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By Diane Lewis photos by Diane Lewis, Brookside Gardens Staff In a winter landscape, I cant overlook a striking deciduous tree canopy. Underplant it with beautiful dark evergreen conifers and contrasting broadleaf evergreens for a gorgeous setting, even in bleak winter. Take all of this, especially when sited among carefully selected deciduous shrubs and small trees, and it might as well be spring! Who among us would bother to take a gander at a winter garden missing these qualities? Yet I often find another important element missing, the abundance of evergreen perennials that can add to the perfection of winter designs. Evergreen perennial groundcovers are not new, of course; they can be charming in borders along walks or as literal ground covers for bare areas From a standard short list of evergreen species we could choose Japanese pachysandra, liriopes and their ophiopogon cousins (admittedly with great variety), epimediums, ajuga and (heaven forbid) vinca and ivy. Unfortunately, the very reliable traits that endear them to us, necessitate that we avoid some of them, ivy and vinca are great groundcovers but horribly invasive. And if anything, they are all over used. So whats available? The palette of evergreen perennials is much broader (should I say more colorful?) than current use demonstrates. First, we should expand our short list. Im not a huge fan of Japanese pachysandra, but I love the cultivar Green Sheen with its glossy foliage. Liriope is tired; put it to rest. Try black mondo grass (Ophiopogon Nigrescens); its dark purple-black foliage makes other colors in your border really pop. If epi-
Ophiopogon nigrescens
Ardisia japonica
The golden tones of Acorus gramineum cultivars catches the glow of the winter sun.
Arum italicum
For an attractive groundcover on the shady edges try, Bearberry, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi.
Bergenia omeiensis Appleblossom keeps the interest alive with its glossy leaves.
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Corydalis ochroleuca
From a variety of Euphorbia species, select foliage tone and variegation to meet your design needs.
Mats of dainty ground-hugging foliage provide an excellent foil for Phlox stolonifera blossoms.
Add hints of red to the winter garden with hardy geraniums, Geranium macrorrhizum Album.
Mazus reptans
mediums are not reliably evergreen for you, look for Epimedium pinnatum subsp. colchicum, with chromium-yellow flowers and outstanding winter foliage. Secondly, exploit the evergreen foliage of many of our summer-flowering perennials. These winter qualities are generally ignored, yet the foliage is nice enough to be useful as small-scale, specimen plants, or to be grouped among border plantings of deciduous herbaceous perennials. Upright, lacy species include corydalis (my favorite, the white flowered Corydalis ochroleuca) and Jacobs ladder (Polemonium reptans) for damp areas. The colorful foliage of some heucheras stand out in containers. Low-lying spreaders include Geranium macrorrhizum Album with reddish winter foliage and the rough-textured winter leaves of comfrey (Symphytum caucasicum) that follow blue summer flowers. As my interest in winter gardens expanded, I became interested in using evergreen perennials in less conventional ways. Walking through my garden, bare patches
Always useful: Helleborus spp. (massed or as a specimen, there are never too many) Euphorbia spp. (variable leaf tones, many types of foliage) Arum italicum Mormoratum (and other cultivars; spreads but usually welcome) Vancouveria hexandra (uncommon delicate version of Epimedium) Dramatic: Rohdea japonica (dark green and vigorous, use variegated cultivars as specimens) Bergenia omeiensis Appleblossom (try this easier, hardier cultivar) Farfugium spp (never met one I didnt like, formerly Ligularia) Grassy: Acorus gramineus cultivars (especially useful for damp areas) Carex spp. (great variety of sizes, color; tolerates deep shade) Iris tectorum (blue or white flowers; drought tolerant even in containers) Iris foetidissima var. citrina (beautiful red/black seed pods in Fall) Small scale: Sedum ternatum (native species with white flowers, round leaves) Sedum Angelina(vigorous yellowish, awl-like foliage) Mazus reptans Albus (try this white one between flagstones) Saxifraga stolonifera Tricolor (also other cultivars including green leafed) Shady edges: Asarum europaeum (for massing; Oriental spp. for specimen plants) Arctostaphylos spp. (select cultivar best for your USDA zone) Ardisia japonica (survived last four winters, Montgomery Co.) Natives: Tiarella cordifolia (remove deeply-packed leaf cover) Phlox stolonifera (creates mass of ground-hugging foliage)
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Tiarella cordifolia
Stand
Out
Softscape Installation Hardscape Installation
Training
Testing
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