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Although this could very well be a picture of me finding a new treasure at a favorite nursery, it's actually an illustration by David Catrow for a children's book called Plantzilla.

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Wednesday Vignette and Foliage Follow-Up

Pam at Digging hosts Foliage Follow-Up on the day after bloom day each month to help us remember and celebrate the important role that foliage plays in our gardens.  This month the day also falls on Wednesday when Anna at Flutter and Hum  hosts Wednesday Vignette.  I'm linking to both.  You know how the holidays are with double booking of festivities.  The first three vignettes from my garden feature foliage that caught my eye this rainy week.  The remainder of the images are of other foliage that is looking good in the bleak midwinter.

Despite the summer drought and heat and growing in some of the poorest soil I have (parking strip) Melianthus major 'Antonow's Blue' made beautiful and lush foliage this season which continues to look very nice.

Nothing new or unusual here but the common Arum italicum thrills me every winter with it's tropical-looking, beautifully patterned leaves. It may be a bit invasive in some gardens but has been fairly well-behaved here.

Phyllostachys vivax aureocaulis is spreading nicely and the contrast of the golden culms and green foliage is lovely in the summer but in the winter the punch of color is very welcome.

Stachyurus praecox is usually the last deciduous shrub to lose it's leaves in the winter.  They're still a nice golden color and usually drop just in time for the winter show (late January) of blooms on bare branches.  

Spanish Moss is supposed to be hardy to zone 8 and enjoys moisture so I left a hank of it outside this year to see what happens.  So far, it's still looking happy.  I understand that in the spring, birds take it for their nests faster than it can grow back in our climate.  We shall see.

Again, nothing new but the winter foliage of Cyclamen hederifolium always delights!

Some of the new silver leaved varieties of cyclamen that just got planted this fall.  Looking forward to when they are as full as the more established ones in my garden.


My only criticism of this beautiful and tough variegated Aspidistra is that it's slow-growing.  It handles dry shade very well and the tag said that if it's placed in soil that's too rich, the variegation will diminish.  No manure for this bed.  What the bowling ball is doing there is a mystery to me.  I'll move it next time I'm in the garden.
How about you?  Is there foliage in your garden and/or a vignette  that you'd like to share this month, this Wednesday?   Join in the parties and post.

15 comments:

  1. I appreciate bamboo even more in the winter (even seeing it in other people's gardens) -- so nice! The Arum italicum is nice too -- wonder if I have a wet enough spot for it here?

    A decade ago or more I had a "problem" where the neighbor behind us would lose golf balls in our yard (after slicing it over the wild strip), but bowling balls? You have energetic neighbors! :)

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  2. I love my Arum too, and it hasn't spread at all. I wish it would. I have that stripy Aspidistra too, another that I wish would spread, but mine has been slow-growing too.

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  3. Loving the Melianthus. Does it get through winter OK? I'd love one but they might not like the winter cold and wet in my horrible clay soil.

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  4. That is a grand collection of winter beauties, Peter. Wish my cyclamen would spread - those leaves only get better and better as they spread.

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  5. I've been loving the honey bush from afar. I must give this plant a try. It's really amazing looking. You remind me once again that I was going to plant Arum in my garden (in a pot for fear of invasion). Those leaves are spectacular.
    I kinda like that bowling ball where it is. A happy accident?

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  6. Your photos remind me that cyclamen is worth growing for its foliage alone. Now I need to poke through my front yard foliage to see if any of my cyclamen have made a reappearance. I love your Melianthus - something (dare I blame the raccoons again?!) broke off large pieces of mine.

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  7. I look forward to tracking your Spanish Moss experiment!

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  8. You have a wonderful carpet of cyclamen, I love their le4aves too. Your Melianthus has wonderful foliage, we used to have one but it died when we had a cold winter 2010/11. It's time I bought another one!

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  9. I'm afraid my garden is getting viewed only from the windows these days. Plenty of green stuff out there though.

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  10. The Greater Bowling Bird laid an egg behind your Aspidistra?!?

    Must be all that rain.

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  11. The Cyclamen clump may make me take the plunge finally.

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  12. Yes, the Cyclamens are delightful. I have a Cyclamen houseplant that keeps going year after year. I agree with Linda--I may just have to invest in some hardy ones. Their foliage is something special, and the blooms are simply icing on the cake. I'll be curious to see how your Spanish Moss performs.

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  13. Your top picture is making my day. It's such a beautiful and jolly and colorful picture. I need to keep a copy of it in my computer and look at it whenever I feel down :-).

    Beautiful shots of leaves. I always appreciate the flowers and veggies and fruits and always ignore the leaves. I should learn to appreciate them more.

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  14. Arum italicum is not common here so I love seeing yours. I know I must have killed it a few times.

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  15. Lots of lush foliage under all those raindrops, Peter. Did you have to photograph under an umbrella?

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Thanks so much for taking the time to comment! I love to hear your thoughts.