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I’m loving this shade combination in a container garden at my home.  All the plants in this design are perennials except for one plant, and several are simultaneously shooting up blooms.  The Ligularia ‘Little Rocket’, a dwarf form, is showing off the bright yellow blooms on spikes now, which can be seen from afar.

Ligularias have bold foliage which make them perfect candidates for container gardens and gardens in the ground.  Their foliage factor makes them appealing for a long period before blooms appear in mid to late summer.  But of course, I was drawn to it first because of its showy foliage that is often available in darker colors and with serrated leaf edges.  This adds a texture and color contrast against other plants.  Some cultivars grow large leaves.  When you place other part-shade lovers near it, like a Hosta, Astilbe, or ferns, they tend to work in harmony from a visual standpoint.  And when you place Ligularia near water, by a pond for example, its tall spiky flowers will reflect in the water.  Since they enjoy moist soils, this is a perfect added on feature to enjoy from a visual perspective.

If you look closely at the photos below of the Ligularia in a container, you will also see the Astilbe is about to bloom soon, and the Heuchera is shooting up a thin stem with blooms on top.  The bees have hummed by each day lately to visit the Ligularia’s bright showy tall flowers and the entire arrangement is just a healthy, happy scene I had to share today.

I’m also loving my Ligularia dentate ‘Desdemona’ situated by my River Birch in my yard this year.  It is huge and never wilts because the soil there is perfectly moist.  As shown in the photo above and below, this one is planted in the ground where the soil stays very moist most of the year and it enjoys this spot very much.  The leaves and flowers are both remarkable on this plant.  When it blooms, the style of the flowers are different from ‘Little Rocket’; they are daisy shaped and appear on the tips in August.  They prefer part-shade and this one has darker foliage.  You will notice the Hosta tucked in next to it, and there is also a Columbine but you can’t see it to well from this distance photo shot.  On the left is a Farfugium japonicum ‘Aureomaculatum’ that will grow leaves up to 6 inches across and they have gold and yellow spots on them.  Once this plant gets bigger, it will be more showy and the daisy-like flowers will bloom in early summer too, hopefully.  This one is not hardy to our zone, but I put it there anyways because – again – another foliage feature I can not resist.  It also enjoys part sun to part shade locations.

As I pointed out both Ligularia plants to Steve, my husband, he asked, “Is that like a Christina Aguilera?”  Yes, it sounds just like the singer’s last name, I responded.  He continued to joke that I enjoy saying the word Ligularia.  And that is true.  I love saying and growing Ligularias!  Give them a try if you haven’t already for your shady areas.  🙂 Cathy T 

Update:  Check out this new Ligularia przewalskii ‘Dragon Wings’ with very cool finger like foliage.  I want this one for next year.  See this link for more:  http://www.terranovanurseries.com/media/ligulariadragonwings-p-272.html

Ligularia with River Birch

Fragrant, yellow-white

Peta-what?  Yes, Petasites.  A very cool plant that you will feel is a star or a stalker in your garden.

I came across this plant by way of  neighboring gardeners, down the road a bit.  I walk by their house a few times a week.  The retired couple living there are always tending to their amazing front gardens.  Every time I see them and their gardens, I get more impressed by their dedication and plantings.

Last year, the woman of the household told me she uses Petasites leaves as an imprint in the birdbaths she makes from a concrete mix.  It is the perfect template because the leaves grow up to 2 to 3 feet in width.  And this is what made me notice the birdbath in the first place on her property.  The sheer size of the leaf is very visible on the bowl of her creations.  So I had asked her, what she was using, and at the time, she didn’t know the name of the plant but promised she would show me its growing habit next spring.

So this year, in April, as I was walking by, the homeowners came out to tell me the plant we discussed last year is now blooming in their backyard woodland area.  They explained the aggressive nature of its spreading habit, via a rhizomatous root system.   As we quickly ventured to see the blooms popping up from the ground, it was apparent how many had reproduced from the original plant.  There must have been 50 to 70 of them in the moist, shady woodland area blooming like little alien pods arising from the ground everywhere.  Fortunately, her husband, the more obsessed gardener of the two, has been serving as the body guard of this plant’s reproduction system by removing clumps every season to keep it in line.  What was once a star in their garden quickly became a stalker.

So we all know, this plant is very aggressive, but not technically invasive, thus I gladly accepted the offer to dig up two clumps to put in my container gardens at home.  Here is the photo I took that morning of the clumps.

Flower clump first, then foliage arises

You see the yellow to white daisy like flowers that came up first in dense groupings, known as corymbs.  And the rhizome like root structure shoots out a leaf a few inches away.  The flowers are fragrant and kind of odd looking.   I wouldn’t classify them as pretty, but everyone’s taste is different.  And the leaves are not super pretty either, but they become dramatically large within a month or so. After a couple days of transplanting my two clumps into two large pots, the plants started to perk up as the roots took hold.

Now, let’s fast forward to June.  The following photos shows how large the leaves have grown.  And as I mentioned, they can reach up to 32” wide.  Super cool for I love foliage more than flowers – not sure why, guess it’s the way this plant’s leaves bob in the wind, reminding me of the tropics, or these in particular remind me of water lilies.  The leaves are very thin, flat and circular in shape.  If they are kissed by the sun, they will droop down and look floppy or wilted, so I pushed the pots even closer to my house facing a northern exposure and they have been super happy ever since in full shade.

Petasites

The area there stays moist and cooler too, so I haven’t had to religiously water the containers; they seem to be happy with a watering every few days.  Also, we have had some rain between our hot days so far this summer.

Petasites leaf

Upon researching this plant further, it was so appropriate to discover this plant’s Genus name comes from the Greek word petasos.  This means “wide-brimmed hat.”   Of course, I thought – this does look like perfect mold or inspiration for a big showy hat for someone like Princess Kate I would say, fitting as super big flashy hat that only royalty could pull off!  So Kate, do you enjoy gardening?  I say have a hat maker fashion your latest hat statement with Petasites as your inspiration!  Or just grow it in a container as I have done.  Okay, the mind is running away here.  Okay, guess a birdbath will do.

Back to the containers…this plant is a star in my book for containers in the shade or by a water feature.  It grows quickly, is showy, and has no serious disease or insect problems.  But on the downside, it must be kept in check if grown in the ground.  And the leaves are only a plain green, but the veins are slightly pinkish and depending on your point of view, very cool.

On a cultural note, the plant enjoys consistently moist to wet soils in part shade to full shade.  So if you have a full shade location, this plant rocks!  The container can be sunken in mud even, if you want to have a water garden effect.  As I said, the circular shape of the leaves remind me of a water lily.

June photo

Petasites japonicus is known as butterbur – because, as I read further, the leaves were apparently once used to wrap butter in hot weather. (Hmm, interesting, I thought.)  This plant is also referred to as fuki or sweet coltsfoot.  The petioles (stalk of the leaves) are eaten as a vegetable called fuki in Japan.  In fact, its native range is Korea, China, and Japan where it is found growing on wet stream banks in wooded areas.  The stalks grow long and support the leaves above.  I think the stalks look a bit like rhubarb stalks or stems.  Maybe they are in the same family.  This would require more research.

In summary, this plant serves as a vegetable, water garden plant candidate, will naturalize (so beware of this and keep it only where you can control it, like containers!), and has strange alien-like fragrant flowers in spring, and is easy to grow to huge proportions for a large, very showy, extravagant foliage display – fit for a queen …or princess!  It is hardy to zones 5 to 9 and is an herbaceous perennial.  Eventually the whole plant will reach about 3 feet tall by 5 feet wide.

If you think you would like a few, give me a call.  I know where to get them!  Cathy T

Fall Update to This Post:

October is here and I’ve begun the process of overwintering many tropical like plants from my container gardens.  This being my first experience with growing Petasites japonicus (Zones 5-9) in large containers, I started searching on the web to see if I could find any sources on how to overwinter them  in CT.  Granted, they can survive our zone and are very hardy, but they are too aggressive to grow  in the ground, thus a test in containers evolved this year.  I hope to have them return next season.

The leaves by now started to have lots of holes in them due to a slug or some other nuisance insect feasting on them recently.  Almost all the wide leaves had scattered holes in them.  As I began to cut away most of the foliage and stalks, I noticed a bulb like structure at the base of the plants, all plump and full.  “Interesting,” I thought.  “Another new feature to be curious about on this unusual and large showy foliage plant.”

Laster in the season

Photo by Owner

…Or how much is that doggie in the garden!  I love unexpected projects that come my way as a result of being a horticulture person in the gardening business.  Recently a local client recommended me to her mother for planting a life sized dog sculpture made of chicken wire.  Her mother obtained it at a dog show last year.  Both the mother and daughter own and show Irish Setters at events.  This life size dog represents a love of their favorite breed and passion as dog competitors, thus it truly had a personal connection to both the mother and her daughter.

When her mother came by my house, she said she went to a couple nurseries for help on how to plant it but they were too busy to assist at the time.  She tried to grow morning glories on it last year, but it just didn’t work, and she didn’t know what to try next.  I’m so glad she showed up at my door step for help.  I knew I would have much fun working on it, and ideas started to pop in my head right away.  We agreed I would keep her posted on my progress and if I didn’t find the right plants or materials, I would let her know.  But I was optimistic for yes, this is a container project, and I’m Container Crazy Cathy T.

Working with chicken wire forms is time consuming and tricky.  It is no wonder during the spring rush season a nursery person hesitated to take on the project.  And you have to be careful to not damage the plants as you work and also think to include the proper elements in the wire frame to help support the extra weight of the moss, plants, and soil.

I recommend using a sphagnum long-fibered moss which is 100% organic and the perfect filler.  Unlike peat moss or sphagnum peat, both non-renewable resources, sphagnum is harvested from perennial live plants that grow in wild rich marshlands or bogs.  It is renewable because it grows back every several years in the bogs.  Once moistened, it can absorb up to twenty times its weight in water.  Pre-wetting the moss makes it easier to work with and it is a good idea to wear gloves to protect your hands.  If you attempt this process, be sure to not breath or inhale the tiny moss bits that can fly around as you open the bag.

The perennials I selected for this dog container garden project were all full sun lovers, primarily stonecrop sedums and herbs.  Thyme, I have to say, worked extremely well because it is tiny and pliable, easy to move through the wires openings.  One variety I selected was Silver Thyme (Thymus vulgaris).  It has a shrubby growth of tiny leaves edged in silver.  Besides being useful for low borders for herb gardens and flower gardens, and in dog sculptures like this, it is drought tolerant and culinary.  Plus its soft visual appearance makes you want to touch it – or in this case – pet it!  The other variety of thyme I included was Woolly Thyme (Thymus lanuginosus).  It added a contrasting softer texture.  Woolly Thyme has gray green leaves and a hugging habit.  It looks felt fabric like and dainty.  Both plants perked up the next day as if enjoying their new home immediately on the back of the dog.

Other plant candidates used as I continued inserting plants were various small leaved stonecrops Sedums.  These plants were a little trickier to manipulate.  They are pliable also, but very breakable and delicate.  Sedum kamtschaticum, a stonecrop with yellow star shaped blooms in summer, Sedum stoloniferum (Green Stonecrop) with pink blooms, and Sedum album (Worm Grass Sedum) with white blooms were used.  Worm grass is one I’ve used in other projects.  It forms a groundcover matt like habit quickly.  Each of these Sedums, along with some others, will have their showing as the plants take root and grow more on the dog’s body.

Delosperma ice plants were additions as well to the design.  One cultivar, ‘Herbeau’ (or Herbeum) will bloom white aster shaped flowers and the other, ‘Cooperi’, will showoff purple blooms.  Because the foliage of the ice plants is soft and kind of jelly like in feel and movement, they did not break easily and moved nicely through openings as I worked to carefully tease them into place.

So with this combination, the arrangement will showcase yellows, whites, purples, and pinks.  This will be especially showy in future years as the plants progress, take hold, and thrive with the proper care and focus on watering but not over watering.  Moss holds water well, but these plant candidates should not stay wet either, so I  carefully planned to review the appropriate watering routine with the client.

And lastly, I could not resist inserting some baby chicks from Hens-and-Chickens (Sempervivium tectorum) plants.  It will be easy for the client to add additional baby chickens plants by separating the small outer rosettes from a “mother” plant and inserting them as desired in various places on the dog.  They added the perfect finishing touch and are extremely easy to insert into the moss.  They can be used to create a dog collar around the neck too!  The bonus with these plants is as the little baby chickens grow, they create a source for plants to continue filling the life sized dog sculpture without adding an extra expense.  You just have to be a little patient.

During the final part of the assembly, when I attached the dog’s head to the body, I swear I felt it come alive.  I know my cat did too as she stopped dead in her tracks as she walked by me looking up at it.   She paused for a moment to contemplate if it was a real dog.  I had to reassure her it was a garden ornament while chuckling at her behavior.  She took a couple sniffs to investigate then carefully walked away checking her back side to triple assure herself the dog would not chase her.

But a more comical part of this story is pertaining to a stonecrop called Sedum hakonense ‘Chocolate Ball.’  It has a darker chocolate colored tone to its foliage that will turn reddish in the fall, and the texture looks a bit rough, but without any forethought, I ended up inserting it near the dog’s rear area.  Then later, when the client came by with her husband to pick up the finished product, I was suddenly pointing to the dog’s unmentionables area saying with much enthusiasm, “…and this is Chocolate Balls Sedum.”

You cannot imagine the laugher all three of us broke into when I made that comment. It just came out that way as I was describing each of the plant’s features. My face turned bright red, but we laughed through it.  It will surely be a humorous talking point in their garden.  I don’t think they will ever forget the name of that plant, nor the adventure of the dog sculpture.  Ironically the timing of the project arrived right before Mother’s Day weekend too – so being a Mom and Daughter story, it was all the more enjoyable.  Cathy T

Photo by Owner

Update:  This photo to the left was taken right after the dog was completed.  Below it is a current photo.  Sent to me in November by my client.  You can see her tall Delphiniums in the corner by the fence behind it – noticeable due to the 6′ high stalks and leaves that are palmately shaped on that perennial, and the purple blooms of the irises are noticeable in the below photo as well.  She called me too to ask how to care for it this winter.

~ This is what she wrote: