On Foliage: Pleasant Surprises, Future Plans, and Mother Nature's Ways

For some reason, I'm more fascinated with foliage this spring than I've been in the past. The exception is the lovely Calla Lily (Zantedeschia cultivar), nurtured in the warm sunroom during the winter and blooming now. Even in this case, however, the foliage is nearly as fascinating as the flowers, and they are amazing companions.



But when I pulled together a grouping of pots, I leaned heavily on colorful, shapely foliage. The elements here include spikes of Ostrich Ferns (Matteuccia struthiopteris), and a fun, hairy Papyrus Sedge (Cyperus papyrus) in the middle. Colorful Coleus and Ipomoea plants dance with Caladium, Fuchsia, and Hypoestes phyllostachya. As these pots fill out, they'll be even more fun.



I can't take much credit for the grouping above. With the exception of the Daylily (Hemerocallis) strands and the Rhubarb (Rheum × hybridum), the other plants here (Hostas and Forsythia) were planted by the previous owners. All look particularly vibrant this spring, thanks to optimal precipitation and temperature conditions.



There are several other settings in the garden where we're encouraging native plants to take over. In this case, Mayapples (Podophyllum peltatum) and Ostrich Ferns (Matteuccia struthiopteris) are reclaiming territory around an Oak tree. Their play with the Hostas creates a nifty structural and variegated grouping.



There are too many plants to name in this grouping above, but the main thing that's been different in recent years is the encouragement of native Wood Violets (Viola sororia) along the garden path through the Rose arbor.



Mother Nature takes credit when we walk into the woodland. Hostas line the edges, but the rest of the plants here are naturally occurring. Most of the spring ephemerals have finished flowering, but the foliage still delights.

Finally, one of my favorite potted plants has exquisite foliage--through the winter and early spring in the sunroom, and outdoors as a focal point during the growing season. It's Oxalis vulcanicola 'Zinfandel.' I love the yummy wine and dark green foliage, and especially when it's framed by more Ferns.

Foliage can be as magical as flowers!

Since I've included six examples of foliage combos in this post, I'm linking in with "Six on Saturday," hosted by Jim at Garden Ruminations. Visit his blog to see other fun garden happenings shared by other bloggers.

Busy, Busy

I'm sneaking in under the wire for this "Six on Saturday," hosted by Jim at Garden Ruminations. We're just past our last frost of the season, and now's the rush to get everything in the garden and organized for the growing season. Hardy perennials, like the Wild Hyacinths (Camassia spp.), can take a cold night, and the blooms are lasting much longer than they have during warmer Mays in other years. 
 


Lilies of the Valley (Convallaria majalis) are sending their heavenly scent through the late spring air.



Korean Lilacs (Syringa meyeri), just beginning to break bud, are adding their own amazing aromas.



It won't be long for the Peonies (Paeonia spp.); the ants are helping to keep the pests at bay. I apologize--I forgot to make note of the cultivar shown here.



I picked up this lovely Caladium 'Berries 'N Burgundy' at the garden center. It wasn't on my list, but oh well...

Finally, the Mayapples (Podophyllum peltatum) are strutting their stuff under their umbrellas. They sure are fun little buddies!

It's a special time of year for gardens around the world. Head on over to Garden Ruminations to join the May party. And Happy Mother's Day!

___________________

I'm so pleased to share that our book, "A Journey of Seasonal Wisdom," is now available as a paperback, and it's available on Amazon and Amazon UK! It's also available in ebook format.

Fellow blogger, Donna Donabella, and I co-wrote the book, and its readers are truly part of the story. Take a journey with us through the seasons, week by week. We're both so thrilled our collaborative effort of several years is now a finished product! Visit Golden Dragonfly Press to learn more!

A Heart-Filled Vase

Happy vase day! For this week's collection, I knew I had to include some "hearts."



First, I included the heart-shaped foliage of Red Barrenwort (Epimedium x rubrum). The foliage is as exciting as the flowers (which I didn't include this time).



Next, Virginia Waterleaf (Hydrophyllum virginianum) is another plant with amazing foliage. In this case, I think the mottled leaves and their deeply lobed structure are even more visually appealing than the flowers (they're not blooming yet). In this arrangement, the leaves complement the foliage of the next plant.



Bleeding Hearts (Lamprocapnos spectabilis): They're at peak bloom now, they're excellent cut flowers, and they have a decent vase life. Definitely a favorite--in the garden and in a vase!



It's a good year for Wood Violets (Viola sororia). I'm letting them naturalize more than in the past: Why discourage beautiful, native ground covers?



It took a while for the native Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) to settle in to the garden, but it's really coming into its own now. It's been a great fall foliage replacement for the invasive Burning Bush (Euonymus alatus) we removed about 10 years ago. And now plentiful spring flowers are adding to the magic! A Chokeberry sprig with a couple of flower clusters added a nice central focal point to the vase.



Finally, the photo at the top of this post doesn't include this last element, but I thought the arrangement needed a "spike" of some sort. So I cut a sprig of budding Korean Lilac (Syringa meyeri).

What a joy to have so many options for cut flowers again! I hope spring is in full swing in your garden, too. For more vases from gardens around the world, visit Cathy's "In a Vase on Monday" meme at Rambling in the Garden.

___________________

On Tuesday, May 5, our book, "A Journey of Seasonal Wisdom," will be released as a paperback, and available on Amazon! It's also available in ebook format.

Fellow blogger, Donna Donabella, and I co-wrote the book, and its readers are truly part of the story. Take a journey with us through the seasons, week by week. We're both so thrilled our collaborative effort of several years is now a finished product! Visit Golden Dragonfly Press to learn more!

An Ode to the Trilliums

Trillium recurvatum

Trillium grandiflorum

Trillium erectum