Variegated Solomon's Seal - Part 3 - May 2-6, 2013



Closeup - Taken May 6, 2013
MG Cindy Stead's Garden


Some more pictures from MG Cindy Stead's garden on the 2013 Perennial of the Year, Variegated Solomon's Seal.

Variegated Solomon Seal along with 2012 Perennial of the year - Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost' in MG Cindy Stead's Garden

May 6, 2012

Their arching stems and dangling, bell shaped flowers, make them an excellent back drop to your shade garden.

May 2, 2013



May 6, 2013



See how they looked just emerging on April 23 here.

Master Gardeners expect to have several specimens at our annual Plant Sale on Saturday, May 18th.

Here's a plant sale plant preview.

2013 Perennial of the Year - Variegated Solomon's Seal - Part 2



Variegated Solomon's Seal emerging in MG Cindy Stead's Garden
Picture taken April 23, 2013

Back in February when I presented the 2013 Perennial of the Year, Variegated Solomon's Seal, I mentioned that Master Gardener Cindy Stead planned to document how they look througout the season.

Here are Cindy's first set of pictures showing them popping up in her shade garden.

Variegated Solomon's Seal, and Brunnera Macrophylla 'Jack Frost'
in MG Cindy Stead's Shade Garden

Here's another angle, that coincidentally shows off the 2012 Perennial of the Year, Brunnera macrophllya 'Jack Frost.' 




We hope to keep you up to date on how they look throughout the growing season.  Hopefully, we'll have donations from Master Gardeners at our Plant Sale on May 18th.

Click on the links for more detail about these plants for the shade garden.

2013 Perennial of the Year - Variegated Solomon's Seal

Chambersburg MG Cindy Stead's Specimen - July - Shade Garden

The 2013 Perennial of the Year is Polygonatum odoratum ‘Variegatum’, or Variegated Solomon’s Seal. Other common names include Striped Solomon’s Seal, Fragrant Solomon’s Seal and Variegated Fragrant Solomon’s Seal.

Photo by Steve Still - Perennial Plant Ass'n

According to Dr. Leonard Perry of the University of Vermont, the plant is native to Europe and Asia but is related to the native American Solomon's Seal, P. biflorum, an understory plant from eastern North America noted for its arching stems and attractive leaves.

It was Dr. Perry's selection as Perennial of the Month for February, 2000.

Photo by Steve Still - Perennial Plant Ass'n

The scientific name is Latin for poly or many, and gonu or knee joints, referring to the many jointed rhizome roots. The common name may have come from the scar left on the roots once the stems die off in fall, resembling seal used on wax on documents in past time.

It also may be from fact that the powdered roots were believed in the 16th century to "seal" broken bones when drunk in ale. Garden writer for NPR, Ketzel Levine, follows up on this theory by quoting from botanist John Gerard's 1597 publication, The Herball, or, Generall historie of plantes, where he praises the root's ability to seal broken bones "...gotten by falls or women's willfulness, in stumbling upon their hasty husbands' fists."

The plant grows best under part shade, but tolerates full shade conditions well. It is hardy in zones 4-8, preferring moist, well-drained soils, but can also tolerate dry soils and short drought conditions. The small, delicate and fragrant, creamy-white bell-shaped flowers usually bloom in the May to June time frame in our area. The foliage keeps its green, with white-tipped artist's paintbrush appearance throughout the summer, before turning a bronze yellow in Autumn. Flowers will form a single-seeded, blue-black berry. There are no serious disease or pest problems.

The Perennial Plant Association started its Perennial Plant of the Year program in 1990 to "to showcase a perennial that is a standout among its competitors. Perennials chosen are suitable for a wide range of growing climates, require low maintenance, have multiple-season interest, and are relatively pest/disease-free. If you are looking for an excellent perennial for your next landscape project or something reliable for your gardens, make sure to check out the Perennial Plant of the Year™ archive list." They go on to note:

The selection process is quite simple – PPA members vote for the Perennial Plant of the Year™ each summer. At that time, in addition to the vote, each member may also nominate up to two plants for future consideration. The Perennial Plant of the Year™ committee reviews the nominated perennials (more than 400 different perennials are often nominated each year) and selects 3 to or 4 perennials to be placed on the ballot. Nominations generally need to satisfy the following criteria:

• Suitability for a wide range of climatic conditions
• Low-maintenance requirements
• Relative pest- and disease-resistance
• Ready availability in the year of promotion
• Multiple seasons of ornamental interest

The 2012 Perennial Plant of the Year selection was Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost'. You can view all previous years' winners at PPA's site here.

Master Gardener Cindy Stead, whose specimen is featured in the lead off picture above, hopes to capture how it looks throughout the season, documenting when it first sends up its shoots, leafing out, blooming, and finally its Fall color. We'll post the results here on the blog.

I first became aware of Variegated Solomon's Seal during the Master Gardener Plant Sale in 2003. There were 3 plants donated to the sale, which were quickly snapped up by fellow Master Gardeners. The following year, there were 5 plants donated, which, again, disappeared before I could snag one. In 2005, I finally was able to procure one for my own shade garden, where it has established beautifully.

By 2007, there were several plants available to the public and Master Gardeners Brenda Bodner and Sylvia Kremp planted some in the moist area of the Wildlife Area, where we tried to demonstrate a Rain Garden, with limited success. The Variegated Solomon's Seal, however, has spread nicely, and is now a good source of specimens which we divide and offer for sale each year.

Look for them on Saturday, May 18th, 2013 at the annual Franklin County Master Gardener Plant Sale.

2012 Perennial of the Year - Brunnera Macrophylla 'Jack Frost'

Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost' - Jill Hudock Garden

Every year, the Perennial Plant Association names a plant Perennial of the Year.  For 2012 the plant is Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost'.  Also called Siberian bugloss, Brunnera macrophylla forms a low-growing clump, reaching 18 inches tall and wide. Brunneras have lovely small blue spring flowers that look like forget-me-nots, hence another common name, False Forget Me Not. The cultivar 'Jack Frost' is particularly notable for its striking silver leaves and contrasting dark green veins and leaf edge, giving it season-long interest.

According to Dr. Leonard Perry of the University of Vermont,

...this cultivar was found early one morning 1999 in a flat of the cultivar 'Langtrees' at Walters Gardens in Zeeland, MI. Looking at the leaves they were reminded of the story of Jack Frost, hence the name. It really made its debut in 2002, being featured on the front of Walters (wholesale) catalog.

In Bloom with a White Bleeding Heart - Jill Hudock Garden

Brunneras prefer shade, but will tolerate morning sun.  The rough, hairy leaves are resistant to insects, disease, rabbits, and deer browse. Just an excellent plant for your shade garden.

Cindy Stead Specimen

The Perennial Plant Association selects a different perennial plant each year to promote throughout the nursery and gardening industry. Members of the PPA are invited to nominate plants based on several criteria, including low maintenance requirements, adaptability to a wide range of climates, pest and disease resistance, wide availability, multiple seasons of interest in the garden and ease of propagation. A PPA committee then narrows the field to 3-4 choices from which the members cast their votes.

2011 Perennial Plant of the Year

Picture by H. Scoggins - from the Chanticleer Garden

Amsonia hubrichtii (am-SO-nee-ah hew-BRIK-tee-eye) has been named 2011 Perennial Plant of the Year. Common names for the plant include Arkansas Amsonia, Arkansas blue star, thread-leaf blue star, narrow leaf blue star, and Hubricht's blue star.

Amsonia is a North American native. The species was found in Arkansas in 1942 by Leslie Hubricht. The foliage is thin and strap—like, often reaching three inches in length. From late spring to early summer, two- to three-inch wide clusters of small, light blue, star shaped flowers appear above the ferny foliage. This amsonia forms a three-foot-by-three-foot mound.

Holly Scoggins blogged about it recently at the Garden Professors, highlighting its fabulous fall foliage.

Exhibits the best boofy habit of all perennials (somewhat like "floofy", but rounder). Native to southern/central U.S. and totally drought tolerant. The pale blue star-shaped flowers in late Spring are fairly underwhelming, especially given all the other stuff going on at the time. The fine, needle-like foliage adds a wonderful soft texture throughout the summer. As the days shorten and the nights cool down, it begins to glow...first a soft gold, and then adds bronze and apricot to the mix - basically a color twin of Sporobolis heterolepis (Prairie Dropseed, previously described in a GP post).

According to the flyer, it:

Prefers average, moist well-drained soil but tolerates less moisture. Once established, it can tolerate drier conditions. Light blue flowers in spring are followed by a marvelous display of foliage in summer. A golden-yellow fall color is second to none among herbaceous perennials. It is uniquely suited as a companion plant or as a feature. This perennial for the seasons is an asset in borders, native gardens, cottage gardens or open woodland areas. It is best when massed. Arkansas blue star is attractive when mixed with ornamental grasses and plants that have attractive seed heads.