Another Nod from Better Homes & Gardens - Colorful Coralbells

I could hardly believe my eyes when I read this month's Better Homes & Gardens -- they were spotlighting Heucheras -- and a couple of our choices were their choices for the best of the best. 

Heucheras, commonly referred to as coralbells, are appearing on the market in more colors than you ever imagined.  Colors that will provide zing to a container, brightened a shady corner of the garden and wow your friends -- bright lime green, intense oranges, deep plums -- reads kinda like a grocery list.  I'm a big fan of bold foliage plants because they will provide impact when the flowers are long gone.  Although Heucheras don't disappoint when it comes to blooms.  A number of the cultivars offer big spikes of pink, orange and white that hover over the large spray of leaves. 

Take a look at a few that are nestled in among the autumn ferns in the Welcome Center Garden.

This one is called 'Georgia Peach' -- how appropriate is that to have in our Garden.  Who needs flowers with color like that.

 

How about 'Berry Smoothie' -- a wonderful variety with silver and plum tones to the leaves.  It is very similiar to another of my favorites 'Amethyst Mist', which is also in the Garden.

 

I'm really looking forward to seeing this next one mature through the seasons.  'Golden Zebra' is really a Heucherella - which is a cross between a Heuchera and a Tiarella.  You get fuller flower heads from the Tiarella and the heat tolerance of the Heuchera.  You can see this one in the Garden or the container on the corner of Main and Washington.

 

 

Heucheras make great ground covers in the warmer areas where they stay evergreen.  You can plant these in spring or fall just make sure they have good drainage - they don't like wet feet.  My friend, Paula at Thomas Orchards, has a good variety of coralbells still available.  Check out 'Snow Angel' -- a bright green and white variegated version.

 

And speaking of friends, click on my friend Carol's blog (Inspirational Nature) in the right hand column and see the awesome pictures she has posted for 'Silver Scrolls' Heuchera.  That one is incredible paired with burgundy and black foliage plants.





Blowin' In The Wind -- Great Grasses

Tried some annual grasses in the containers this year -- there is good news and bad news here.  Let's go with the bad news first cause there really isn't anything too bad to report other than grasses don't like a lot of fertilizer and I've been feeding them along with the other plants in the container.  (Note to Self:  next year use plants in the same container that are on the same feeding schedule) 

So extra fertilizer makes for tall plants that flop a bit.  That just meant that I had to prune them several times to maintain a tidy appearance.  It was worth the trouble to have pretty much trouble free plants....which brings us to the good news.....trouble free plants!!!

I used three different cultivars from the Pennisetum family and after they got established they all performed equally well.  The old standby "rubrum" (Purple Fountain Grass) was used on the north side of the Park and in a couple other containers.  It performed well everywhere it got all day sun but in the container that had only afternoon sun it did flop more, but still impressive.

 



Pennisetum setaceum 'rubrum'

Purple Fountain Grass

3 feet tall by 2 feet wide

Annual grass

Purple plumes atop green and burgundy leaves

 

 

Another Pennisetum called 'Fireworks' looked so unique in its 1 gallon container and I had high hopes for it making a statement but when it reached its mature size in the street containers.  But it ended up looking pretty darn much like its sister 'rubrum'.  Admittedly, the plumes were a slightly different color but it would really be hard to tell one from the other.  There are two of them on the corner of Jefferson and Second Street by the Park -- doing very well so I can't complain too much about them.

 

 

Pennisetum setaceum 'Fireworks'

Variegated Purple Fountain Grass

 

3 feet tall by 2 feet wide

 

Burgundy, pink and green variegated leaves with purple-red plumes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The grass that I think is a real winner is Pennisetum setaceum 'Skyrocket'.  This one is only green and white so it isn't a show stopper from a color standpoint, but I did like the way it behaved -- less floppy and when the older leaves turned to a tan color they didn't stand out as much as those on the red-leaved variety. 

 

 

 

 

 

There are four Skyrockets on the south side of the Park -- all doing great -- not bothered one bit by the critters (aphids and who knows what else) that are colonizing on the verbena and lantana at their feet - but that is a story for another blog time.

The end of this story is that I would readily use 'Rubrum' and 'Skyrocket' again in the containers or in the ground, but I wouldn't rush out for 'Fireworks'.  But, we still have another 6 weeks to watch them so I might just change my mind....stay tuned.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hostas Approved by Better Homes & Gardens

I just got my free subscription to Better Homes & Gardens and was excited to see their article about hostas -- three of which are planted in our Welcome Garden -- so excited that I am even going to use photos that I'm not very proud of -- but you'll get the idea.  By the way, my free subscription came me to courtesy of the Georgia State Botanical Garden when I renewed my annual membership.  If you are not already a member, you are missing a great opportunity to be part of a very special place.  I could go on for pages about all the benefits but I'll let you check it out yourself at www.botgarden.uga.edu.

But back to my hosta excitement.  The title page shows 'First Frost', a fairly new hosta that I fell in love with this spring and just had to put in the Welcome Center garden.  It was the 2010 Hosta of the Year from American Hosta Growers and is a sport of the tried and true hosta 'Halcyon'. 

First Frost has firm, slightly corregated leaves with creamy yellow margins on blue leaves.  It grows to about 16 inches tall and 30 inches wide with lavendar flowers.  The plants in the Welcome Garden are young so I'm anticipating bolder variegation as they mature. 

Another hosta that BHG likes is Fire Island.   I bought this one last season for my own yard but brought to the Garden where it will actually survive instead of sitting in the blazing sun on my patio - I know, what was I thinking -- I was thinking a miracle would happen and I would suddenly get some shade.  But back to Fire Island..... 

I might like this hosta even better than First Frost just because it almost glows in the dark with its brilliant yellowish green leaves sitting atop red stems.  In this photo you can see it is hanging out with a Dragon Wing Begonia and Cephalotaxus 'Duke's Garden' - which makes for a really great combination of textures.  Fire Island grows to about 14 inches tall and 24 inches wide. 

And....then there is Fragrant Bouquet, which went into the Welcome Garden several years ago.  Like all plants in my life, this one got moved this year to a new location within the Garden and seems happy at the base of the newly arrived azalea.  The name says it all -- a bed of Fragrant Bouquet hostas will send up the most delicate, sweet smell when its three-inch blossoms are at their peak.  It is one of the few hostas that I allow to go to flower.  And the show doesn't stop there because the leaves are so striking the plant could be a winner without the blooms -- apple green, heart shaped leaves trimmed in creamy white.  This is a medium sized hosta at 16 inches tall and 24 inches wide. 

I have a few more treasured hostas languishing on my patio so they may join their friends in the Garden soon.   The Welcome Garden provides an ideal spot for growing hostas -- lots of shade with irrigation that provides a nice even level of moisture.   Next spring, after a year in the ground, these three should all be strutting their stuff. 
  

Great Ferns With Fun Names

My all time favorite perennial fern to use in a container or in the ground is Autumn Fern -- it's evergreen, tough, and adds so much to a finished arrangement.  But I do like to mix it up a little and use something different when I need a "lacy" look and that's when I go to my favorite annual fern Blue Crisp. 

Blue Crisp Fern - Polypodium aureum

Dusty blue fronds reaching 15-20 inches

Zones 10-11
Use as an annual in the garden and containers
Move indoors and provide bright light and even moisture










It is combined with Heucherella Golden Zebra and Lysimachia Persian Chocolate (and out of sight is also a Caladium "Moonlight") in this container on the corner of Main and Washington.   Because of its height it is also providing the linear aspect I needed in this arrangement. 

Blue Crisp is a tough plant and has been handling our minimal watering routine -- it is in a shady location so that helps -- but it does prefer to be kept moist.  I'd like to think that the moisture beads I put in the containers is helping here.  

A new fern for me this year is Kangaroo Fern (Microsorum pustulatum).  Looks very similar to Blue Crisp in leaf shape but it is much darker and shiney where Blue Crisp has a dusty appearance.  I combined it with Dragon Wing Begonia and Caladium "White Queen" in the container on Main and Washington near Ye Olde Colonnial.  It is still living but you would have to dig into the center of the pot to find it since it could not keep up with the aggressive begonia.  Another one is planted in the Welcome Center garden and doing very well by itself.  I'll use this fern again but be mindful to pair it with either smaller plants or slower growers. 

Kangaroo Fern can grow to be at least 2 feet by 3 feet but I'm not seeing that much growth in either the pot or in the ground and they are getting regular fertilizer.  This one would definitely make a great indoor plant and I'll give them a try this year to see if I can overwinter them.  Maybe with some size on them I'll be able to use them in containers where they are the star. 

I have not seen Kanagroo Fern readily available at nurseries but Blue Crisp does show up early in the season.  But because it is so unique it is quickly bought up by eager customers so if you are interested in using it next year, get there early.  It would also be a good idea to take the botanical name with you because I'm not sure that the nursery staff will recognize it by its common name.   Since most nurseries plan their buying way in advance of the season it might not be a bad idea to tell them now that you are interested.  

   

Back to the "Sea" Collection

I'm back with the rest of the story about the Under the Sea collection of coleus.  Since writing about the red/pink portion of the collection I stopped by the Welcome Center garden and it is amazing what a good dose of rain will do for plants -- the coleus have added several inches to their size and are looking lush and healthy.

I'm really liking Lime Shrimp more each time I see it.  Its placement in the garden doesn't do it justice and I'd like to see it in a mixed container and maybe a little more sun.

Lime Shrimp has enough coloration in it to make it interesting on its own but not so much that it would be a chore to work with it.  The dark purple edges of the scalloped leaves are really striking and busy enough that a large, smooth edged leaf companion would be called for.  The shape is right for this Gingerland caladium but the rose-red dots may not be a good compliment to the purple in Lime Shrimp.  A trip to the nursery with the coleus in hand may be called for to get the right combination.

In the Welcome Center garden it is positioned next to a heuchera with some purple undetones but neither plant is benefited by that pairing.  In my defense, that was the only space open to trial this critter from the Sea collection.



Langostino is another sea critter that I'm liking a lot.  Its colors are going to be easy to work with and it seems to be happy with some direct afternoon sun.  The leaves are large enough to make a statement but not overwhelm a grouping -- and the bright limey/yellow green on the edges will coordinate really well with a lot of other plants. 

And last but not least is Sea Scallop....what can I say about it....it is a little ordinary in my opinion.  Looks a lot like so many other coleus with scalloped leaves and spots.  Can you tell it isn't on my buy list.  It fills a space and adds color so there may be opportunities for it.  I'll be open minded and see what it does the rest of the season.

And just a reminder here for all of you who do have coleus in your garden or containers.  They are sending out their flowers so unless you just love those cute spikes of colors, cut them off so the plant won't waste energy on making seeds and decide it is time to stop making pretty leaves. 





"Under The Sea" - At Last

Finally, the 'Under the Sea' collection of coleus and I have "arrived" at the same moment in time --  they reached their full size and I found the opportunity to photograph them.  There are greats and not so greats in this collection, at least in my humble opinion.  I'll set out photos of each though and let you decide for yourself which ones have "wow" factor.  Better yet, you ought to stop by the Welcome Center garden and check them out.  They are scattered about in the beds so you'll also have fun finding them.

Seven varieties are growing in the garden but I thought I'd share the "red" group with you today and save the green/burgundy group for tomorrow.  You gotta love the names even if you don't love the leaves.

Under the Sea 'Bone Fish'

I think this is my favorite just because it is so cute and little that it almost looks like a sea creature. 

The colors are very bright and distinct so I think they will coordinate easily with other colors and textures. 

The full plant  makes a bold statement in the garden.  A comparison of the leaf size can be seen next to the rose leaves above.

Under the Sea 'Molten Coral'     -   This one seems to morph from oranges to pinks so you will get some options when pairing it.   Leaves are small but the color is big.

In this lighting the pink coloration is more pronounced.  As busy as this one is, I'd pair it with solid colored plants - something with lime green and big leaves.  The Wasabi coleus would work well or lime colored heucheras. 

Under the Sea 'Red Coral' 

It's pretty hard to see any "red" in this one but I'm think that may be because it is in heavy shade.  There is a lot of lime showing up along with the burgundy, but for the most part it is a dark colored plant.  Keep this in mind when you are pairing it.

If nothing else Red Coral has some very interesting leaf shapes.  This is another very busy plant and will need large, smooth leaves around it to set it off.  Where it sits in the Welcome Center garden causes it to be lost in the crowd.

The last one with some red/pink coloration is 'Hermit Crab'.  This is another very busy leaf that needs to be carefully matched, but that can probably be said of all coleus in the Under the Sea collection.  I've been complaining that coleus in general have become ordinary and monochromatic.  Guess I should be careful what I ask for -- this group is "over the top" in color and leaf shape. 

Under the Sea 'Hermit Crab'  -  this one really does look like a crab - well, maybe a kalidescope crab.  Unlike a mother, who loves all her children equally, this is not one of my favorites, mainly because it is so busy that it is hard to focus on any one aspect of it.  And I can't easily see what to pair it with.  Wherever you put it, it will have to be the star of the show so I suggest putting a number of them together to make an impact and just provide a solid color background. 

That's it for today's show.  I'll be back tomorrow with the rest of the team.