Brilliant bergenias
It’s now, when parts of the garden are looking bleak and bare, that you realise the value of evergreen perennials. Before I was lucky enough to visit Beth Cha o’s extraordinary gardens, I didn’t think much of bergenias. But here they were, these self-same plants, edging beds in the Gravel Garden and making bold statements, their leaves reddened and glossy in the winter sun.
I find the magenta flowers of many of the hybrids difficult to digest. Magenta is a difficult colour to use in the garden, although the brilliant colour of varieties with magenta flowers is made less strident partnered by crimson leaves. By the time the flowers appear, there are euphorbias galore doing their thing. Their brilliant lime green heads associate perfectly with the magenta flowers. For those who prefer
more subtlety, the pale pink cascades of flower of ‘Schneekoenigin’ create a softer picture.