WINTER-GREEN the Lowdown on Perennials

By Diane Lewis photos by Diane Lewis, Brookside Gardens Staff In a winter landscape, I cant overlook a striking deciduous tree canopy. Underplant it with beautiful dark evergreen conifers and contrasting broadleaf evergreens for a gorgeous setting, even in bleak winter. Take all of this, especially when sited among carefully selected deciduous shrubs and small trees, and it might as well be spring! Who among us would bother to take a gander at a winter garden missing these qualities? Yet I often find another important element missing, the abundance of evergreen perennials that can add to the perfection of winter designs. Evergreen perennial groundcovers are not new, of course; they can be charming in borders along walks or as literal ground covers for bare areas From a standard short list of evergreen species we could choose Japanese pachysandra, liriopes and their ophiopogon cousins (admittedly with great variety), epimediums, ajuga and (heaven forbid) vinca and ivy. Unfortunately, the very reliable traits that endear them to us, necessitate that we avoid some of them, ivy and vinca are great groundcovers but horribly invasive. And if anything, they are all over used. So whats available? The palette of evergreen perennials is much broader (should I say more colorful?) than current use demonstrates. First, we should expand our short list. Im not a huge fan of Japanese pachysandra, but I love the cultivar Green Sheen with its glossy foliage. Liriope is tired; put it to rest. Try black mondo grass (Ophiopogon Nigrescens); its dark purple-black foliage makes other colors in your border really pop. If epi-

Ophiopogon nigrescens

Ardisia japonica

The golden tones of Acorus gramineum cultivars catches the glow of the winter sun.

Arum italicum

For an attractive groundcover on the shady edges try, Bearberry, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi.

Bergenia omeiensis Appleblossom keeps the interest alive with its glossy leaves.

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Plant of the Month"Winter-Green", the Lowdown on Perennials continued

Corydalis ochroleuca

From a variety of Euphorbia species, select foliage tone and variegation to meet your design needs.

Mats of dainty ground-hugging foliage provide an excellent foil for Phlox stolonifera blossoms.

Epimedium pinnatum subsp. colchicum

Add hints of red to the winter garden with hardy geraniums, Geranium macrorrhizum Album.

Mazus reptans

mediums are not reliably evergreen for you, look for Epimedium pinnatum subsp. colchicum, with chromium-yellow flowers and outstanding winter foliage. Secondly, exploit the evergreen foliage of many of our summer-flowering perennials. These winter qualities are generally ignored, yet the foliage is nice enough to be useful as small-scale, specimen plants, or to be grouped among border plantings of deciduous herbaceous perennials. Upright, lacy species include corydalis (my favorite, the white flowered Corydalis ochroleuca) and Jacobs ladder (Polemonium reptans) for damp areas. The colorful foliage of some heucheras stand out in containers. Low-lying spreaders include Geranium macrorrhizum Album with reddish winter foliage and the rough-textured winter leaves of comfrey (Symphytum caucasicum) that follow blue summer flowers. As my interest in winter gardens expanded, I became interested in using evergreen perennials in less conventional ways. Walking through my garden, bare patches

Always useful: Helleborus spp. (massed or as a specimen, there are never too many) Euphorbia spp. (variable leaf tones, many types of foliage) Arum italicum Mormoratum (and other cultivars; spreads but usually welcome) Vancouveria hexandra (uncommon delicate version of Epimedium) Dramatic: Rohdea japonica (dark green and vigorous, use variegated cultivars as specimens) Bergenia omeiensis Appleblossom (try this easier, hardier cultivar) Farfugium spp (never met one I didnt like, formerly Ligularia) Grassy: Acorus gramineus cultivars (especially useful for damp areas) Carex spp. (great variety of sizes, color; tolerates deep shade) Iris tectorum (blue or white flowers; drought tolerant even in containers) Iris foetidissima var. citrina (beautiful red/black seed pods in Fall) Small scale: Sedum ternatum (native species with white flowers, round leaves) Sedum Angelina(vigorous yellowish, awl-like foliage) Mazus reptans Albus (try this white one between flagstones) Saxifraga stolonifera Tricolor (also other cultivars including green leafed) Shady edges: Asarum europaeum (for massing; Oriental spp. for specimen plants) Arctostaphylos spp. (select cultivar best for your USDA zone) Ardisia japonica (survived last four winters, Montgomery Co.) Natives: Tiarella cordifolia (remove deeply-packed leaf cover) Phlox stolonifera (creates mass of ground-hugging foliage)
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needed filling and important corners called out for the accent of contrasting foliage. I utilized the small-scale plants I had, considering them in the design elements as though they were larger woody evergreens. I soon learned endless plant material beckoned, so its difficult to categorize the many species that offer winter traits. Books on perennials are lax on winter foliage descriptions, which vary greatly. See a list of suggestions on page 14, with brief comments. The winter leaves of evergreen perennials are greatly variable. There are many foliage types to mix and match into the design. Some are less neat than others and require a nip here and there. Treat hardy evergreen herbs like thyme and sage as landscape plants in winter containers or troughs. Evergreen ferns are another option. Look for species of Dryopteris or Polystichum; almost all retain their foliage in zone 7 including my favorites, the Autumn fern (D. erythrosora) and the tassel fern (P. polyblepharum). Harder to find is the Himalayan maidenhair (Adiatum venustum), a charming small groundcover fern, evergreen through most winters. Additionally, be sure to utilize the small woody evergreen subshrubs that fall into this category because of their size. The attractive and aromatic foliage of germander (Teucrium chamaedrys) can be a small specimen in a sunny spot; the native cliff-green (Paxistima canbyi ) does well in light shade at the base of leggy shrubs. There are many dwarf conifers and small hollies under 12 that stand out in winter. And sweet box (Sarcococca humilis) though slow growing is well worth the wait. So now the Christmas rose (Helleborus niger) is in bloom, and I need a break from the heated indoors. In the brisk air, I find its an ideal time to mentally refine the basic skeleton of my winter garden design. There are many choices for evergreen perennials; herbaceous perennials dont quite cover it (pun intended). Now for a cup of hot chocolate topped with wintergreen berries and accompanied by spring garden catalogs!!!

Tiarella cordifolia

Evergreen perennials form a collage of leaf shapes, sizes and textures.

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