Plant of the Month 2008 - The Natural Gardener

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The Natural Gardener
Garden Store Ltd.
4376 West 10th Ave.
Vancouver, BC V6R 2H7
Tel: 604-224-2207
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Plant of the Month - 2008

Each month The Natural Gardener will be highlighting one of the many unique and unusual plants here at the nursery.

◊ 2009 Archives | ◊ 2008 Archives | ◊ 2007 Archives | ◊ 2006 Archives

JANUARY: Jasminum stephanense

Jasminum stephanense - I am a great believer in vertical gardening and this fragrant, vigorous vine is one of my favourites for climbing up a fence or trellis. In no time at all it will clamber over your fence or trellis filling the air with its fragrance. Hummingbirds love this vine and once they discover it you will be entertained for weeks by them. It is semi-evergreen to evergreen here on the coast depending on how severe the weather is but if it does take a bit of a beating during the winter it doesn't take long for the new growth to appear in the spring and fill in with its glossy green and cream leaves. The flowers are a beautiful shade of pink rather than the usual white or yellow of other jasmines and appear in masses in late spring and then sporadically throughout the summer. It is easy to grow and can reach a height of 20 feet eventually. If you like fragrance in your garden then Jasminum stephanense is a must for you.

Cultural Requirements

Zone: 7
Light: full sun to part shade
Soil: Moist, well-drained
Height: 15-20 feet
Spread: 10 feet

FEBRUARY: Erythronium dens-canis "Snowflake"

Erythronium "Snowflake" is the European version of our native erythronium oregonum. The beautiful nodding white flowers with purple anthers appear in April - May and hover atop interesting speckled foliage. This erythronium naturalizes well in a shade to part shade area and does especially well under trees and shrubs. Snowflake does best in moist but fairly well drained soil so don't let it dry out. Being an ephemeral, after blooming it quickly fades away, not to reappear again until next spring so it is best to plant it in amongst other later emerging perennials such as hostas.

Every 3 to 4 years it is a good idea to break up the clump as it can get quite congested. By doing this you will ensure good flowering year after year and as a bonus increase your number of plants.

Erythronnium "Snowflake" is a wonderful addition to the spring garden. Everyone should have a few.

Cultural Requirements

Zone: 3
Light: Shade to Part shade
Soil: Moist, well drained, lots of humus
Height: 6 inches
Width: 6 to 9 inches

MARCH: Acer palmatum "Shishigashira" - Lion's Head Maple

The lion's head maple is a very popular and striking cultivar. It is a slow upright grower with dense tufts of crinkled deep green foliage on each branch, looking somewhat like the mane of a lion. The leaves are resistant to burning in full sun and develop a good golden yellow fall colour brushed with red-orange. It tends to be one of the latest Japanese maples to colour in the fall. Shishigashira makes a great container plant. When placed in the garden it has a sculptural feel that only improves with age.

Although they grow best in humus-rich, well-drained, fertile soil, Shishigashira grow well in most soils as long as they are not poorly draining or heavy clay. Water Shishigashira regularly for its first two growing seasons and during subsequent summer dry spells. Pruning is generally not required for this cultivar. Shishigashira grows well in part shade but has the best fall colour in full sun.

Cultural Requirements

Zone: 6
Light: Full sun to part shade
Soil: Moist, well-drained
Height: 15 feet
Spread: 12 feet

APRIL: Glaucidium Palmatum - Japanese Wood Poppy

This rare and highly prized Japanese woodlander has large, silky purple-pink flowers over rounded clumps of maple-like leaves that appear in April and May. Mature plants can have multiple blooms that can last for up to three weeks. It prefers part to full shade in moist, humus rich soil and will reach a height of 30 inches. This is such an exceptional beauty that any gardener who has a woodland garden simply must have this as part of their garden.

Cultural Requirements

Zone: 4-8
Light: Part shade to shade
Soil: Moist, humus rich
Height: 30 inches
Spread: 18 inches

MAY: Tiarella "Mystic Mist"

Mystic Mist is a brand new introduction from the ever prolific Terra Nova Nurseries in Oregon. Prominent red veins intersect the deep green foliage of this enchanting Tiarella whose leaves are also speckled white. With the onset of fall, they turn an astonishing pink. White foam flowers on short, dark red stems appear in the spring. It is much more vigorous than other variegated tiarellas. Mystic Mist has a fast growing, clumping habit but needs good drainage. As an added bonus it is also deer resistant.

Cultural Requirements

Zone: 4
Light: Part shade to full shade. I find tiarellas do well with morning sun and afternoon shade
Soil: Humusy, rich, well-drained
Height: 5 inches
Spread: 11 inches

JUNE: Penstemon "Blackbird"

Blackbird is a striking evergreen plant for the perennial border with its dark burgundy flowers and red striped throats. It should flower throughout the summer until late autumn, attracting plenty of beneficial insects and hummingbirds into the garden. After the first flush of flowers cut the plant back by two-thirds and in about 3 weeks you will have another crop of flowers. On the coast it needs a sunny, very well-drained spot. One nice thing about penstemons is that they don't like to be fertilized. Just plant them and leave them alone. If you want, top dress them with Sea Soil or compost at the beginning of spring. Cut it back to ground level in spring to encourage fresh, new growth. Give this Penstemon a try you'll be happy you did.

Cultural Requirements

Zone: 6
Light: Full sun
Soil: Well-drained
Height: 3 feet
Width: 3 feet

JULY: Kirengeshoma palmatum

I first saw Kirengeshoma growing under a 40 year old Japanese Maple tree in Susan Koelink's beautiful garden. I was wowed by its structure and the little yellow flowers hanging above the maple shaped leaves. It adds a structure and a touch of the exotic to the garden that few shade plants seem to achieve. It grows very well in cool, damp woodland settings, hence growing it under the Japanese Maple, and appreciates a leaf mulch at the base. It's yellow, bell shaped flowers appear in late summer dangling from purple-black stems. It is not appreciated as much as it should be for some reason but really does add a lot to the woodland, shade garden.

Cultural Requirements

Zone: 5
Light: Part shade
Soil: Loamy, moist
Height: 4 feet
Width: 3 feet

AUGUST: Brunnera "Dawson's White"

This is a superb woodland perennial that forms a clump of heart-shaped green leaves boldly edged with creamy-white. Sprays of bright blue Forget-me-not flowers appear in mid to late spring. The leaves start out small during flowering then double in size for the summer. This is a choice collector's plant, much in demand, but often in limited supply. It is excellent in the shade garden and I particularly like how it adds a touch of brightness to shady areas. Do keep it out of hot, dry winds as the edges of the leaves may turn brown and curl up. It is stunning in mass plantings and looks perfect beside a pond or stream. Plants may be divided carefully in early fall, but very small pieces have a tendency to revert to plain green.

Cultural Requirements

Zone: 4
Light: Shade to partial shade
Soil: Cool, moist
Height: 15 inches
Spread: 2 feet

SEPTEMBER: X Phylliopsis hillieri "Sugar Plum"

I first came across this rarely available, evergreen member of the Ericaceae family early this spring and was immediately drawn to it's glossy green leaves and mounding habit. So of course I brought some into the nursery and was really blown away when it started to bloom. There were masses of pink, bell shaped flowers all over the plant. Stunning! Adding to its charm is the fact that it is a repeat bloomer and is currently in another flush of bloom as I write this.

Phylliopsis "Sugar Plum" is an intergeneric hybrid between the North American natives Phyllodoce caerulea and Kalmiopsis leachiana. It prefers well-drained, acidic soil similar to what heathers prefer. On the coast it can take full sun to part shade. I think it would make a wonderful container plant and definitely would be a wonderful addition to your garden.

Cultural Requirements

Zone: 5
Light: Full sun to part shade
Soil: Well-drained, acidic
Flowering: Mid spring then repeat flowering in late summer to early fall
Height: 2 feet
Width: 2 feet

OCTOBER: Iris foetidissima - Gladwyn Iris

The Gladwyn Iris is one of the very few evergreen iris and thus makes such a great addition to any garden. They also tolerate shade better than most irises so are a choice selection for under planting trees. Once established it is even quite drought tolerant. However what make this iris truly special are the seed pods in the fall. The flowers start appearing in May and keep coming into June. The flowers themselves each last only for a few days but then they start forming green seed pods. By the end of August the pods are full and ripe and ready to burst. In September they burst open revealing stunning coral red berries that will last well into the winter. Because of the red berries this plant is a favourite with floral designers.

It is an easy iris to grow prospering best in sun to part shade in average, moist soil. The leaves are evergreen but by the end of winter you may want to prune out any damaged or sad looking leaves. Fertilize as you would the rest of your plants. After 3 or 4 years it will have produced a fair sized clump so you may want to divide it.

Left: Spring flowers. Right: Striking seed pods in September

Cultural Requirements

Zone: 6
Light: Sun to part shade
Soil: Moist, well-drained
Height: 2 feet
Spread: 18 inches

NOVEMBER: Dierama "Miranda" - Angels Fishing Rod

For those of you who joined me for the Bowen Island Garden Tour this past July you will remember how striking the Dieramas we saw in several of the gardens were. I was also quite taken by them and decided that for next spring I would bring some in to the nursery. Dierama "Miranda" is the result and I have a whole flat of them coming in April.

In general, Dieramas like moist but well drained soil. They look great beside a pond or stream although having seen them growing in a rockery I think they are pretty versatile. But they must be grown in full sun for best results. Dieramas are evergreen and should not be cut back at the end of the season as this interferes with growth and flowering. Treat them like you would any of the evergreen grasses and in the spring comb through the leaves with a gloved hand gently pulling out any dead, brown leaves. Fertilize them regularly with an organic fertilizer throughout the growing season.

"Miranda" is a particularly striking dierama with it's large, pendulous, lilac coloured flowers that start appearing in June and continue blooming through to the end of August. If you would like to grow a Dierama in your garden Miranda is the one to have.

Cultural Requirements

Zone: 7
Light: Full Sun
Soil: Moist, well-drained
Height: 4 feet
Width: 3 feet

DECEMBER: Arum italicum "Winter White"

This improved selection of Italian Arum has arrowhead shaped leaves with dramatic cream marbling. I've always liked Arum italicum, especially since it is one of the few plants that is in leaf during the winter but this cultivar is particularly striking. The creamy mottled foliage appears in fall then remains until late spring to early summer. The white spathe appears in late spring and is followed by a grand display of orange berries in the fall, held in heads like a rattle. Although it is a little slow to establish, your plant will remain for years in the garden. Large clumps may be divided in summer after the leaves die down. "Winter White" prefers a moist woodland setting but will tolerate summer dryness during its dormant period.

Note: The sap can irritate the skin and it is harmful if eaten.

Left: Arum italicum "Winter White". Right: Seed pods in fall

Cultural Requirements

Zone: 5
Light: Full to part shade
Soil: Moist, well-drained
Height: 1 to 1.5 feet
Spread: 1 to 1.5 feet