Joy Creek's Five Plantsfor the More Experienced

Along with writer Kym Pokorny's recent Nursery Destinations: Joy Creek piece in The Oregonian was a series of sidebars. The one titled Joy Creek's Five Plants for the More Experienced listed the following plant suggestions for gardeners:

1. Lobelia tupa, an unusual lobelia with spiky, tropical-looking felted foliage. Purple-tinged stems soar to 6 feet and are crowned with a spike of warm red flowers.

2. Hydrangea serrata 'Miyama Yae-murasaki,' a Japanese lacecap hydrangea with fully double sterile florets that seem to float above the hill of fertile florets. Blooms start out pink or lavender but turn red along with foliage by late summer.

3. Clematis recta 'Purpurea,' purple-foliaged herbaceous clematis with sweetly scented white flowers. Cut back after first bloom for a repeat of fresh purple foliage and bloom. Needs a bit of support from companion shrubs or a single stake and some garden twine.

4. Zauschneria 'Bowman's Hybrid,' an upright form with silver-gray foliage and bright orange flowers. "Brings in color late in the season," Smith says. A tough plant that will adapt to heavier garden soils.

5. Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost,' the best shade plant there is. "Everything a forget-me-not ought to be," says Smith.

Image: Sidebar from The Oregonian

© 2007 Joy Creek Nursery