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Although this could very well be a picture of me finding a new treasure at a favorite nursery, it's actually an illustration by David Catrow for a children's book called Plantzilla.

Tuesday, May 16, 2017

May 2017 Foliage Follow-Up

Foliage Follow-Up is hosted each month by Pam at Digging on the day after Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day to help us celebrate the important role that foliage plays in our gardens.  Click here to to see foliage from the gardens of other participating bloggers.
At this time of year, foliage is especially exuberant.  The garden seems to vibrate with fresh new growth.  As usual, this is a random post of what caught my eye as I walked my little plot.

Out in front, the Agave ovatifolia seems to have taken the wet winter and spring in stride.  There's a little scarring on the tips of a couple of leaves.  Yucca 'Bright Star is planted way too close and as they both continue to grow, they'll battle it out.  The contrast in color is sure sweet so I don't really want to try and move the yucca.

Magnolia macrophylla in the hell strip elicits more inquires from passers by than any other plant.  


Persicaria microcephala 'Red Dragon' looking very happy.  It's time for the Chelsea chop.  (Cutting this down by half will help it to remain upright and not sprawl all over the place.

Acer palmatum 'Peaches and Cream'

Acer palmatum 'Purple Ghost' 


Cordyline banksii 'Electric Flash' made it through the coldest part of winter in the greenhouse. 

Podophyllum delavayi

Podophyllum that appeared in a pot as a seedling a couple of years ago.  Looks a bit like 'Spotty Dotty'

Sanguinaria canadensis 'Multiplex' with Fatsia  polycarpa needham form

Impatiens omeiana with Podophyllum 'Spotty Dotty.'  This impatiens wilts a lot in the heat of summer and would like better soil but it spreads each year and is loving our wet spring.

Begonia Grandis emerging from the fading foliage of snowdrops.  The pink petals all over everything are those of camellias.  The flash of color on the ground is kind of fun.

Spotted foliage of Pulmonaria.

Athyrium niponicum - Japanese painted fern is obscured this year by the foliage of a cardiocrinum giganteum that will be blooming later.  Had to pull back the big leaves to appreciate these.


Lily of the valley is a sweet flower but the foliage is a tad boring.  Convallaria majalis 'Albostriata' has interesting leaves all season long.

Crazy variegated Photinia that grows very slowly.  I've been threatening to rip it out for several years and finally cut it back severely.  It's rewarded me with bushier growth.
 Heucheras continue to grow on me.  This one, 'Red Lightening' is new to me this year and I've enjoyed having this splash of vibrant color sitting in a pot this winter.

Cordyline 'Cherry Sensation' or something like that that just came out of the greenhouse.

I've had a crush on Phormium 'Guardsman' since first seeing it at Flora Grubb during the San Francisco Fling.  I'd spotted it at one nursery in our area but it was a bit too expensive for me.  This weekend, on a trip to Wells Medina Nursery (post to come) I spotted it at a much lower price.  It had to come home with me.

Another Acer palmatum.  I knew the variety once. 

A favorite foliage color combination of three purples.  It is to this combination that I'm thinking of adding the blue foliage of Berberis temolaica.

David's hair came out of the greenhouse but has become a bit floppy.

Podophyllum pleianthum fighting for it's place in the jungle. 

It's a joy to see so much foliage again.

20 comments:

  1. An embarrassment of foliage riches in your garden. Love the red Phormium and the group of three purple plants. My only red-leaved Jp. maple has never managed to get very big between rabbits and winter damage, but those bright leaves are always such a thrill.

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    1. Sorry about the rabbit damage. The red-leaved Jp. maples took a while to win my heart but now I'm a huge fan.

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  2. Awesome. Thanks for the tip about the persicaria. I just moved mine to a sunnier location and it has survived the transplant well. When do you cut yours back? Loree (Danger Garden) gave me some agaves and I am going to try them. I don't know how to incorporate them with other plants that I grow but I will experiment.

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    1. Oh, you'll have fun playing with agaves! They look great with grasses or as sculptural specimens in pots. The Chelsea chop happens at the same time as the Chelsea garden show in mid May. I hate doing it as the foliage looks so beautiful this time of year and chopping it isn't pretty. However, it pays off later. Mine are growing in a bit of shade which may be part of the reason that they get leggy later in the year.

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  3. How lovely it is to see the different colors of foliage. It's celebration out in your garden. I don't remember seeing Sanguinaria canadensis 'Multiplex' in previous posts. Is it new? (or I'm getting too forgetful). Did you ever show it in bloom? I ripped out all my lily of the valley (too vigorous), but this stripped variety is stunning. Is it as vigorous as it's plain-leaf relative?

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    1. Sanguinaria canadensis 'Multiplex' has been in my garden for a few years. I found them at a really low price in big pots at the Rhododendron Garden Nursery (Not the Rhododendron Species garden) There are three and they may have made it into previous bloom day posts but the bloom is pretty fleeting and I only noticed them briefly this year and didn't get a picture. The striped lily of the Valley has spread very slowly but it's grown in pretty deep shade. Given more favorable conditions, it might be as vigorous as it's green-leaved relative.

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  4. All very pretty, but the 'Guardsman' is really outstanding!

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  5. Finally after this long cold wet spring things are starting to look so lush! I was thinking of heading to Wells Medina some day soon, maybe this week. I've been tempted by that stripy lily of the valley, but worried about its aggressive spreading tendencies. I suppose if it's that pretty, having a lot of it isn't that bad, though.

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  6. Your Agave ovatifolia is pure perfection! I wish mine looked that good. Stupid cold, snow, ice, rain (repeat).

    Thanks for the Chelsea chop reminder, I must take part in that "tradition" this year. I wish I could grow Impatiens omeiana as lovely as yours. Unfortunately someone (cutworm?) chops on the foliage and I end up cutting it back.

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  7. A joy indeed! I savored each lovely image. I wish I had better luck with cordyline and persicaria in my own garden. I really enjoy their foliage.

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  8. I love that the leaves are out. Bare stems and ground are the worst part of winter, for me. Your podophyllums are beautiful and I love the combination of the Athyrium nipponicum with the variegated Convallaria! Cordyline Electric Flash is going on the list for my fantasy garden in Brookings.

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  9. Beautiful collection!! And the agave ovatifolia just looks so gorgeous, highlighted even more with the bright star behind it. Perhaps they can co exist for a few more years?

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  10. Wow, gorgeous foliage! I love that first combination with the Yucca, Agave, and Sedums. Luscious!

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  11. Everything looks so lush, wonderful, and happy!
    Love it all.

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  12. It is a joy to see your garden!

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  13. Although I'm a certified flower fanatic, I think I'd gladly give up half my flower collection for your fabulous foliage. I love the Acers and, well, everything else. That combination of Impatiens and Podophyllum is particularly choice but of course neither plant has a chance in heck of surviving here.

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  14. Fine foliage-fest...and thanks for the reminder about the Chelsea chop.

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  15. All pretty, yet the "Sentry" is truly outstanding!...Everything looks so lavish, superb, and happy!...Love it all.

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  16. Your garden is perfection! The Japanese maples are gorgeous, I have tried them in the past but was never successful. Perhaps now that the garden is a little more sheltered by aging trees, I could try again, but then comes that 'one' winter when everything we babied along is frozen dead as a doornail after finally achieving some growth. I have had luck with Korean maples and a Korean/Japanese cross. Not as gorgeous as yours, but it will have to do. But the agave! Gorgeous!

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  17. What a showcase of PNW-happy plants! You've certainly tuned into the climate, Peter, with beautiful results.

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Thanks so much for taking the time to comment! I love to hear your thoughts.