Ma fdore shade
When it comes to brightening up those tricky spaces, nothing beats brunneras
BACK i n the early Noughties, a new clump-forming perennial with variegated leaves took the gardening world by storm. Discovered as a chance seedling at Walters Gardens nursery in the US, Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’ became a must- have plant the moment it landed in Britain.
It is easy to understand its appeal. Forming a 14in- high clump of heart-shaped, dark green leaves washed with a silvery sheen, this plant was suitable for tricky, shady gardens. Many fell for its foliage alone, but this came with an added extra – sprays of bright blue, forget-me-not flowers in spring.
Gardening magazines, newspapers and TV shows waxed d lyrical about this newcomer, r, which went on to scoop a host t of awards – it took a gold medal al at the influential Plantarium show in Holland and was named d perennial of the year in the US. S. In 2004, it was given an RHS S award of garden merit.
‘ Jack Frost’ certainly can’t n’t take the credit for being the he first ornamental brunnera, but ut those available were largely ly overlooked by gardeners. This his perennial helped to elevate an entire species, leading to breeders delivering a flurry of equally lly fantastic varieties.
All ornamental forms can trace their lineage back to Brunnera macrophylla, a wild ild flower native to wooded areas as of the Balkans and Caucasus. us. Commonly known as Siberian an bugloss, it is part of the borage age family of plants, whose members ers include forget-me-nots, pulmonaria and comfrey.
This species spreads via underground stems to form a 12in-high by 12in-wide clump of deep green, 8in-long, heart-shaped leaves that are slightly bristly to touch. For about four weeks from mid-April, slender-branched stalks rise well above the foliage and carry sprays of tiny blue flowers.
The genus brunnera honours Samuel Brunner, a 19th Century Swiss botanist, while the macrophylla part of the name is Latin for ‘larger-leaved’. Its colloquial name, bugloss, derives from the Greek word bou, bou meaning ox, and Latin glosso, or tongue. This refers to the coarse texture of the leaf.
For many years, straight ht Siberian bugloss was the he only type available to gardeners, but that changed in the he 1960s with the introduction of silver spotted ‘Langtrees’. Now there are more than 50 different ones, ranging in height from 9in to 1½ ft, with wonderful flowers or leaf markings.
In the wild, Siberian bugloss thrives under trees, in cool, damp and shady conditions. It likes a similar situation in our gardens, although alth it will tolerate periods of drought d once established. Most M are happy in dappled shade, sha though ‘Jack Frost’ and other oth silvery ones colour up best be Use in them deeper as weed-supressing shade. ground gro cover or plant alongside paths, pat en masse at the front of borders, bor in the damp soil next to ponds or beneath trees in a woodland-style wo garden. They associate as well with other shade-lovers, sh had such as lamprocapnos, ca apn hosta and tiarella.
IMPROVE the soil prior to planting by digging in some organic material, and keep the roots cool by mulching. Looking after them is a doddle. T Tidy up plants after they f finish flowering by cutting ste stems back to the base and trim trimming off tatty leaves durin during the growing season. Chop pla plants back to ground level in late autumn. Brunnera can be a short-lived perennial, so keep plants vigorous by dividing every three years or so. Prise clumps from the ground with a fork in spring and tease the roots apart gently, producing several smaller pieces. Bin any dead bits and replant the healthiest portions.