Herself’s Houston Garden

I ordered this up from ‘Plant Delights Nursery’, planted it last month and it has wasted no time getting settled in and growing. I noticed it was also available at the Mercer sale, and was very popular there. The plant will get about 3′-4′ across and 3′-4′ in height, each leaf will get to be about 2′ across. The foliage is extremely shiny and leathery.

It will get yellow, daisy like flowers in the late summer, but the foliage is the real attraction. It is so large and shiny the leaves do not look real. ( I’ll post more pictures when it reaches full size and flowers. )

Leopard plant requires moist soil and part to full shade. It does well as an under canopy plant in moist areas.

Easy on the fertilizer, it is easy to burn this plant. And keep an eye out for slugs.

Propagate by division.

If you are tired of hostas, consider this as a replacement plant.

There are also variegated forms and other leaf shapes available.

Another wonderful talk I attended at the Master Gardener Conference was about gardening in small spaces. The speaker has put much of his knowledge into an online database of over 2,800 plants and 10,000 photos to help us poor ungifted souls. The Online Plant Guide officially goes online early May.

Some of us are designed challenged. I understand and accept that I was meant to grow things not to know where to put them. I am learning. Here are some of the better tips I heard:

I. The smaller the garden the more important the details become. Pay attention to all the small details. They really matter in small spaces.

II. Things you look through make a space appear larger. Looking past tree trunks half way between you and a fence rather than at the fence will make the fence appear to be further away from you.

III. Proportion and scale are extremely important in a small garden. There is a huge diversity of plant material available to gardeners now. Make use of it.

IV. Use all your senses. In a small garden smell, texture ( touch ), sound ( of plants rustling) all play a role in your perception of the garden.

V. To block a street view use a low barrier. Barrier rows of plants a couple feet tall will often block out the street while leaving you the larger view into the distance.

VI. If the space is dark, thin the plants. You don’t have to take a plant down, raising it up by trimming lower branches and thinning the canopy will often brighten the place up a great deal.

VII. If you are going for a minimalist look in the garden plan on a rough ratio of 3 to 1 hardscape to plants.

VIII. Conceal and reveal views. Create narrow openings and paths that widen into garden rooms. Strategically place things to block views. You don’t need an entire wall to block something narrow.

IX. Use your vertical surfaces. Plants or art or both can be placed on fences and walls.

X. Use tighter fuller plantings, rather than several lonesome plants.

This plant was an impulse buy at the Conroe Extension Office sale. I’ve seen it at Mercer several times. Every time I see it, I think ‘what is that thing?’.

While it looks unimpressive now, it’ll reach about 3′ tall x 3′ across probably this summer. It mounds much like a hosta and sends up tall flower spikes that will be covered with small white flowers that have purple bracts. I’ll post more photos late summer and as soon as it blooms. Flower spikes can be 6′-8′ tall and will last several weeks. Flowers are white and or purple and it will bloom anytime from late spring into early fall. Flowers are great for cutting and will last a long time in a vase. But it is the foliage most people grow it for.

The large leaves and size of the plant make it feel ancient and tropical. It has spikes of a sort you’ll want leather gloves on to trim it. Acanthus is Greek for thorn, and Mollis for soft.

Bear’s breech will grow in full sun to part shade and prefers moist, rich soil ( don’t they all? ). It will tolerate any soil except constantly water logged soil. I’m told it also grows very well in dry areas like west Texas. I find this one wilts when the soil gets dry, that may change after it settles in some.

When I first put it in the ground it sulked and played dead for a few days before sending out a batch of new leaves. I don’t think this plant is fond of being moved, so choose its location carefully.

If you decide you don’t like it it can be difficult to remove. People who report trying to remove this plant tell horror tales of digging and sifting through dirt 2′ deep and a 10′x10′ area. Fallen leaves will root where they fall. It also sends out roots that sprout new plants.

The leaves of this plant are the ones you see carved in ancient Greek and Roman buildings. The leaves are considered a symbol of immortality. It was used as a funeral plant and then in the Middle Ages it became a symbol of Christianity.

This plant is evergreen in Houston.

It is a plant people either love or hate.

I’ve planted it in a part shade, fairly dry area in the hope it will do well but not invade the place.