I'm curious what some of you might plant as companion plants to "Bressingham Ruby" Bergenias. For a variety of reasons, we want to redo the area where we have some growing. They are quite healthy, and in fact should probably be separated. But we're trying to figure out what might go well with them in terms of texture and color.
Bergenia "Bressingham Ruby"
I have several of them growing in front of Creme de Menthe Pittosporum tobiras.
The variegation of the Pitt's. goes great with the color of the bergenias.
Don't know if the Pitt's. will grow in your zone, though...you'd have to ck. the plant files.
I've also seen them paired with silver or gray foliage plants and the contrast is very nice. i.e. artemesia, dusty miller, lavender...)
As companion plants, I like Alchemilla mollis, hardy geraniums, and dicentras. The Bressingham bergenias really take a beating in harsh winters, though. For colder gardens, I recommend Bergenia 'Rosi Klose', as it has sturdy, glossy, purplish leaves that still look good by spring.
Fortunately we don't have harsh winters. Our Bressingham Rubies have done marvelously over the years. In fact they are a tremendous presence in the winter lining the bed leading to our front door. Right now they have grown to be rather bunched, so we need to separate them. This winter we lost some plants around them to those pesky voles, so want to do something a bit different. We really appreciate your thoughts!
Voles-you too, huh? Arrgh! I just found this thread-I'm really happy to hear that your Bergenia has done so well. I've decided to add some this year. I'd like to try that new dwarf one, if I can find it.
I'm kind of a Heuchera fan, and they're evergreen here. There are some that are fairly silvery, like JasperDale suggested. How do you feel about grasses? Mondo grass and Liriope and some carex are evergreen and do well for me, too. I've got a very cute Deschampsia, 'Northern Lights' that's only supposed to get about 10" tall, and the new spring foliage is supposed to have some pink streakiness-that might look nice next to the red Bergenia. It's not prickly like the sea oats but kind of sticks up all over like a little sea urchin.
We have all kinds of Heucheras. We're especially drawn to the Peach Flambe ones, because the sun shines through the leaves making them seem iridescent. We surround them with Obsidian ones to make them stand out. The Lime Rickeys are dynamite if you want to punch up an area. Grasses do quite well for us. We lost a HUGE stand of Japanese Blood Grass to the voles. That stuff is practically invasive in our beds, and we've got it other places, so will move some. It looks terrific under a Shishigashira. I would love to have drifts of Deschampsia like you see in the Piet Oudolf books. We have found that Northern Lights doesn't age well - looks great in the first year or two but loses its luster.
Oh, I'm disappointed to hear that 'Northern Lights' goes blah as it ages. I got it last spring and it's just been a little trouper for me so far.
Your garden sounds very nice. I like Peach Flambe as well-the color it takes on when it's in sun is gorgeous! I used it in a container last year and it looked fabulous. I've got Key Lime Pie instead of Lime Rickey. I've heard that it's less fussy. It's wonderful, and I'm very happy with it. I love that it has pale peachy blooms.
Thanks for the vole warning on the Jap. Blood Grass. I'll keep an eye on mine. Have you tried Uncina Uncinata Rubra? That's one that I've got my eyes on this year.
Susy, I have not tried that. I will check it out and see how it might work. My wife had already listed us to have an open garden this coming summer for the Hardy Plant Society so wouldn't you know that this would be just the time for an attack of the Voles! Then again, it forces us to redo some things we've been "going to get around to". I'm sure you know how that works. We also will probably have to replace a wonderful Magnolia "Butterflies" that was essentially destroyed when some folks put moss killer on our lawn last year - they weren't careful to avoid the flower beds and I'm afraid that little tree got hit. We'll see over the next month. In that area we want to create a yellow garden, and have installed the beginnings of that under a couple of Pseudoacacia Robinia "Fresia"'. When it finally comes together, it should be smashing!
Actually I misspoke myself. We planted some of the grass in question last Fall when we redid a bioswale. It is very nice, although I wouldn't see it as a replacement for Blood Grass. It is much browner. In fact under the right conditions I'm sure some might think it was dead! We like it, especially where it is, because the sedge can deal with the wet of the swale, and the color compliments the things around it. We have come to love grasses, and will be planting more this season.
Hi Bill,
Oh, that's interesting about the Uncina Uncinata-I've heard colors can be affected by soil and light conditions as well. Wonder if it needs something different to bring out the very bright red that's in all the pictures (Or if that's a little help from Photoshop...). I'm gradually adding more and more grasses, too. They're so versatile and can be background or foreground interest.
Oh, no, Voles right before HPS. Yes, that would be my luck, too, or a mole invasion the night before everyone was supposed to show up. Or a squirrel festival where they're racing around everywhere shredding stuff. Still, how wonderful to be part of the summer tour!
So sorry to hear about your Magnolia-that's a beautiful tree. I hope it can recover. Black Locust-and Magnolia? You must have a lot of space to work with, but I'm sure it will be glorious. I find yellow a challenging color to work with because of the different undertones and intensities it can have. I think I like the pale yellows best, like your Magnolia. Some of us over in PNW have been talking about Iris Siberica "Butter & Sugar". It's not a new variety at all, but maybe because it's early spring and the colors are so nice and soft it's kind of captured our attention. My favorite crocus this year was Crocus Chrysantha 'Cream Beauty'-I think it's the same sort of pale yellow. I just also got a new Hellebore that's pale yellow with rose spotting. It's called "Goldfinch".
Susy,
If you ever get the chance, visit the gardens that surround the Village Green in Springfield, OR. It's a large motel complex that was purchased in rather run-down condition by a man who loves gardens. He is slowly transforming it into quite a beautiful place. In the gardens that surround the motel, one section is a "yellow garden." That was frankly our inspiration. Since we have 5 acres to work with, we aren't limited to what we do with trees, shrubs, etc. Actually we planed a third Robinia across from the other two and think it will actually bring a couple of beds together. I will look at your discussion (PNW) because it intrigues me. That Hellebore sounds smashing!
Hi Bill,
Things get a little bit "freeform" over in PNW, especially in winter, but there are some very creative and talented gardening folks over there. I wish my gardens were half as good. Do drop in and say hello-everyone's friendly and very low-key. We've been putting together a calendar of regional gardening events that you can view from the sticky post at the top of the forum. It includes things down here as well-including the Hardy Plant spring sale, which I'm really looking forward to.
Yes, the Hellebore is a Heronswood introduction that I got from Dragonfly Farms in Kingston in her special sale. Several of us got together and went up to visit her last week and I picked it up then.
The Village Green in Springfield, OR-OK, I'll make a note of it. It sounds interesting. I like having places that aren't quite on the beaten path to visit, and it's always neat to see something become revitalized and beautiful. When is a particularly good time to visit?
Are you taking part in the Hardy Plant Sale? We've been thinking of volunteering this year. It will be so much easier given the new location. That's a great place to find some fun plants! The problem is we tend to OD in a matter of minutes, seeing plant after plant that is a "must have". LOL
We've not been to Dragonfly Farms before. How does it compare to Joy Creek or Cistus? We love Dancing Oaks near Monmouth. Their display gardens are outstanding, and they have some unusual plant material.
I spent a few minutes on the PNW site. I'll try to get back there tomorrow.
Hi Bill,
Yes, I'm very happy about the new location as well. This will be my first year even attending. Every year I plan to go and then something comes up, or I don't write it on the calendar and forget, or I remember at 2pm on Sunday and it's been all the way down in Clackamas.....very frustrating. This year I've got reminders everywhere-I WILL NOT allow myself to miss it again.
LOL, yes, on the OD- every plant sale I go to does that to me. I force myself to make a full circuit looking at everything before I buy even one plant. Then I make myself compare for price and quality and by that time I'm so overwhelmed that I come home with half of what I was looking for and end up buying things later for more $$$. So I need to figure out a middle strategy that lets me come home with the plants I want while still not needing a second mortgage or a semitruck to bring them home in.
I haven't been to Dancing Oaks yet, it's been on my list for a while, but I'm guessing that philosophically Dragonfly is very similar-maybe Joy Creek meets Dancing Oaks. She's got acreage and a neat big old Victorian farmhouse (They also run a landscaping firm that does design, etc). But she's a total plant addict. She has a large display garden area nearer the house. It was cold and rainy and pretty miserable so I didn't go through the displays-next time I will. The nursery is actually fairly good-sized with rows of waist-high tables and a shade section, beyond that, trees and shrubs. Her plant selection is varied and interesting with lots of unusual things, and if you look there are interesting things tucked in all over, even under the tables. And, her prices are reasonable, too. One of the plants I got was a 4" Bergenia Solar Flare for $6, and I'm going to be getting a couple of Hepatica for $3. My friends got a Hydrangea a. petiolaris 'Firefly' for $10, very vigorous, about 2 ft tall. It's an interesting-enough nursery that it's a good thing it's so far away.