Brunnera Jack Frost
Several new plants were added to the garden last Autumn. Brunnera Jack Frost is the one I like best.
The plant above, Brunnera Jack Frost, after seeing how it performed in the garden in Spring of this year, just had to be my first choice as favourite.
It caught my eye whilst on a trip to the garden centre last September. I had to have it. When I got home I planted it in a position in the main border of the back garden, it did concern me that it may have been a spot that was too shady.
Well there was no need for concern. The dusty silver leaves with dark green veining was just stunning. Autumn turned to Winter and the leaves were still hanging on giving the impression the plant may be evergreen. However it is a perennial and the plant did indeed lose its leaves by mid December.
Its quite clear to see how very special the foliage is. I did receive an indication that Jack Frost may not be as floriferous as some of the other plain leaved Brunnera’s, I wasn’t that concerned, after all the foliage was the main reason for my purchase.
Anyway, much to my satisfaction the leaves started to appear in early Spring, and by mid April the pale blue flowers, which are very much like those on Forget me nots started to appear, and as I expected gave the impression they would be sparse.
The plant continued to look like this until mid May, and then we got an explosion of blooms, looking fantastic and lasting well into June, in fact by the very end of June she was still hanging on to a good few flowers.
To say I planted Jack Frost in a shady position would be a bit of an understatement, in fact it is in deep shade.
In our garden, this Brunnera will be finding itself in several other positions next year, and the good news is, that after a couple of years they are suitable for lifting and dividing.
I did receive some information to look out for leaves which revert to plain green, apparently this is more likely to happen if planted in a dry sunnier position. Not surprisingly this plant received the RHS award of garden merit.
Hardiness — Fully hardy
Height — 45cm/18″
Position — Part shade– does very well in full shade in our garden
*** Brunnera jack frost – buy now ***
_______________________
In early July the weather continued to be very cool for the time of year, here is a little of what was going on.
Self seeded Digitalis scattered around the garden. Some left in situation and others repositioned in spots which were probably not as good as that which mother nature had chosen.
________________________
An area of the woodland
__________________________
Plenty of lush growth in the main border of the back garden in early July, but still quite sparse of blooms owing to the unseasonally cold weather. Nothing really suffering though.
________________________
The hardy Geranium Max Frei above, is an excellent front of the border specimen. The west facing border where it is situated is really too dry a position for it, this Summer Max Frei is enjoying the wet conditions which we are having.. On the right we have the Portland Rose de rescht braving the wet weather. I also see this Rose being referred to as a Damask, well I don’t think it can be both. Although reluctant to do so several other Roses did start to open in early July.
________________________
Nothing seems to deter the Hydrangea Petiolaris from blooming its heart out.
If you happen to leave a comment I will be sure to visit your site and do the same
© 2012 – 2015, Alistair. All rights reserved.
I caught my breath when I saw your woodland area! So lush and full of blooms! I envy your cooler temps and rain, though we have had better weather in July than our extremely hot, dry June. Brunnera is a plant I have long admired, though I question its ability to tolerate our heat. Still, it is so beautiful, I think I must give it a try!
Debs, I am forever trying plants that push the boundaries, with occasional success.
I like your Jack Frost, Alistair. If it’s anything like green brunnera it may make surprise appearances in many places in your garden. I tend to welcome them with those pretty (even when just green) leaves and delicate flowers. I have foxglove seedlings growing, to plant out in the fall– I just can’t resist after seeing images like yours!
Linnie, I hope Jack Frost does produce seedlings as we have many shady spots for them. Hope your Foxgloves do well.
Alistair I have several Brunnera that have different veining or coloring on their leaves and I adore them…They do love the shade and perform best in wetter conditions for me. How lovely that your blooms hung on for so long and some nice blooms and lush foliage all over your gardens especially the foxgloves. I only have blooms that love hot dry weather and many have faded or never occurred like in spring….these are conditions I am just not used to. I cannot remember a drought like this.
Donna, I think the very high temperatures and drought conditions would be even more of a challenge than what I am always complaining of. Ah well the sun has come out at last and feeling comfortably mild.
Alistair – I enjoyed your brunnera story. I love forget-me-nots so the flowers are more than a bonus.
It seems that the weather this year has ruined the roses, but it’s been fantastic for the foxgloves. I’m not complaining.
I really am looking for some improvement in the weather b-a-g it has been miserable for two months now. Aberdeen may not get very high temperatures but as a rule is normally the sunniest city in Scotland.
Wow, what a garden. I love it.
Satu from Finland
Hey my friend,
I know Jack and planting more this year. He and his buddy ajuga are only true blues on the prairie.
Best,
Patrick
Cant get enough blue Patrick.
Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’ is one of my all-time favorite shade plants. Your photographs are superb. Love your woodland garden. I haven’t been in my woodland walk since a neighbor spotted a 600lb black bear coming out of it.
Now that’s what I call wild life Pam. My brother was in Alaska fishing a few years back and got chased by a bear, folks say he was very lucky to escape.
Thank you for faving me! It was my first fave. And thanks for visiting my blog. Have a nice Sunday!
Satu
Catch up with you again soon Satu.
I have to say that your Brunnera is certainly all around. Foliage-wise and in terms of flowering, too. Your woodland is so lush and I see you’ve posted my favorite part of your garden, the back part.
There is a lot going on in the main border of the back garden Bom, although the very cool Summer which we are having is making many of the the plants reluctant to bloom.
Like Bom, I too think Brunnera is a all round plant. I think it is pretty in flower, much nicer than Heuchera and Hosta. Maybe because the flowers are blue!
Yes Donna, I am very surprised that Jack Frost has been the first time that Brunnera has found its way into our garden.
Loved your Jack Frost, the leaves reminds me a bit of my Lamiums (Hermann’s Pride), I think Jack Frost might be suitable for my woodland corner – haven’t got a woodland garden, only a corner! Although it is quite dry in normal summers, when did we last have a ‘normal’ summer?? Anyway, loved it, would like to try it!
Those leaves of Lamium are a little similar Helene. Give it a try sometime, the shadier spot the better.
Your Brunnera is certainly well loved by everybody. Is it a tuber like the colocasia? It seems it performs the opposite of plants we have in the tropics, getting to be lighter and yellowish if more exposed to sun. Even just as foliage it is awesome. When you said it is like forget-me-not, the more i love it. I saw forgetmenot only once in Sweden and it is so dainty.
It is not a tuberous plant Andrea, but fully perennial. Strangely enough most plants grown here with variegated leaves prefer sun, not Brunnera though..
I love the subtle bright leaf colours on the Jack Frost and the Hydrangea Petiolaris is one of my favourites. Neither would grow in my garden because they need more moisture than they could rely on. But we both have forget me nots! I would love to see the Jack Frost in flower.
The leaves of Jack Frost are very unusual.
Hi Alistair, I looked at that mini-weather forecast on your blog and thought my, you are on the cool side there in Aberdeen. The hottest day we had last week was 36.3! Most days the temperature has hovered around 30. Some people like the heat, but not me! It zaps my energy. I look forward to cooler days.
I too added Brunnera Jack Frost last year and agree the foliage is superb. The drought here isn’t suiting it though and I have to water it to keep it going. Love your hydrangea. Mine refuses to bloom in such profusion.
At the moment Jennifer this is as warm as it has been in weeks.
wow Alistair, that hydrangea petiolaris is a dream to me! You don’t know how much I’d like to see half of that specimen on my house… unfortunately I don’t have any shady corner…
I love your brunnera, I bought an Hdspen Cream last spring which I positioned under the cherry trees: shady but very dry and in fact the new leaves reversed to plain green. Nevermind, at least it survived and it’s quite enough for me now!
Your garden looks very lush and pretty, all that rain made good to it!
PS: roses are very promiscuous sometimes and people who catalogue them in this or that category might have been a little too… straight sometimes. Portlands are damask roses crossed with centifolias (the reblooming one) and maybe a china or something like that. They are a little bastards indeed… I mean a fig could be an apple if you like to call it so but the fruit remain the same.
Thanks Alberto, I did enjoy your Portland Rose information.
I really like climbing hydrangea and am currently in negotiations for getting one for the house (as the other half doesn’t like it). I hear they take a while to get going but I’ve seen some really large specimens on houses that look stunning when in flower.
I think it is one of the best plants in the garden
I never seen anything like this.
Truly it would win anyones heart to be a favourite plant – Brunnera Jack Frost going so well together with its blue flowers.
It is a plant worth growing in cooler climates such as ours James.
Love those tiny little blue blooms!
Alistair – I think you’re writing more poetically these days… It seems that the petiolaris has kindly left a hole so that you can still sit on the bench.
Left a hole for sitting on the bench, that is very observant b-a-g. Writing poetically, now that is embarrassing.
Left a hole for sitting on the bench, that is very observant b-a-g. Writing poetically, now that is embarrassing.
Left a hole for sitting on the bench, that is very observant b-a-g. Writing poetically, now that is embarrassing.