The Unusual Suspects

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.

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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

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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

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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 especially,” 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

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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. Louis

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Braun Basket weight ad v4.indd 1 11/16/09 10:40:43 AM Abraham, salesperson at a Canadian nursery, described the afternoon when a Monrovia truck arrived and he first laid eyes on Drimys winteri var. chiloense. “It was the silvery undersides to the leaves that caught my attention, and I’m not even joking when I say it stopped me dead in my tracks from across the parking lot,” he said. “(It was) something I had never seen before, yet in an instant became the object of my plant affections.” I had a similar reaction the first time I saw a trunking Yucca rostrata at Cistus Nursery. Of course, I immediately assumed something so bizarre and obvi- ously desert-born couldn’t possibly be hardy in my USDA Zone 8 climate — but it is! Now I watch people experience the same jolt of surprise when they see The harlequin glorybower (Clerodendrum trichotomum) is native to southeast Asia. It is also known as the peanut butter tree, due to its odor when the leaves are crushed. Its looks are equally distinctive, it in my garden. with fruits that change from white to dark blue as it matures. Photo by Wendy Cutler Designer Lucy Hardiman is often

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asked about Mahonia × media ‘Charity’ in her personal garden. “People always ask what it is, even in summer when it’s just the foliage,” she said. “It’s statuesque, architectural. It has a presence in the garden.” The same can be said for hardy Schefflera such as S. delavayi and the smaller-leaved S. taiwaniana, both Premier Supplier of Nursery Products of which are fairly new introductions. When seen for the first time, severe plant • Shipping Materials - Stickers, shelves and pallets made to your specs, pallet repair boards, lust typically ensues. shipping gates, tilt sticks, used pallets Maurice Horn of Joy Creek Nursery • Packing Supplies tells of people stopping to admire - Shrink wrap, banding Grevillea victoriae in his former garden. • Planting Stakes He noticed the appreciation was rather - Multiple sizes available seasonal however, since in the summer • Treated Lumber - Multiple sizes available months this Australian shrub can be overlooked. Late winter is when it’s typically covered with showy red-orange 503-434-5525 spider-like flowers that scream out to 1726 SW Highway 18, McMinnville, OR 97218 • www.dstakemill.com 6152 be noticed.

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to schedule a delivery Loree Bohl is a plant lover who writes about her garden and plant-related adventures Conveniently located at: on her blog, dangergarden.blogspot.com. 875 S. Pacific Hwy, Monmouth, Ore. She is also a partner at plantlust.com. She can be reached at [email protected].

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