I do not grow that particular cultivar, but I do grow Bergenia. Mine is a start from just the common species. It is a fairly slow grower, though it is worth the wait to get a nice patch! The flowers are cute, but my favorite thing about it is the glossy leaves which also add a nice texture to the garden from their round-ish shape.

I have also wanted to try a few cultivars out, like the 'Lunar Glow' which has golden foliage in spring (like the Bressingham Ruby it will green out by summer). And also those neat-o variegated ones like 'Tubby Andrews', though I suspect those will be even more slow to grown than others, lol.
CMK

Here is a link that might be useful: other neat looking Bergenia

CMK - that's a great list! The bergenia varieties are expensive, aren't they? I'll have to try my favorite greenhouse nursery that can't be mentioned here to see if they have less expensive ones.

I will have to plant a few to test for deer and rabbit resistance before going too far with the project. The critters ate the heuchera that I had planted as a ground cover under my sweetbay magnolia! Now I have 4 pulmonaria under the magnolia that I'm testing for a nursery. I think pulmonaria may get too much sun under the chaste tree.

Bergenia is supposed to be resistant. Also, the chaste tree is in my butterfly garden and bergenia is a good plant (in bloom) for butterflies.

That nursery I linked to is on the high side- hopefully your nursery will have some for less. The leaves are shiny so I can't imagine deer would like the taste/texture of it (at least I wouldn't, lol!)

Your spot for the Bergenia sounds lovely! I have been thinking of pairing the 'Lunar Glow' Bergenia with the 'Bressingham Ruby' out front when I expand the shade garden there.
CMK

Cameron, I have that Bressingham Ruby Bergenia and I am on the fence about it. Mine has always seemed to have some foliar problem which mars the leaves and I end up pulling a lot of leaves on it. I have had it 3 years maybe and it has never bloomed. The foliage does turn that pretty burgundy color but because of the foliar problem, it never really looks good to me. It looked larger and a little better last year, so I decided to keep it another year. This is the year I am going to get off the fence and if it doesn't perform well, I'm going to replace it. I may try another one to see if the problem I had was just with that particular one. And I may try another variety. I would like to see bloom before I decided whether I like it or not. [g] I don't have a photo which is telling in itself, that I never think it is 'photo ready'.

Can I suggest considering some of the creeping Veronicas...'Georgia Blue' or 'Waterperry', which are offered by Blue*stone Perennials for one. I planted the 'Georgia Blue' three years ago and I liked it so much, I bought the 'Waterperry' I was outside yesterday and I see it is one of the first plants to start showing growth. It is very well behaved but grows well and so far has been carefree.

Photo the first year....

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Photo the second year.....

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The reason I recommend it, is that I also had trouble getting ajuga to grow let alone increase, so I am trying this in areas I wanted a groundcover. It doesn't have a particularly long bloom period so you would have to like the foliage. It stays green in autumn too. There is one called 'Sunshine' that stays very low and it is a bright golden color.

This is why I love to ask about plants here first to get feedback from those growing plants that I've not tried.

The Veronicas are beautiful! I hadn't thought about those, but perhaps a good choice.

I must admit that one of our concerns is that I not be surprised by the local corn snakes that love to inhabit our ground covered areas! In spaces where I work a lot, I don't like to give them a hiding place. In spaces where I don't have to work, they're welcome to keep out rodents.

I'll do a bit of researching Veronica to see if I can keep it alive here.

Cameron, I think the heat and humidity will be better enemies of the Bergenia than the deer or rabbits. It is not known to be a heat-tolerant or drought-tolerant plant, although PDN has in the past sold a few cultivars that they have trialed and recommend. If you want to try Bergenia, I would probably start with those cultivars.

Veronica 'Georgia Blue' is a good plant here and typically blooms with the early-blooming daffodils. I have the lent lily daffodil interplanted with it in one area. It also will rebloom in the fall when the temps dip.

Hello Cameron, I have often admired your garden here. I have had bergenia 'Winteglut' (aka Winterglow) for 2 years, and it hasn't flowered yet. Maybe it's just slow to establish; it has finally started to spread. We got lots and lots of rain this past summer, I think it must really need the elusive moist, well-drained soil. A better (easier) choice might be epimedium, it likes moist shade but will tolerate dry shade once it takes hold. It also flowers in spring, and has pretty heart-shaped leaves that flush red in fall.

I worked on clearing the area of leaves today. My husband and son brought three huge rocks up from our woods for me to use as a retaining wall behind the chaste tree. I found more of the ajuga has spread a bit since last year.

The Veronica may be a better choice if humidity is going to be a problem with bergenia.

I was at a garden center today and they had several beautiful bergenia for $5.99 each. I resisted buying one for now. They had no veronica. We came home with a pieris japonica and a flat of carex for other locations.

Gee Cameron, it sounds like you are really pulled toward the bergenia. Maybe you should at least try one or two to see how they do? I don't usually see creeping veronicas at the nursery for some reason. I bought mine at Bluestone because of that. They often have sales and sell them in groups of three. In May they could be half price and you could try both the bergenia and the veronica and see which one does the best.

I do grow bergenia but in my area, it's cheap and just not as popular. However I do like it very much in fact.

prairiemoon, I don't know why you are having problems with ajuga. I have them and they do spread so easily. They love moist soil and good compost.

Love the creeping veronica. Had it before and it was a beauty.

ianna, I think you just nailed it, I have a fairly dry garden. I am surrounded by many mature Silver Maples that I'm sure have that drying effect. Maybe that's the reason, I don't know. I was surprised that they didn't winter over for me, I thought they were hard to kill. [g] I also read that a couple of the varieties I tried are a problem sometimes. 'Black Scallop', 'Chocolate Chip' and the variegated one with the three colors, I forget the name. I planted the 'Black Scallop' again last year so I will be anxious to see if it comes back.