upper left are the newly opening Syringa vulgaris ‘Wedgewood Blue’ (lilac) flowers. These blooms get more blue as they develop. If you’re wondering why the lilac flowers are drooping, it’s because I had just shook off the wet snow that bent the branches over. The top right perennial is Heuchera ‘Mint Frost’, which has green and silver leaves for most of the summer, but includes lots of purple and red shades in the cold. With our colder late May temperatures, they have lots of colour in them still. On the bottom of the picture is the intense silvery purple foliage of Heuchera ‘Plum Pudding’. It is another super foliage plant.

My favourite colours are repeated in groups around the different shady garden beds. What are your favourite garden colours for late spring?

Hydrangea and birdbath fall leaves

Hydrangea shrubs have enough room underneath, that you can make a beautiful layered garden by underplanting them with shorter plants. In summer I have some dwarf Campanula (bellflowers) producing purplish blue star shaped flowers in a low carpet under this Hydrangea paniculata. I love the look, and wanted to extend it to spring, so I’ve planted some Chionodoxa forbesii (glory of the snow) bulbs underneath. These early spring bulbs should flower before the bellflowers bloom, with their own version of starry flowers.

Campanula porscharskyana (bellflower) in flower

Above is  a photo of  Campanula poscharskyana (Serbian bellflower) from this summer. They start flowering midway through June, and continue intermittently all summer, and into fall. They look especially pretty under the Hydrangea, even before it flowers,  twinkling up through the branches. They are a gorgeous shade of purplish blue, with five narrow petals and white towards the centre. These bellflowers grows quite low to the ground, so they don’t interfere with the Hydrangea branches, and they fill the bare area underneath with beauty. Then in August and September, when the Hydrangea blooms in white, the little blue flowers of the Campanula look lovely paired with the large panicles. However, there are no flowers underneath the shrub before mid June, just the bellflower foliage.

Chionodoxa luciliae (glory of the snow) flowers spring

I  added some glory of the snow bulbs to bring some early blooms to this area. The blue stars are reminiscent of the Campanula and should have a similar effect. These have six petals, a dark line down each petal, and a white centre. The Chionodoxa luciliae start flowering during May in my zone 3 garden, so the Chionodoxa forbesii should start the colour show early too, before the bellflowers. These two Chionodoxa species seem interchangeable now. The pretty blue bulbs will bring some spring cheer, while the Hydrangea stems are still leafless. Then when the glory of the snow flowers fade, the bellflower groundcover should easily hide the slender bulb foliage as it dies back for the season. Usually the  Chionodoxa foliage disappears quickly.

planting Chionodoxa forbesii (glory of the snow)bulbs

Here is one of the bulb planting holes, in between the Campanula poscharskyana plants. I dug narrow holes among the perennials, to minimize the root damage. Then I planted 5 to 10 bulbs in each hole. Altogether I planted 50 Chionodoxa forbesii, but I could have planted more. These bulbs cover the  ground under the front half of the Hydrangea, and a bit around the sides. I could plant another 50 to really carpet the ground under the PG Hydrangea.

fall leaves under Hydrangea

The fall leaves were already covering the garden bed, as I watered in the newly planted bulbs. This will be some of my last outdoor gardening fun for the year, since the temperatures are so cool now. It is probably a little late to be planting bulbs in zone 3, but the weather warmed above freezing this week, the bulbs were on sale, and the picture of more blue flowers was running through my mind. Soon, a white quilt will be spread over top of the brown and green patchwork one. However, come spring, the flower parade will start as soon as the snow melts, and the early spring bulbs bloom.

Asarum europaeum leaves October

The Asarum europaeum (European wild ginger) leaves are semi-evergreen, and keep about half of their leaves through the winter in my zone 3 garden. This little groundcover creates a great display in late fall and early spring, when other perennials have retreated.

Asarum arifolium leaves October

Here are some new Asarum arifolium (hardy ginger) that were just planted a few weeks ago. These are rated for a warmer zone, so I’m not sure how they’ll handle the full winter temperatures, but they don’t seem to mind getting hit with freezing temperatures right after planting. The lovely shaped leaves are still green, and make a great sight. I’m impressed that they didn’t collapse, after the temperature dropped drastically, and the drying winds blew.

Cornus canadensis leaves October

The Cornus canadensis (bunchberry) look good, and add some red fall colour too. This groundcover creates a green display  under the evergreens, despite the temperatures.

Heuchera 'Mint Frost' leaves October

Heuchera (coral bells) are another perennial that keep fresh looking leaves through the frost. Some Heuchera intensify their colour in the cool temperatures, giving lovely fall shades. This normally green and silver Heuchera ‘Mint Frost’ starts to get purple, red and orange colours as the weather turns cold. They keep these leaves until spring. The red stems make a good contrast on this showy perennial too.

Heuchera 'Plum Pudding' leaves October

The Heuchera ‘PlumPudding’ started with such an intense silvery purple, and has been keeping it through the frosts. The Astilbe next to them have collapsed, so these leaves get the attention.

Campanula poscharskyana leaves October

The Campanula (bellflowers) maintain their green leaves through the cold too. They keep most of their leaves through the snow, and start the garden early in spring. They also keep some flowers long after others have disappeared. The glimpses of blue in a late fall/early winter garden are very uplifting. The Campanula poscharskyana (Serbian bellflower) above still has clusters of purple flowers. You can see I haven’t been deadheading since the frost. :)

Campanula portenschlagiana leaves October

Campanula portenschalgiana (dalmatian bellflower) has a few purple flowers, as well as the fully green leaves.

Campanula carpatica leaves October

My Campanula carpatica (carpathian bellflower) also has a few purple bells above the fresh looking green leaves. They stand out when surrounded by the fallen deciduous leaves. My C. rotundifolia (harebell), C. cochlearifolia (fairy thimble bellflower) and other dwarf Campanula have a few blue flowers along with their well preserved leaves too. These dwarf bellflowers are showing green as soon as the snow melts in spring.

Epimedium grandiflorum 'Lilafee' leaves October

The Epimedium grandiflorum ‘Lilafee’ (lilac fairy barrenwort) has lots of green leaves, and they are just slightly twisted from the long frost.

Helleborus 'Ivory Prince' leaves October

Helleborus ‘Ivory Prince’ looks exactly the same as it did in early spring. This perennial has kept these leathery textured leaves in perfect shape for many months. They’re glossy, patterned, have a lovely form, and they have been since they appeared from under the spring snow. Yes, I have checked to make sure I didn’t plant plastic ones by mistake. They’re real and growing. This plant gets the award for best looking foliage regardless of the frost.

Dianthus caryophyllus leaves October

Dianthus caryophyllus (carnation) is another perennial that keeps great looking foliage from when the snow melts in spring to after the frost. The slender bluish gray leaves rise above the fallen tree leaves. Although I planted these purely for the pink flowers and wonderful scent in summer, I’ve enjoyed the foliage longer in fall and spring.

Geranium 'Rozanne' leaves October

The Geranium ‘Rozanne’ have unmarred leaves and a few flowers still too. The patch of Johnson’s Blue geraniums next to them have shrivelled leaves, and no flowers, so these appear very fresh in comparison. The Johnson’s Blue got a head start in spring, but the Rozanne geranium has been the strong finisher, and much longer bloomer.

Dryopteris expansa fronds October

Dryopteris expansa (spiny wood fern) has the most evergreen fronds of all my ferns. The spiny wood fern usually keeps a few fronds under the snow, so it is easy to spot in spring. All of my other garden ferns have shrivelled, but these are still showing perfect pinna. The Onoclea sensibilis (sensitive fern) were the first ferns to collapse, even before the frost, when it was only 4° C (40° F).”It’s too chilly. I surrender,” they gasped as they disintegrated. It makes sense that lacy ferns with so much exposed surface area are the first to desiccate when the cold comes, so I wonder how the Dryopteris can maintain their appearance.

Pulmonaria 'samourai' (lungwort) leaves October

The Pulmonaria ‘Samourai’ leaves  still have their silver colour, and intact foliage. These long silver leaves are especially showy against the piles of brown fall leaves.

When the temperatures didn’t rise above freezing for a couple of weeks, and combined with bitter winds, we got down to about -15° C (5°  F) with the windchill. I’m always surprised that some hardy perennials manage to keep their leaves under these conditions. I’ve been adding more of these perennials to the garden, since they maintain a fresh appearance through the cold. In a short growing season, the garden can look bare when the frost hits, and temperatures don’t climb above freezing. Being able to see green leaves, or fall colour, instead of withered foliage, gives me an incentive to wander the garden in the crisper temperatures. These plants also give a quick start in spring, with an early shot of green for a northern garden.

Which plants in your garden keep their leaves the longest after you get extended freezing temperatures?

front shade bed under conifers

I love the texture of the natural mulch that has accumulated under the conifers. There is a layer of decomposing tree debris that is as thick as my trowel blade. The ground is very easy to plant in. I can make the planting holes with my bare hands, since it’s so soft.  The new plants will thrive in this location.

Asarum arifolium new shipped plants

Here are the Asarum arifolium plants that I ordered. They looked very healthy as I unpacked them. The rootballs were nice and moist. The leaves are in good shape for having been through the mail.

Asarum arifolium (wild ginger) under spruce

These Asarum arifolium are  good looking wild gingers. However, I’m not sure if they will be fully hardy in zone 3. My Asarum europaeum have overwintered fine, so I went with ten of these groundcover plants. If they do well, I’ll expand the group next spring. They should fill in, and cover the ground with their wonderful leaves eventually.

Asarum arifolium (wild ginger) leaf closeup

Aren’t the leaves a great shape? They are halfway between an arrow and a heart shape. In the above photo two above, you can see the variety of leaf shapes, from arrow on the right, to heart on the left. Some of the leaves have faint markings. The markings should get more silvery as the plants grow, so I think they will fit in well with the silver colours running through this bed.

Asarum arifolium (wild ginger) group under spruce

The roots of these Asarum had a very strong ginger smell as I unpacked and planted them. I think they’ll thrive in all the natural mulch that has accumulated here, and the conditions under the trees. By spring I’ll see if they tolerate  the Edmonton winter temperatures.

Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost' (Siberian bugloss) under pine

Here is a group of  Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’ at the front of the bed. The leaves are holding up well to the mild frosts.  I’ve added a group of Brunnera macrophylla ‘Looking Glass’, which will have the most silver colour of all the perennials here, since they develop a strong overall silver colour in summer. The newly added Looking Glass is just around the pine, but their leaves don’t look as good as these yet.

Hepatica nobilis (liverleaf) dormant

This is  a group of Hepatica nobilis‘, which will have blue flowers in spring. They arrived dormant, so most of the interesting parts are underground right now. You can just see the green tips of two of the plants from the group of five. They should enjoy the shady location, with lots of humus, from decomposing tree debris. I got the idea for adding these from Dave at The Home Bug Garden.

Aruncus aethusifolius (dwarf goatsbeard) under pine

Here are some of the Aruncus aethusifolius plants. that are planted on the west edge. There is a group of seven plants that go around the pine trunks to the left here. They will have creamy flowers next summer.

Epimedium 'Lilafee' under spruce

These Epimedium grandiflorum ‘Lilafee’ (lilac fairy barrenwort) that were planted earlier are thriving in this location, and expanding to cover their area. The light green leaves with the asymmetrical heart shapes show up well. In late spring they will have purple flowers with long spurs, held up above the leaves.

Hosta 'Ginko Craig' under spruce

The two little Hosta ‘Ginko Craig’ are doing well so far. They are supposed to be good spreaders, so they should fill their section under the tree. The narrow margin of white on the leaves gives a little glimmer in the darker area under the trees.

Cornus canadensis (bunchberry) plant under spruce

There is a group of about 15 Cornus canadensis (bunchberry) now. I’ve been adding to this group as I found more in local greenhouses. They already look as if they are a natural part of the woodland floor, and you’d hardly know they have been recently planted. I’ve seen large patches of these spreading out under conifers in the mountains, so they will enjoy this shady site.

Cornus canadensis (bunchberry) under spruce 2

This natural groundcover should fill in well. I might end up adding some twinflower with them, as I’ve seen that combination in the forest, and the combination is an attractive woodland look.

front bed under conifers older plants

I’ve been gradually expanding this woodland bed all summer, weaving between the conifers. I’m going for a look midway between a garden and a forest floor in this shady bed. These will probably be the last plants added for this year, since we are getting much cooler temperatures now. I have some ideas for more additions, and will probably start again in spring. I’d like to add some Polygonatum odoratum ‘Variegatum’, and some Pulmonaria. I’ve been very pleased with how healthy all the plants have been so far. They seem to be doing very well under the conifers. In spring, I’ll see how they overwintered here, and will expand this bed out to the north, to the next spruce tree. Here is an earlier post, about when this shade garden was first planted. This post shows some of the additional shade plantings. Here is another update from 2010 of the shady garden plants under the evergreens.

Heuchera 'Plum Pudding' foliage

The most eye catching purple foliage is from the Heuchera ‘Plum Pudding’. I particularly like this shade of purple as it has a metallic silver tinge to it. You can see in the above photo how the silvery overlay reflects the light in this darker area. Dark colours can fade into the background in the shade, but the silver highlights brighten up the foliage. The leaves are very vivid, and I like the way they add a little drama  here.

One of the advantages of Heuchera is that their leaves stay fresh looking through the mild frosts. In fact, the frost often brings out the colors in Heuchera. In the short growing season of zone 3, it really extends the gardening season when plants can look good into October and November. Heuchera keep many of their leaves under the snow, so they also look great in early spring, before other  perennials have risen. Here is some information about Heuchera ‘Mint Frost’, which has silvery green leaves.

The foliage of the Heuchera make a great ground cover, since they produce many overlapping broad leaves. Smaller plants can’t grow through, so there is less weeding. However, the 2 m (6 ft) tall Actaea has no trouble growing over the 25 cm (10 in) tall Heuchera, so they make a good combination. The group of three Heuchera make a nice clump in front of the Actaea.

Actaea racemosa 'Atropurpurea' leaves

The tall perennnial behind is Actaea racemosa ‘Atropurpurea’ (Cimicifuga, bugbane). This plant has purple tinges to the edges of its leaves, and reddish purple stems. It grows a couple of metres tall (around 6ft). The leaves will make a good backdrop to the other plants. My other Actaea racemosa have tall white flower wands, above my head. These plants will flowers with a minimal amount of light.

Heuchera 'Plum Pudding' and Astilbe

The purple Heuchera is planted next to some Astilbe simplicifolia ‘Hennies Graafland’. I dug up and divided the Astilbe, which had too many lily of the valley closing in on them. Now these short astilbe are towards the front of the bed, where they can be seen better, and have more space. I like the shiny Astilbe leaves next to the glossy metallic purple leaves of the Heuchera. The glossy leaves of A. simplicifolia are highly reflective in the shade. They still have their faded flower plumes on them, with fall colours now. I think the bright pink flowers of summer will look good with the dark purple leaves, but I’ll see when they flower fresh next year.

This section of the border is going to have mostly purple highlights on the leaves. I saw a nice Tiarella that had dark purple centres on its leaves that I might add too. To the south of this section, the plants have more silver highlights. The Heuchera ‘Plum Pudding’, with both purple and silver colours, will make a nice transition between them. I love fall gardening, redesigning the beds, transplanting, dividing the perennials, and adding new plants. Then you wait over the winter, picturing it in your mind. I’m eager to see how this garden border will look next year, as the plants grow in.

There is more information and photos of different Heuchera in this updated post.

13 Pulmonaria Athyrium

Here is a picture tour of the perennials that grow under my willow tree. All of these plants have done well in this shady spot with dappled light. There is a fence to the south and west, so the garden area gets sun in the early morning, and then some dappled light through the shifting willow branches during the day. These plants have managed to compete with the willow roots, and thrive in this area.

The walk goes clockwise, following along the edge of the bed, so mostly the pictures below just show the shorter plants in front. The photos overlap slightly, as you walk along. It starts with the blue flowered Campanula, which are just outside the edge of the willow leaves, and ends at the Epimedium.

There are lots of silver leafed plants here, because the silver colour adds some sparkle in the shadows. The light colour shows up well in the shade, and looks good next to the different shades of green. The main silver colour comes from the the Brunnera macrophylla (siberian bugloss) and Pulmonaria (lungwort). The Athyrium ‘Ghost’ (ghost fern) has silver fronds, and Athyrium niponicum ‘Pictum’ (Japanese painted fern) has highlights of silver mixed in with green and purple. There are also glints of white from the variegated Hosta ‘Francee’. The darker green colours tend to fade into the background under the willow, so the groups of lighter colours make it much more interesting, and the darker colours show up well against them in the shade garden.

Some of the perennials, like the ferns,  have very light textures, and some, like the Hosta, have much heavier textures. The plants with the finest cut leaves are the ferns and the Aruncus aethusifolius (dwarf goatsbeard). The most robust ferns here are the Athyrium filix-femina (lady ferns). They send up new fronds all summer, and grow thick and lush. At the back, with just the occasional frond poking into the photos, are some Matteuccia struthiopteris (ostrich ferns). These ferns grow the tallest in my garden, and have a vase shape with fewer fronds. The Dryopteris expansa (spiny wood fern) is medium sized fern, and mostly keeps to itself. My smallest perennial here with finely cut leaves is the Aruncus aethusifolius. It is about 30 cm tall, and has done very well so far, planted very close to the willow tree trunk.

The perennials with the largest most solid leaves under here are the Hosta, Brunnera, Asarum and Pulmonaria. These look great next to the ferns, and keep the bed from being a solid mass of shapeless green.

The tallest perennials that I’ve been able to grow under the willow shade are the Dicentra spectabilis ‘Alba’ (white bleeding hearts), and the Matteuccia struthiopteris (ostrich ferns). The ostrich ferns are in some of the darkest corners, but the bleeding hearts are in a lighter part of the canopy. I’ve planted some Polygonatum commutatum var Giganteum (giant solomon’s seal), too. So far it’s only 60 cm (2 ft) tall, but I do have hope that it will take its name more seriously as it gets older. I tried Aruncus dioicus (tall goatsbeard) under here, but it didn’t do well, whereas it thrives in other shady spots.

Once you get to the Epimedium grandiflorum ‘Lilafee’, you’re at the other edge of the willow canopy. All of these plants have thrived here under the swaying branches of the willow. I love this tree, which forms a wall of green in this corner of my garden, and I’m glad these perennials will grow underneath it to create a shady retreat.