The Unusual Suspects
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The unusual suspects Flamboyant and By Loree Bohl One of my favorite garden moments downright strange occurs with surprising regularity. I notice people walking or driving down the plants draw attention street, only to come to a complete stop to the garden in front of our garden. Sometimes their expression is so animated it’s as if they have a cartoon thought bubble above their head read- ing, “What is that plant?” The particu- lar plant in question always changes, depending on the season and the person who’s doing the asking. Not everyone wants a garden that causes people to stop and stare — and let’s face it, a garden built entirely of dramatic plants would be more chaotic than is desirable. However, every garden needs at least a couple plants that make people ask, “What is that?” After all, that atten- A garden with Eucomis ‘Dark Star’ will get noticed — particularly if this dark plum-colored beauty is set off against gold or silver tion-grabbing plant might just be the foliage. The pink flowers on this dwarf pineapple lily can draw one to hook a non-plant person, pique additional attention in late summer. their curiosity, and turn them into a PHOTO COURTESY OF TERRANOVANURSERIES.COM gardener for life. MARCH 2014 ▲ DIGGER 17 ▲ THE UNUSUAL SUSPECTS Plants call out for attention when they stand apart from those around them. Unusual leaf size, a curious foliage color, interesting bark or extraordinarily large thorns are all virtually guaranteed to catch the eye of passers-by. Fragrance adds another layer of intrigue, as it isn’t always obvious what the source of the scent may be. “Where is that smell coming from?” becomes the question. A plant which might be common in its natural environment (an agave in Arizona, for instance) becomes rather novel when planted elsewhere, like that same agave growing in Oregon. Unusually large leaves Introducing plants with large leaves into a garden may be the easiest way to up the “wow” factor. One of the When it comes to hostas, ‘Empress Wu’ is among the biggest of the big. It can grow up to 4 feet tall, most remarked-upon plants in my small with enormous, 18-inch leaves. Consequently, it’s been in high demand. PHOTO BY DOREEN WYNJA FOR MONROVIA 18 MARCH 2014 ▲ DIGGER 1275 Bailey Hill Road ASK ABOUT OUR Eugene, OR 97402 Office: 541.342.1835 CUSTOM SOIL BLENDS! Fax: 541.343.4802 urban garden is the bigleaf magnolia, Magnolia macrophylla. With leaves that BARK FOR CONTAINER MIXES can approach 2½ feet long, and flowers Various Sizes Available a foot wide, this definitely is not a timid tree. It requires a little planning for suc- Contact Rex for pricing at 541.335.8017 cessful placement in the garden. www.rexius.com “Don’t put all the big leaves at the back of the border,” cautioned designer Lucy Hardiman of Perennial Partners. By varying the heights and staggering your “wow” plants, they’ll pull your eyes through the garden and draw you into the space. She also stressed the importance of foliage contrast: “Mix small leaves with large ones.” That tip is especially impor- tant in small gardens, where the tendency might be to use smaller foliage plants. At ground level, large hostas such • Custom Blending as Hosta ‘Empress Wu’ and H. ‘Sum and • Dry Fertilizers Substance’Farm not onlyStore provide eye-grabbing • Liquid FertilizersMain Offi ce impact with overall plant size, but also • Organic Amendments with leaves20160 larger Main than Street a foot across. 7746 St. Paul HWY • Fertilization Programs SometimesSt. Paul, referredOregon to as “dinosaur St. Paul, Oregon food,” Gunnera503-633-4281 manicata adds a touch • Pest Management503-678-5932 of the prehistoric1-888-814-5727 to a garden. When • Testing & Analysis1-800-648-2718 properly+RPHRIWKH6W3DXO5RGHR sited, its leaves can reach 5 feet • Equipment ZZZPDULRQDJFRPPainting across. Sean Hogan of Cistus Nursery • Seed Cleaning likes to tell people it is “sure to impress • Sand Blasting your friends — and frighten the kids.” • Animal Feed Large leaves are often equated with the tropics. As such, they tend to Our team has the knowledge shock when used in cooler climates. and experience to assist you Surprisingly hardy to USDA Zone 5 and in making sound decisions. fast-growing, Musa basjoo (Japanese banana) can reach 15–20 feet tall in a single growing season. Similarly tropi- Farm Store cal, Tetrapanax papyrifer is a consistent 20160 Main Street, St. Paul, Oregon 503-633-4281 • 1-888-814-5727 showstopper. Why wouldn’t it be with David & Patrick huge, fuzzy leaves 3 feet across towering Home of the St. Paul Rodeo over your head?Custom Blending • Dry Fertilizers • Liquid Fertilizers • Organic Amendments Other big leaves for the gar- Main Office den include the ornamentalFertilization rhubarbs Programs • Pest Management • Testing7746 & St.Analysis Paul HWY, St. Paul, Oregon Rheum palmatum (TurkishEquipment rhubarb) Painting • Seed Cleaning • Sand Blasting 503-678-5932• Animal Feed • 1-800-648-2718 and Darmera peltata (Indian rhubarb). www.marionag.com Although actually a tree reaching upwardsOur teamof 50 hasfeet, thePaulownia knowledge tomen - tosa andis often experience coppiced to to assistthe ground, you Marion Ag stocks the largest and most complete inventory resulting in extremely large leaves and a in making sound decisions. in North America. much smaller plant. Unusual foliage color The first time I saw Pinus contorta var. latifolia ‘Chief Joseph’ at the MARCH 2014 ▲ DIGGER 19 ▲ THE UNUSUAL SUSPECTS The Chief Joseph lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia ‘Chief Joseph’), seen here in the display garden at Iseli Nursery, is well known and beloved for its golden color. PHOTO BY CURT KIPP 20 MARCH 2014 ▲ DIGGER OAN’s Yard, Garden & Patio Show, its golden needles were glowing. Showgoers couldn’t resist caressing the needles. “People respond to color, gold espe- cially,” Porterhowse Farms owner Don Howse said. Two of his favorites are Picea orientalis ‘Tom Thumb Gold’ and Calocedrus decurrens ‘Berrima Gold’, which develops “orange hints during the coldest parts of winter.” Abies veitchii ‘Heine’, with its bril- liant silver foliage undersides, is another excellent choice. A dwarf selection, Abies veitchii ‘Hedergott’ is popular among visitors to the display garden at Porterhowse Farms. Silver foliage is also the draw for Quercus hypoleucoides, an evergreen silver oak. Sean Hogan recalled see- ing this tree in its native habitat of the southwestern United States. “Reflecting the snow, the silver undersides of the oak’s leaves were as bright as if high- wattage spotlights were shining up into the branches,” he said. The one he planted in his Portland neighborhood sees little snow, but similarly reflects the streetlights. Dan Heims of Terra Nova Nurseries recommends a trio of colorful Eucomis: E. ‘Oakhurst’, E. ‘Dark Star’ and dwarf E. ‘Freckles’. While not evergreen, these selections are jaw-dropping perennials in the summer garden, especially when the dramatic flower stalks emerge from the dark (or speckled, in the case of ‘Freckles’) strappy foliage. Unusual bark and thorns Exceptional bark seems to require touching. Who doesn’t want to run their hands along the smooth, sensu- ous cinnamon-colored bark of a mature Arctostaphylos glauca? Native to the West Coast, the species commonly referred to as manzanita is relatively unknown and under-appreciated by many garden- ers, yet when “discovered,” they quickly become a must-have. Equally tactile but with a completely different look is Eucalyptus pauciflora subsp. niphophila. Hogan described its MARCH 2014 ▲ DIGGER 21 ▲ WET & WILD ▲ THE UNUSUAL SUSPECTS trunks as “exquisite gray bark peeling ed the plant and made the purchase. to green and brown” and yes, he has Also capable of stopping me in my witnessed passers-by stopping to pet the tracks is Clerodendrum trichotomum trunks of the trees in his garden. (harlequin glorybower) in flower. The If the idea of people fondling your scent travels just far enough that the plants doesn’t appeal, perhaps Rosa blossoms may not immediately be recog- sericea subsp. omeiensis f. pteracantha nized as the source — but once identi- is a better choice. Its blood-red thorns fied, the scent is memorable. For those send a slightly less-friendly message close enough to touch the foliage of this and glow like stained glass when illumi- large shrub/small tree, the scent of pea- nated by the sun. nut butter is released when the leaves are crushed. Finally, bright blue metal- Unusually fragrant lic berries sport fuchsia calyxes, adding Described by a friend as the another arresting element. very essence of “dry, sunny, summer Other plants with strong, unexpected warmth,” the scent of Salvia clevelandii scents include Nicotiana sylvestris, Daphne ‘Alpine’ filled my garden for too short a bholua and Cistus ladanifer ‘Blanche’. time. My one and only plant died after a particularly wet, cool spring. Walking Unfamiliarity breeds curiosity through a nursery last summer, the famil- Sometimes the shock of the new iar scent stopped me cold. I could smell or the out of place is enough to mes- it, but where was it? Thankfully, I locat- merize even a certified plant nut. 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