MEMBER PROFILE 



2005 Open House Events 



BY MELISSA MOORE 



Companion foliage adds ex- 

 ceptional texture and color 

 to garden plantings. At Open 

 House events held this summer, foli- 

 age plants captured the spotlight. Bur- 

 gundy and black foliage were popu- 

 lar offerings in a range of heights. In 

 the low-growing, mounded category. 

 Pleasant View Garden's Heuchera 

 Dolce "Licorice" was a standout. The 

 large leaves in deep burgundy are an 

 exceptional foliage accent. The line- 

 up of Oxalis species also from PVG- 

 Proven Winners includes two burgun- 

 dy varieties titled "Charmed Wine" 

 and "Charmed Velvet". For a splash 

 of color in containers or a shady bed 

 these plants are new introductions 

 with a bright future. The Oxalis spe- 

 cies offer unique leaf shapes with pe- 

 tite, white flowers. They will reach a 

 maximum height of 10"- 14". Ajuga 

 'Black Scallop' is another purple foli- 

 age plant that has a mat growth habit 

 and is dense with leaves. 



In the mid-range category, an un- 

 surpassed variety for color is Pseu- 

 deranthemum atropurpureum Ru- 

 brum showcased in display gardens 

 at D.S. Cole Growers. This plant, 

 featured in D.S. Cole's Designer se- 

 ries, has won some distinctive honors 

 around the country. It was named a 

 top- 10 winner in the People's Choice 

 competition at the 2004 East Texas A 

 & M Plant Trials. It prefers full sun 

 and will reach maximum heights of 



T-y. 



Whenever a planting calls for 

 both height and foliage color, Cordy- 

 line Red Sensation and Pennisetum 

 Rubrum are must-have plants. These 

 upright varieties will stand alone or 

 in combination containers. Cordyline 



Pulmonaria "Gaelic Spiiiig "prcjcn iluiJc but 

 will light up its spot with its variegated pattern 

 of lime green and dark green coloration. 



tolerates both full sun to partial shade, 

 but the ornamental grass Pennisetum 

 Rubrum requires full sun. Both of 

 these choices have the potential to 

 reach heights of 3 feet. Ajumbo, black 

 foliage plant that is exceptional in 

 height and leaf size is Colocasi Black 

 Magic. With the common name, El- 

 ephant Ear it's no surprise the Colo- 

 casi 's best feature is its broad leaves. 



In recent years, the family of 

 green foliage plants has grown by 

 leaps and bounds. Some outstand- 

 ing introductions that have a trailing 

 growth are Lysimachia 'Goldilocks' 

 and Vinca Vine 'Illumination'. Other 

 noteworthy, mounding foliage plants 

 include all the Plectranthus species. 

 For the 2005-2006 growing season, 

 two exceptional foliage plants joined 

 this elite group. From PVG's Proven 

 Winners line-up comes the perennial 

 Pulmonaria "Gaelic Spring". It's a 

 shade-lover, but will brighten its sur- 

 roundings with its lime green color and 

 heavily variegated pattern in shades of 

 green. Pulmonaria is a sure bet to fly 



off the benches ne.xt spring. In shady 

 beds, it is a dependable performer 

 that fills out space with a compact, 

 mounding forni. The Euphorbias are 

 unrivaled in growth habits. Whether 

 it's the variety 'Diamond Frost', 'Ka- 

 lipso' or 'Efanthia', all sport unique 

 foliage and early spring flowers. 



At the Open House events held 

 in August, both Loudon Growers dis- 

 played many new ornamental grasses. 

 Sedges showed up in the greatest 

 number. Pleasant View Garden show- 

 cased Carex "Leather Leaf Sedge" 

 and Carex "Toffee Twist" in stand 

 alone pots or combination containers. 

 At D.S. Cole Grower's Inc, Carex, 

 "Red Rooster" was a multi-use plant 

 in beds and container plantings. These 

 grasses supply great vertical interest 

 wherever they're planted. Gardeners 

 looking for something new to try are 

 bound to be enthralled with all the 

 new introductions in this category. 

 Ornamental grasses are low mainte- 

 nance and dependable. Gardeners will 

 find success and great visual impact 

 with this plant family. 



No Open House would be com- 

 plete without a sampling of new flow- 

 ering annuals and perennials. Some 

 fun plants that sport pleasing blos- 

 soms are new introductions in the 

 Lobelia family. The varieties Laguana 

 'Sky Blue' and 'White' have demon- 

 strated that they are dependable, easy- 

 care performers. The Yubi Series of 

 Portulacas offered by Pleasant View 

 Gardens includes eight different col- 

 ors. These versatile plants are suited 

 for the landscape, baskets, containers, 

 or as ground cover. In the landscape 

 they perform just as they are described 

 in the catalog - "offering dramatic im- 



WINTER 2005 



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