Thursday, February 16, 2012

Foliage Follow-Up - February 2012

Geranium Ann Folkard
Geranium 'Ann Folkard'
Finding interesting foliage around the garden at this time of year is far easier than finding blooms...even in my mostly-deciduous garden! Normally there wouldn't be Geranium foliage around at this point (well, except for Geranium macrorrhizum), but this year a few of them remained evergreen, including 'Ann Folkard', which even had a long-lasting show of it's autumnal coloring, shown above.

Saxifraga stolonifera
Saxifraga stolonifera
I got this during our spring Plant Nerd Road Trip...oddly, I can't remember who gave it to me anymore! It's a pleasant little low-grower. with wonderful foliage...I especially love the little hairs that grow on the leaves, and you can't quite tell, but the underside of the leaves is a wonderful, rich burgundy.

Anthriscus sylvestris Ravenswing
Anthriscus sylvestris 'Ravenswing'
I doubt this is normally evergreen, but again, it has been this winter. I love the color of this foliage...it supposedly reseeds like crazy, but I haven't noticed any seedlings so far.

Geranium Katherine Adele
Geranium 'Katherine Adele'
Another Geranium that isn't typically evergreen, this one has looked wonderful all winter...just love it.

Corydalis Bronze BeautyArtemisia Powis Castle
Corydalis 'Bronze Beauty'Artemisia 'Powis Castle'

Euphorbia Faded Jeans
Euphorbia 'Faded Jeans'
I've mentioned before that I have a love/hate relationship with this plant. I loved it during its first year, when it was a compact little mound of foliage, then, unfortunately, it bloomed and has looked ratty ever since. I'm not sure what to do about it...cut it to the ground and hope for the best? Give it away to someone more forgiving? I might give it another year...but in a garden as small as mine, I don't have room to indulge plants that never quite look decent...except for winter :-(

Heuchera Marmalade
Heuchera 'Marmalade'
Another plant that looks amazing for a while in spring...then kind of sulks during the heat of summer. I'm also giving this one more year to prove itself.

Bracken Fern and Oxalis Oregana
Bracken Fern and Oxalis oregana
Now this is a grouping that exemplifies what most people think of as typically Pacific Northwestern...both of these plants are abundant in wild areas...and really do look perfect together.

Oxalis Oregana
Oxalis oregana
Another selection of our native Wood Sorrel...this time with a red reverse to the leaves!

Pennisetum Hameln
Pennisetum 'Hameln'
Of course, one of the biggest components of my winter garden are the dormant grasses. At this time of year, right before I cut them back in a few weeks, they are mostly bleached out and have very subtle color. They are also at their most ephemeral...mere ghosts of their former selves.

Panicum Shenandoah
Panicum 'Shenandoah'
One of my favorite grasses, the Panicums have wonderfully sturdy winter form...even though our recent heavy snow flattened them for a day, they popped right back up. Love the subtle variations of color between this the other grasses.

Schizachyrium The Blues
Schizachyrium scoparium 'The Blues'
I'm fascinated by the constant change in the coloring of Schizachyrium. From spring green to a steely-blue during summer it transitions to reds, oranges and purples in fall, only to fade to a subtle silvery-pink during winter...amazing!

Stipa gigantea
Stipa gigantea
Some grasses, like the above Stipa, are atually evergreen in our mild climate...this Stipa, which I'll have to move this spring, forms an arching mound of very fine leaves.

Uncina rubra
Uncina rubra
The tiny hook sedge I bought because Norm liked it this spring...I do love the color...but it's just so SMALL! It gets a bit overwhelmed during summer...will have to move it this spring...perhaps a contrasting container of some sort...to really show it off?

Anemanthele lessoniana  1231
Anemanthela lessoniana
My absolute favorite grass for winter color...also knows as Pheasant's Tail Grass. I have a few of these, and the ones in the backyard (which gets no direct sun from October-April or so) remain mostly olive-green with just a bit of orange and gold thrown in. This one, however, which gets some midday sun, positively GLOWS...love it!

For more fab foliage, head over to Digging, hosted every month by the wonderful Pam Penick!

57 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Hahahahaha...well, next time I divide them, I'll save you some!

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  2. For being a ratty looking plant you sure make the Euphorbia 'Faded Jeans' look beautiful. Of course you manage to make everything look beautiful!

    Oh and your Saxifraga stolonifera came from Sean/Cistus. I remember because we were carrying around the little starts dripping soil everywhere until I remembered I had a doggy poo bag (unused of course) in my handbag. Who knew having a dog would come in handy while plant hunting!

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    1. You're so right...I should step back to get the whole plant with the Euphorbia...it's kinda bare and scraggly at the base...but you're right...my big weakness is always trying to show things at their best (one reason you likely won't see any wide shots of the garden at THIS time of year)!

      Hahahaha...that's right...how could I forget! I guess it goes to show, you should ALWAYS be prepared when it comes to plants...even while shopping ;-)

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  3. I kind of worry about some that remained evergreen since so many plants need more dormacy so hope it doesn't effect this year with too much strain on the plant. My Heuchera are always evergreen here so that's not a problem.

    Met to mention if you try another Heather, check out Heaths and Heathers online, their list will tell you what works with your zone, based on your soil ph. There were only a few types I could do and had started to ignore that when I talked with them and they told me to get the others so I wouldn't constantly be fighting to try and make that area acidic. Glad I listened to them.

    Almost Spring!
    Cher Sunray Gardens

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    1. That's exactly what worries me as well...that they didn't get their needed dormancy and it will have some sort of negative effect later...sigh. That's a good idea...I should really research the Heathers more...not just buy them on impulse!

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  4. I agree with Loree -- you make 'Faded Jeans' look gorgeous every time you post about it, and I want it! Sadly, it would probably melt in Austin's heat the way 'Blackbird' did. You have a lot of pretty bronze foliage, which looks so nice in contrast with the silvers.

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    1. You're probably right, Pam...it looks like it ought to be tough...but I have a feeling it is not! I actually tossed out 'Blackbird' last year for practically the same reason...those bare, leggy stems of the evergreen Euphorbias really annoy me...which I guess is more MY issue than theirs! I do love me some dark foliage ;-)

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  5. Scott, GREAT PHOTOS! I especially love the Oxalis oregano. Very Unusual! The Anemanthela lessoniana takes my breath away. All I can say is plant envy! Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Glad you like the Oxalis...it's one of my favorite plants! That grass is so lovely, and never more so than during winter :-)

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  6. What beautiful foliage you have, Scott! The geraniums are amazing, but I especially love that Saxifraga with its pink edging. And of course, grasses look so lovely in the winter; you have such a nice variety of them. I wish I was headed back to Portland this year--I'd gladly take any heuchera you're disappointed with off your hands:)

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    1. Thanks, Rose! OMG...if you are ever in my 'hood, look me up, I'm sure I can find a few plants to send you home with ;-)

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  7. So nice to see COLOR. Love the Anemanthela lessoniana....what gorgeous color. It looks surreal at this time of year.

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    1. Isn't it, though...at this time of year, it's precious, indeed!

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  8. Great foliage Scott. Will be Googling that last grass you shared. Had a neighbor in VA who had such a nice stand of Saxifraga stolonifera. In the spring when it blooms it is great!

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    1. Hardy to zone 8a, and I am zone 7b.....dare I push the zone? Maybeeeee

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    2. Hahaha...it might be ok for you...especially if you mulch it a bit...they seem quiet the little survivors!

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  9. Scott: Both your blooms and your foliage are impressive. Must be wonderful to have Oxalis growing plentifully all around you! That Heuchera would be hard to part with.

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    1. It's really is wonderful...I love seeing areas in the woods just literally carpeted with the Oxalis!

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  10. Wow, love that red-stemmed sorrel. I have to be on the lookout for that - would be great in a container, I think.

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  11. I like that saxifraga. I'd never seen it before. It reminds me of our native Tellima grandiflora. I've had that Uncinia disappear on me too. It disappeared after I mulched around, then a couple years later it got bigger and started showing up again. Great photos as always.

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    1. If you're ever in my area, Ryan, I'll dig up a bit of it for you...it spread around quite a bit by stolons :-)

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  12. Beautiful foliage. Love the Oxalis oregana with pretty heart shapes leaves. Gorgeous!

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  13. It looks like the middle of summer in your garden. I am looking at adding some new geraniums love the fall color of some varieties.

    Eileen

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    1. Hahahaha...well, close-up, maybe...if I was VERY brave, I'd show a wide shot...it's more like a mudball at the moment, to be honest ;-)

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  14. That second photo reminds me of my rex begonia and I love the last grass!!!!!!!!

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    1. It does...you are so right! That grass is fab-u-lous!

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  15. I could see by the beautiful foliage you have that you were in a warmer zone. Love that pheasant grass. Pheasants are beautiufl birds and the grass lives up to the feathers.

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    1. That grass is well-named, to be sure. Apparently it blooms with long pink tassels at the end of its leaves in the spring...we'll see!

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  16. Who needs flowers with all that great foliage going on? I like 'Katherine Adele's' leaves, but I find that it seeds so much that it actually can kill off other plants when you are not paying attention. I have had it for a long time though. Maybe it has to reach critical mass before it's a problem.

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    1. You are right, it does seed around far more than almost any Geranium I've ever seen...luckily, not enough for me to be a problem...but it's always good to have reminders to stay vigilant!

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  17. What a marvelous assortment of foliage! I am going to have to go out and see if the snow has melted and how my geraniums are looking after seeing yours.

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    1. Good luck...it's just about time for them to bravely start poking up now!

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  18. Scott,

    Your grasses are wonderful. I particularly like the Pennisetum 'Hameln', which appears a ghostly grey in the photo online. And your favorite, the Anemanthela lessoniana. The colors are beautiful in winter.

    Yael

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    1. It really is, Yael...just a shadow of itself during summer...but still so graceful!

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  19. Love, love that oxalis! Beautiful grasses! Mine have been wind-whipped and look pretty tattered.

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    1. Yeah...most of my grasses were pretty much done-for this past weekend, so I decided to finally cut them all back...good thing, too...there was already green coming up in most of the clumps!

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  20. So lovely to see all this foliage. Mine is buried under several feet of snow still!

    Cheers,
    Diane

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  21. Scott, you seem to have more going on in your garden than I do here in Napa ! What a peculiar winter.20 at night, 65 in the afternoon. Love your photos as always.

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    1. Yes...this winter really threw us all for a loop, didn't it?

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  22. All of your photos (and plants!) are beautiful, but especially the last two grasses (sedges?)--so lovely!

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    1. Thanks Tina...actually, none of the grasses are sedges (crazy, i know)! I actually don't have any sedges this year...maybe I'll add some though :-)

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  23. Just gorgeous! I somehow manage to forget about Foliage Day every single month. That Pheasant's Tail grass is particularly beautiful.

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    1. Oh, Hanni, me too! Actually, it's more like I'm just not organized enough to do 2 posts a day apart!

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  24. Wow, Scott, you sure do have good looking foliage! It looks like spring is in full swing, except for some of the grasses. I need to give my grasses another look, but I think they are pretty bedraggled.

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    1. We are definitely on track with spring, Sue...and yeah, my grasses were looking pretty sad, for the most part...I actually cut them all back this weekend in preparation for their spring growth spurt!

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  25. You have a wonderful variety of foliage and flowers packed into your garden. So many of your plants are foreign to me since I have had my head into Texas natives for so long. I think my garden will get its annual haircut next weekend. I am so ready for the new season to begin.

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    1. I totally don't blame you for focusing on natives...your summers have really proved trying for all but the hardiest plants. Still, I think your garden is amazingly rich...and has such a sense of honesty. I'm really ready for spring now, too...bring it on!

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  26. You have lots of very delicate and pretty foliage this month. I think the reputation that Anthriscus sylvestris 'Ravenswing' seeds freely is a bit exaggerated, but good luck with it, I love the dark colour and airy foliage. Do link into my Garden bloggers foliage day coming up on the 22nd. Christina

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    1. I think you're probably right, Christina...I haven't seen a single seedling...but even if it did seed around, I'd stil love it! Thanks for the reminder about Foliage Day...do you think it's ok if I re-post this for it???

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  27. Great foliage photos! There's a lot of color in your winter garden.

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    1. Thanks...you DO have to squint to see it...but it's there ;-)

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