Love the pics!

Wonderful pictures. Makes me want to go out tomorrow and take some shots. This is all I have now.

From Drop Box

Barberry and Astilbe

Lisa,
Beautiful! I must say I love all of the different colors on a purple barberry.

One the first photo that I posted it is not Magnolia grandifolia (evergreen magnolia) it is Magnolia macrophylla (macrophylla=big leaf). What can I say I am getting old thinking one thing and writtting another!

Katy,
are those the jack i t ps you bought at Blanchettes?

Marie,

Yes those are the jacks I bought when I was at Blachettes with you, but I must confess while travelling this spring I zipped back and bought some more. The woman who was taking my money hesitated and asked if I knew that they will grow into a good size clump and I told her I saw them in your garden and it was love at first sight. Perhaps I was imagining it but after I dropped your name my credibility as a gardener with them seemed to bump up a few notches!

If you get a chance please post a photo of your jacks so folks can see how beautiful a full planting of them are.

While I was at Blanchettes I chose a few other jacks but it was earlier in the spring and they had yet to show any growth, I was willing to risk it but they didnt want to sell them to me as they had spring flooding and werent sure if it killed the jacks or not.

Nice idea to honor leaves, KT. Flowers come and go, but leaves are forever - or at least until the end of the growing season. Great photos both of you.

My favorite foliage today is on one of my Pieris japonica 'Little Heath's, which is happily reverting to something. I know I should cut the reversion off but it's really pretty and I'm curious to see if it flowers. I also like the contrast of the old and the new with a bit of groundcover sticking its head up in between.

Claire

Also, one of my houseplants, a scented geranium (Pelargonium citrosa?), is summering out next to a Miscanthus variegatus. They seem to be getting along well. The houseplant is actually holding a spot for a peony that will be moved into the vicinity in the fall.

Claire

Hi again, kt
I can't believe you went to Blanchette's without me! Well, I went without you two weeks ago. I had a patient in the very, very general vicinity and in less than 15 minutes grabbed two mukenia crimson fans, two more different var. solomon's seals, 3 cimigs (John someone, and two valerian (I thinkthose are the fragrant plants) and two gold bleeding hearts.

I went there for 4 plants. That was an expensive lunch break.

Neither Leo's wife, Pam, or he have seen my garden but they know Claire and me well. We are very very very loyal customers!

I had to move my jack last year and this year it is half the size. I put it below the walkway so the leaves could be seen from above. Don't know how that would work, but there was too much huge foliage where it was, and its gifts were lost.

Yes, finally I am becoming a more confirmed foliage shopper. But we had too big maples in front of the house removed and the entire garden is much brighter. It will be interesting to see how the shade plants do- will they suffer or take off like gangbusters? One of the very yellow hostas is getting sunburn.

mt

Marie,

All that during your lunch break, I am impressed with your skills. Joe wants to take down a few trees to benefit our solar and I am equally dreading and looking forward to more sun so I will be very interested to hear your report at the end of the season.

I like Jacks best when viewed as yours are from above or looking up into them. I have some just as you pull into my driveway it is the first thing you see and of course you are looking down on them.

Here is another Jack from Blanchettes on the top of my berm/garbage pile where I look up into them, I am truely smitten.

Anyone know if the above picture labeled "???" is of Deutzia, Chardonnay Pearls after blooming? It's so bright.

Jane

Jane,
the above is Arisaema herterophyllam aka Jack in the Pulpit.
Claire,
Nice photos, I am a big Pieris japonica fan and bought 'Little Heath' last fall. I can't tell you how impressed I was how well a young plant held up all winter. If it weren't for the dasteredly lace bug Pieris japonica would be the perfect shrub. How is yours reverting?

The 6th picture down from the top of the thread with ??? above it; looks like Deutzia. Jacks abound here, but I just bought a Deutzia and the one (I think) pictured above looks very nice.

Jane,
I finally remembered that the ???? photo is actually Leucosceptrum japonicum 'Gold Angel' (Gold Angel Japanese Shrub Mint)
Part Sun to Light Shade Zone: 4-8 36" tall Origin: Japan
We have been very pleased with the performance of this Japanese selection of their native shrub mint, which eventually forms a 3' tall x 3' wide mass of upright stems, clothed in 6" long golden yellow leaves. In areas with warm summer nights, the intensity of the leaf color may fade in summer, but cutting the plant back will cause the plant to reflush with brighter foliage. The clumps are topped in October and November (NC) with terminal spikes of yellow bottlebrush-like flowers.
I have it in a very shady location and it really brightens up what was once a dark hole.
Deutzia has been on my wish list for some time what other companions do you have it planted with?

Thanks for the link! It's a lovely plant that, at first glance, bears a strong resemblance to the Deutzia "Chardonnay Pearls" which I have planted next to a mystery Heuchera that was a tagless gift, but looks like 'Coral Bells Raspberry Ice', so there is a dramatic light/dark effect and the Deutzia helps cover a corner in the garden.

Jane
(ouch...another long r/o sentence)

KT: Two of my three Little Heaths show some reversion. In both cases it's a sprout from off of the trunk at or slightly below the ground level I see no signs of root formation, but I haven't dug too deeply.

I'd like to cut them off and propagate them but I'm not sure when to do it. I guess these would be classified as hardwood cuttings. Maybe somebody has some experience here?

The Little Heaths have been terrific for me here; I've had them for probably about five years (my records are around here some place, but not close by).

Claire

Gorgeous pics! I love this post. I was just on a spectacular garden tour, and although there were pretty blooms, my main takeaway (AGAIN, but I never seem to truly learn) was foliage, foliage, foliage. But I know I'll forget again at the nursery and be seduced by blooms....

Anyway, I didn't take any pics specifically for this post, but here are a few on hand:

European Ginger edging a path:
[IMG]http://i47.tinypic.com/118izxl.jpg[/IMG]

Closeup of Ginger, with a little seedling on the right:
[IMG]http://i46.tinypic.com/33xdgkw.jpg[/IMG]

Maidenhair Fern backing Sedum Autumn Joy:
[IMG]http://i47.tinypic.com/2qvscq8.jpg[/IMG]

Unknown hosta (I think something/someone is bothering these....they used to be huge and fill the ground completely, this year they are weak):
[IMG]http://i48.tinypic.com/2eumn1c.jpg[/IMG]

The culprit???:
[IMG]http://i48.tinypic.com/s5zdvq.jpg[/IMG]

Sorry to go off topic, but I thought hosta was supposed to be fairly indestructible. So I'm wondering if the chipmunks that live near this bed could be tunneling and messing up the roots? Is there another reason why hosta would weaken? Thanks!

Anyway, yes, enjoy that foliage!

Tulipscarolan - unfortunately the photos aren't showing up. There's a set of directions for posting photos in the FAQ I'm pretty sure.

Well Katy inspired me to actually go out and take some photos of the garden (and I've actually downloaded them to the computer), but I'll have to post when I've actually uploaded them and the internet connection has been wonky over the last few days. (Overwhelmed by soccer fans?)

Here are 2lips beautiful photos.

European Ginger edging a path:

Closeup of Ginger, with a little seedling on the right:

Maidenhair Fern backing Sedum Autumn Joy:

Unknown hosta (I think something/someone is bothering these....they used to be huge and fill the ground completely, this year they are weak):

The culprit???:

Thanks, KT, for posting the photos. I'm not sure what went wrong...I think I did the same process I've done in the past. If you don't mind telling me how you fixed it?

Separately, I am loving seeing all the responses. Beautiful & inspirational!

tulipscarolan: You have to copy and post the HTML code, not the IMG code.

Claire

I don't know about those being Jack in the pulpits, especially the one on the berm... I always thought Jack in the pulpit was specifically arisaema tryphyllum (Sp) Not saying you're wrong at all... Just a thought haha

tulips, it's wonderful to see such well placed examples of SWATHS; what a statement they make! the stone wall and bamboo fence(?)are so handsome. is the former a bldg. foundation or ...?
where are you in ma?
best,
mindy
www.cottonarboretum.com/

Mindy,
Thanks so much! The stone wall is the back of an old outdoor fireplace. It's a cute little "summerhouse" with a built-in fireplace and pretty slate roof covering the open-walled building. I fell in love with it when we saw it 11 years ago, and it's probably the reason we moved here. I had never heard of an outdoor fireplace. Little did I know that 5 years later, outdoor fireplaces and firepits would be all the rage everywhere :-)

Funny, I didn't realize i managed to get a few swaths going...I really do believe in them, but find many of my gardens more resemble "clown pants" because I keep succumbing to pretty blooms at the nursery, but am too cheap to buy 7 of a plant!!! So I think the results are little dots of color here and there. But I'm trying to divide and get some "drifts" going....

I live in a coastal town in Rhode Island.

I took these photos back in June, but am only now getting them up. (and maybe now is a good time to be thinking about this as I wander through catalogs, though so many only have flower photos.) I've been trying to consider foliage interest as I plant gardens for the past few years, and I can see the difference in the beds where that was part of my focus. What appealed to me as I wandered around was some combination of color, size, or texture contrasts. As always, taking photos made me look at gardens as a whole, not just the close-in views that I've posted, and I'll probably be reorganizing some of my gardens based on my impressions from some of the larger photos. (Plant lists start in lower left of each photo.)

Golden Hanoke grass, hosta, columbine

From June 2010

This combo create itself through seeding and scrambling. I planted just the daylily. Euphorbia, annual poppy, Geranium sanguineum, daylily.

From June 2010

Old rose, Sambucus (elderberry), Tsuga (hemlock)

From June 2010

Daphne 'Summer Ice', cranberry, hosta

From June 2010

Clematis 'Ville de Lyon', Rhododendron 'Checkmate', Iberis 'autumn snow' (candytuft), hosta, cranberry, hosta, hydrangea 'Endless Summer' (with apologies for tatty foliage due to a late frost)

From June 2010

Ribbon grass and a lavendar Thalictrum (meadow rue)

From June 2010

Blue spruce 'Fat Albert', Physocarpus 'Coppertina' (ninebark), Baptisia australis, Amsonia hubrichtii (Arkansas bluestar), rhododendron, with yellow hosta (also nailed by the late frost) and leftover narcissus foliage in the center.

From June 2010

Periwinkle, wild sedge, Cornus alternifolea (pagoda dogood) in background, Sambucus (elderberry), variegated shrub dogwood, siberian iris, rhubarb, lupine (plus one foxglove flower spike, though the foliage is hidden)

From June 2010

Sedum 'Dragon's Blood', Dicentra eximia (fringed bleeding heart)

From June 2010

And one long view down a bed where I planned foliage contrasts on the big woody plants: hardy clumping bamboo, Cornus alternifolia (pagoda dogwood), 'Fat Albert' blue spruce, and 2 types arborvitae, a gold foliaged and a dark green foliaged. All but the bamboo have several down the length of the bed. In the far background on the left is a shadblow (Amelanchier) and a 'Coppertina' ninebark.

From June 2010