Big guys getting bigger

A big garden needs some big foliage plants for contrast with delicate ferns and ground covers. A number of the ones I've planted are finally making their statement.

Rodgersia 'Rotlaub' emerges a rich chocolate brown but quickly turns green. This plant is in its third location in my garden and is finally happy. It has quickly tripled in size in the last year or two and has its first flower stem this year. 

Rodgersia pinnate is the first one in this family that I planted a number of years ago. I put it front of this big rock to make an equally big statment.

It continues to do just that, despite the fact that the rock has been slowly falling on top of it for a number of years. Hasn't slowed it down at all. 

I've had Rodgersia 'Bronze Peacock' for five years and moved it twice trying to find its sweet spot. It sent up four stems this spring instead of the usual one. I expect they will get a little larger this year. Can't wait until next year. 

I've tried growing American umbrella leaf (Diphylleia cymosa) a couple of times with no luck. After seeing a photo of it in Bill Noble's book about his Vermont garden, I decided to ry again. It emerges looking like a Podophyllum to my eye. 

The leaves quickly turn solid bright green. If you're lucky you get these little white flowers that will turn into blue berries in the fall. 

This year I have three clumps instead of two like last year and all the plants are taller. We're finally on our way!

Comments

[Kris P]

I love all these plants, Linda. I like to use big-leafed plants in my own garden but plants like that don't handle our dry conditions and summer heat as well as those with smaller, narrower leaves. Acanthus mollis is a case in point - while it did well in my former shady garden, it struggles simply to survive here. But I guess that's what succulents are for...

[Linda Brazill]

KRIS — I am pretty excited to have these plants really taking off. I like ferns and lots of delicate things so it really helps to have these big leaved contrasts. Also they're not Hostas which I think of as higher maintenance since I tend to cut the flowers off!

[monica]

Rodgersia pinnate loves my yard and visitors are always in awe of it. It feels a bit prehistoric to me. I bring some to the our town plant swap every year and people go crazy over it!

[Linda Brazill]

MONICA — It's taken a while to achieve some size, but suddenly it's amazing. You are right about feeling prehistoric.