It is Garden Bloggers Foliage Day (GBFD), an opportunity to notice the value foliage plays in the garden, as feature or support. GBFD is hosted by Christine at Creating my own garden of the Hesperides. This month I have been watching as clumps of perennials shake off some of the ragged winter look and start greening.
Monarda is growing noticeably and it smells delightfully minty. Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’ seeded freely last year so there are several tucked into places now other than just in the meditation circle.
Monarda didyma (Scarlet Beebalm) and Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’ (Beardtongue)
Penstemon mexicali ‘Pike’s Peak Purple’ (Beardtongue) began dying out in the meditation circle last summer. Highly drought-tolerant plants, they seemed ideal for this spot, but the summer through winter were unusually wet. Combined with some pesky mole activity the condition of these penstemon worsened. So nearly half of the Pike’s Peak are gone. Earlier in the week I pruned the remaining plants and am hoping they will bloom.
Penstemon mexicali ‘Pike’s Peak Purple’ (Beardtongue)
Also in the very center of the meditation circle I this week planted a few clumps of Thymus serpyllum ‘Pink Chintz’ (Pink chintz thyme), a low-growing fragrant Thyme,
Thymus serpyllum ‘Pink Chintz’ (Pink chintz thyme)
Iris leaves are up everywhere. This is Iris ‘Davy Jones’ (Davy Jones Bearded Iris) making its debut this year. It is a Tall Bearded Iris with a purple ruffled bloom. Tall Bearded Iris are among the last to bloom.
Iris ‘Davy Jones’ (Davy Jones Bearded Iris)
Autumn Joy (Stonecrop) in several spots are contributing interest at this time of year as is an overflowing pot of colorful mixed Sedum that I added to the garden last spring.
Hylotelephium ‘Herbstfreude’ Autumn Joy (Stonecrop)
Mixed sedum
Rudbeckia hirta ‘Irish Eyes’ is forming a nice mound of fresh leaves.
Rudbeckia hirta ‘Irish Eyes’
Shasta Daisy has taken a strong foothold and needs some serious attention to keep it from gaining any more.
Leucanthemum x superbum (Shasta Daisy)
Gaura lindheimeri ‘Passionate Blush’ (Butterfly Gaura) sports colorful leaves this time of year. I have been unhappy with its performance in this location and need to find it a better spot. It became very floppy and did not bloom very well.
Gaura lindheimeri ‘Passionate Blush’ (Butterfly Gaura)
Aegopodium podagraria(bishop’s weed) sprang up through a thick mulch layer this week. I was hoping to suppress it and have for years been wanting to manage it. This is invasive but lovely as a ground cover and was a pass-along from a dear friend many years ago.
Aegopodium podagraria(bishop’s weed)
Meadow Sage ‘May Night’ is a nice plant for the front of the border. I’m gradually increasing their number. Looks like I should be dividing this clump but am not sure if it is a good time.
Meadow Sage ‘May Night’
So as March winds down many individual plants are contributing their foliage shape, patterns, colors and textures to add interest to the early spring garden. Thanks to Christine at Creating my own garden of the Hesperides for hosting GBFD each month.
pbmGarden 
I love seeing all the plants putting up their new leaves and you have a wonderful selection. You really feel that they are gathering strength before shooting upwards and delighting us all summer.
Thanks Pauline. It’s a cooler entry to spring this year so the plants can take their time and get strong. It’s reassuring to see the cycles of the garden in action. Susie
Your foliage speaks of flowers to come, so gives us hope in the cycle of the year. Thanks for joining in again Suzzie I am enjoying seeing your garden wake up this year. Christina
Your garden has really become active again recently. I’m enjoying seeing its changes too!
You have such a lovely mix of foliage Susie. Different textures and shades of green add so much to the spring garden.
Thanks Cathy. They are all individuals though, not well organized or designed to work together. I have lost sight of my plans to renovate my garden, but oh well.
Bishop’s weed is horrible weed, almost no way to get rid of it!
I must try. It has been contained in one bed for a number of years but I am worried it will escape further.
You can try to remove that part of soil with roots or cover the area twice bigger than that area and cover it with landscape fabric and then add at least 3 inches of mulch on top. Water still can go down to the soil but lack of light the plants will run out of energy and will eventually die. Do not plant any thing there in 2-3 years untill they are all gone.
They are extremly invasive!
Thank you for the tips. It’s more complicated than I had realized.
Sometimes gardening can be complicated…that is why my clients need my help.
It will be nice to get rid of invasive plants then your garden plants can be happy again. 🙂
I know buried beneath my garden is so much foliage just waiting to break free of the ice.
It will be fun to see how quickly the plants emerge and start growing once given a chance. You’ve had more snow and ice than usual I believe but do you usually continue to get this kind of weather through April or so? I remember one snow in April here but it was a fluke.
Isn’t it fun to see the progression over such a short time. I make this trip through the garden daily and I am always amazed.
Good point–skip a day or two and the garden can seem like a new place!
Great to see fresh green! All our plants are under snow again this morning. Your Huskers Red foliage is beautiful, so deeply purple and large too. Here the leaves are much smaller but still one of the best garden plants ever.
Wow, you’ve really had a serious winter! I’m happy Huskers Red has stuck with me–so many plants I used in the meditation circle have not worked out. The color is nice.
I’m sorry to hear you’re having vole problems. It’s frustrating!
Your plants looks so fresh and green and ready for spring!
I’m trying to get the garden cleaned up for spring, but of course, I only post pictures of the plants that look half-way presentable! I’m kind of glad spring is slower this year.
I know I just wrote a post that was dismissive of green, but I admit that the new leaves coming up out of the bare ground is a joyful sight indeed.
I enjoyed that post as I am very partial to colorful flowers. This foliage post is actually from last March, but we do have green plants emerging all around. The cold winter has damaged the leaves though so things are not as fresh looking this year.