Spreading Light in the Shade

Evergreen ground cover tends to be a rather boring group of plants, they are generally just green and well … creepy. Everything changes when you try running forms of Tiarella, which is semi-evergreen perennial plant.

Tiarella cordifolia ‘Ocotoraro’
Image courtesy of Plants Nouveau © 2008

The foliage of Tiarellas is always cut in very interesting shapes and marked nicely with black patterns. The new spring growth will always be a brighter, lighter green than last seasons’ or late summer color. The really stunning part about having ground cover forms of Tiarella is the light, airy blooms they produce beginning early in the spring.

In perennial gardens for shady spots, you will find both clumping and spreading forms of what is commonly known as Foam Flower. The proper name for this group of plants is Tiarella. There aren’t that many forms of spreading Tiarella that are beautiful, so the introduction of the River Series has been causing some excitement among plant collectors. Last year we featured Tiarella cordifolia ‘Delaware’. Now you can get a first hand peek at the rest of the current new releases.

From the genius breeding work of Sinclair Adam from Dunvegan Nursery in Pennsylvania, comes this wonderful selection of flowing flowering ground covers. In regions beyond zone 5, this plant may very well be perennial due to extreme winter temperatures. With good snow cover as insulation, it will not die back, but be there and nicely green when spring thaw arrives. Late frost spells will never make this flowering plant in your garden or landscaping look zapped, they adore cold weather. Frost and a late snow will do little to impair the blooming charm.

The Tiarellas in the River Series grow 4-6” high with a spread of 2-3 feet in two or three years. Unlike other evergreen groundcovers like Pachysandra and Ivy, Tiarellas are good mannered bed fellows. You won’t find this lovely flowing foliage choking the life out of your shrubs, hostas and other perennial plants. With the traditional forms of evergreen groundcovers, it is an annual to seasonal chore keeping it cut back from the life space of other plants in your landscape or garden. Pachysandra over a couple of decades can get so thick and determined; I have seen it push over ornamental fences out of the ground!

Tiarella cordifolia ‘Lehigh’
Image courtesy of Plants Nouveau © 2008

You’ll be delighted to know that once established, Tiarella plants will deal with drought quite nicely. While they will grow and fill faster with consistent moisture, a little dryness will not kill your planting off. It is best to give them loose soil that is rich in organic matter like compost that they are natives of on the forest floor. Good drainage is also important to the family of Foam Flower perennials.

Tiarella cordifolia ‘Wissahickon’
Image courtesy of Plants Nouveau © 2008

While they will in the cooler regions of the US do very nicely in some sunshine, your Tiarella plants will be lusher if they only receive morning sun. This is especially true in really hot summer areas. Some sunshine is advisable for best flowering habits. Like ferns, Tiarella is a plant that will grow in some really difficult shaded places but will perform faster with filtered or direct light in the cooler parts of the day.

Tiarella cordifolia ‘Susquehanna’
Image courtesy of Plants Nouveau © 2008

The entire River Series of Tiarella cordifolia should be easy to find for early shopping in 2010. All five plants were released to growers in 2009, making availability for this spring more prevalent. For more information, please visit Plants Nouveau.

Cool As a Cucumber

Gorgeous foliage that will not fry …
No matter how hot, no matter how dry.

Introducing Autumn Delight™ Sedum ‘Beka’ PP#18,421

Image Courtesy of Intrinsic Introductions © 2008

There is a lot more to perennial plants than just the flower. Blooming is wonderful, but don’t forget about the rest of the season. Your garden or landscape plantings have far more impact with different hues and textures of foliage on display. Autumn Delight Sedum has great value for foliage impact from spring to early fall.

This lovely new plant from Intrinsic Introductions gives you glowing chartreuse leaves edged with a thin line of deep blue green. Autumn Delight is sure to set those hot, dry plantings off in a way not possible with other drought tolerant plants. A sweep of brilliant foliage in summer is topped with increasingly deep pink and finally brilliant red blooms in late fall.

Image Courtesy of Intrinsic Introductions © 2008

Sedum Autumn Delight is easy to grow and will adapt to just about any soil but does require good drainage. This perennial prefers full sun but will do well in part shade. As with most colored foliage plants, you will get far brighter hues in all day sun. Maturing at 18″ high and wide, Autumn Delight is hardy in zones 4-9.

If you’re new to growing perennials in your yard, sedums are an excellent starter plant. They thrive even when neglected, making them the perfect ‘plant it and forget it’ perennial. Their chunky texture makes them the perfect textural balance planted with ornamental grasses. For the exact reverse in variegation excitement, check out the stunning looks of Autumn Charm Sedum.

Image Courtesy of Intrinsic Introductions © 2008

In a container garden this new sedum will shine without constant care. In the ground, you’ll get great impact in hot, dry places teaming Autumn Delight Sedum up with dramatic plum purple lower growing Vera Jameson Sedum and silvery Artemesia. To really jazz it up and add some height toss in some Pink Muhly Grass. New and beautiful Autumn Delight Sedum is available from better garden catalogs and nursery for Spring 2009 purchase.

One To Grow On

Dashing and radiant leaf to bloom …

Easy to grow, plant it and forget it beauty.

Introducing Autumn Charm™ Sedum ‘Lajos’ PP#14,421

Image courtesy of Introductions © 2008

One magnificent looking perennial plant you really out to get to know. Here’s living proof that workhorses can be stylish and beautiful. Sedum ‘Lajos’ Autumn Charm will grow in just about any soil. The sedum family will tolerate just about anything you or nature can do to it. Including not only surviving the family dog’s digging spree but also multiplying merrily because of the apparent destruction. (Believe it or not … it has happened to me. The following spring there were hundreds of baby sedums!)

Image courtesy of Intrinsic Introductions © 2008

Autumn Charm Sedum will be beautiful from the spring day it emerges from the soil until hard frost dries it for winter interest. This sport of Sedum Autumn Joy has all the great assets of irs parent and 20 times the beauty. Autumn Charm will give you brilliant fall color later in the season when all the rest of the sedums have darkened and become dull.

Image courtesy of Intrinsic Introductions © 2008

Autumn Charm Sedum prefers full sun and dry conditions once established. The plant will mature at 18″ or more high and wide and is hardy in zones 4-9. Foliage is a lovely blue green with a wide cream colored margin. The exact reverse foliar pattern of Sedum Autumn Delight (Sedum ‘Beka’) also new for 2009 from Intrinsic Introductions.

Bright fall color holds on longer than other sedums.

Flower buds will be full blown and glowing white in August. Coloring as the weather cools to pink and gradually deep red. For 3 seasons of color and added winter interest, Autumn Charm Sedum is definitely one to grow on … and on. Look for Spring 2009 availability in better garden catalogs. If you have a hard time finding this one in the spring, give them a year and there will be around for purchase by summer 2010.

Seedy Little Charmer

Fine texture for great balance…
Makes a late statement of soft smoky blooms.

Introducing Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Piglet’ PPAF

Image Courtesy of Intrinsic Introductions © 2008

Graceful, willowy ornamental grasses are usually too tall for being really versatile in the landscape and garden. Dwarf fountain grasses grow to a mere foot tall and regular sized varieties can hit 30″ in height. Piglet Fountain Grass gives you a happy medium at 18″ tall.

This lovely new introduction from Intrinsic Introductions measures up to a placement behind the front row of your border planting. The habit of fountain grasses being upright and yet somewhat weeping is great for shape and texture in any landscape planting. Piglet Pennisetum offers you an in between sized grass with excellent placement versatility.

Image Courtesy of Intrinsic Introductions © 2008

Abundant, light smoky bloom heads appear in late summer and hold on into fall and add winter interest everyone is seeking. Like all ornamental grasses, Piglet Pennisetum offers you an easy to grow perennial that deals with drought and hot sun effortlessly. You will also have great luck growing this fountain grass in part shade.

Grasses are excellent as a textural balance mixed with shrubs or perennials. For the best impact in any designed planting, you need to use large leaves down to small to get the most desirable finished look. The savvy homeowner will play one texture against the other and use a variety of foliage tones as well.

Even small fountains make beautiful music

Piglet Fountain Grass will prove to be valuable to just about many with an interest in improving their curb appeal. Cold hardy as far north as zone 5, this lovely little grass prefers consistent moisture and good drainage.

To add an abundance of light colored, buff tan seed heads to your beds with a concentration towards the front of the planting, Piglet is guaranteed not to disappoint in looks and easy care. You will find Piglet Pennisetum available from finer nurseries and garden catalogs for Spring 2009.

Fabulous Glowing Foliage First

Lemon-lime foliage is just the beginning.

Double the impact with fiery red blooms midsummer.

Introducing new Lobelia cardinalis ‘Golden Torch’ PPAF

Image courtesy of Intrinsic Introductions © 2008

For brilliant late summer to early fall color, Lobelia is an excellent low maintenance perennial. It does well in many soils with consistent moisture and good drainage. You will have great luck growing Lobelia in full sun to part shade.

Golden Torch Lobelia gives you double the color, double the fun with bright foliage that is striking through early summer. In full sun, you will have the brightest yellow hues to the leaves. In part shade, they will be more chartreuse. Either way Golden Torch will glow in the landscape and garden amidst the more expected colored foliage.

Image courtesy of Intrinsic Introductions © 2008

You’ll get a riot of beauty when the cardinal red blooms unfurl mid season and continue into early fall. That fiery display will be all the hotter shooting out of the glowing stems. This hot new plant is being brought to your garden from Intrinsic Introductions.

Sling some zing around your yard! Lobelia is fabulous in masses and thick waves when you have space to devote to multiples of one plant. It is excellent for around ponds, waterfront and stream banks because it adores moisture. Golden Torch Lobelia is sure to lighten your maintenance load and brighten your yard anywhere you want to enjoy them.

Golden Torch is a slender perennial finishing out at just 18″ wide. The foliage gives you 18″ of height. Brilliant red blooms give you months of floral enhancement at 30-42″ above the soil that continues into early autumn. Oooh-la-la! You’re going to look forward to this plant reawakening each and every spring.

Guiding light in ground effects

You probably won’t have to wait long to get your hands on this fabulous new easy to grow perennial. Look for Lobelia ‘Golden Torch’ to show up in better garden catalogs for Spring 2009 ordering.

Far Prettier Than A Vision

Blue shot lace foliage is lovely alone.
You get twice the beauty when it blooms.

Introducing new Astilbe ‘Delft Lace’ PPAF

Image Courtesy of Plants Nouveau © 2008

Astilbe is always a lovely foliage plant whose lacy presence makes a welcome accent to hosta and other shade lovers. The majority of the Astilbe plants are a rather expected shade of green. Some, such as ‘Fanal’ Astilbe do have dark red veins that give them a heightened element of decor in the garden. How about Spruce Blue foliage for a new source of color variation?

Introducing Astilbe ‘Delft Lace’ with foliage boasting a unique silvery blue overlay. You’ll get long lasting excitement from a wonderful garden player. This chance seedling was discovered growing in the flower fields at A-B Cultivars by breeder Arie Blom. Sometimes a weed is not a weed! Astilbe ‘Delft Lace’ is a new introduction to the US. Made available by Plants Nouveau, the experts who represent Arie’s marketing interests in North America.

The added value is the beautiful two-toned sherbet colored bloom heads. Raspberry stems and buds that really set off the lighter fluffy peach colored florets. Quite beautiful in full bloom, Delft Lace gives you a whole new hue in Astilbe choices. Appearing above the light reflecting silvered blue leaves the midsummer blooms are pure delight.

Astilbe does best in shade to morning sun exposures with humus rich soils. This is not a drought loving plant – too long of a dry spell will be the fastest way to loose an Astilbe. The last thing you want to do to this very special Netherlands import is to allow it to become a crispy critter.

Image Courtesy of Plants Nouveau © 2008

You can create a fabulous planting combining ‘Delft Lace’ Astilbe with gold and deep blue hosta foliage. Try to play the textures of very smooth leaved hosta varieties against deeply puckered leaved types. You’ll get wonderful texture play and enhanced color with excellent foil. Take the effect one step higher by adding a highly silvered Pulmonaria like Excalibur and dramatic Obsidian Heuchera.

Astilbe ‘Visions’ is pale in comparison and nothing at all like this exciting new perennial. Outstanding garden performance is what you can expect from Delft Lace. A note to all gardeners … before pulling a strange looking “weed” and casting it into the compost pile, you might be wise to a pot it for observation. One never knows what treasure may be born from one tiny little stray seed.

‘Delft Lace’ Astilbe is hardy in zones 5-7 and matures to 12′-15″ high by 24″-36″ wide. The perfect sized perennial for planting in front of taller shade dwellers. A smattering of availability for Delft Lace appeared in June of 2008. If you missed out on getting one then, retail numbers will increase. Look for new stock to show up in better garden catalogs for Spring 2009 ordering.