Garden Photo of the Day

Variegation turns boring to glam!

Click here to enlarge this photo.
Photo/Illustration: Michelle Gervais

Why, oh why don’t more gardeners plant variegated pachysandra (Pachysandra terminalis ‘Variegata’, USDA Hardiness Zones 4-8)? It’s so much more interesting than the plain Jane unvariegated sort. Is it because you can never find it in nurseries, and no one wants to mail-order groundcovers? Are we just stuck in an all-green rut? Who knows. Do the shade gardening world a favor and start asking for this awesome alternative. Here it’s combined with a clerodendron (Clerodendron trichotomum, Zones 7-9) at Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boyleston, Massachusetts. Tomorrow I’ll feature the native alternative…

Click here to enlarge this photo.
Photo/Illustration: Michelle Gervais

 

Welcome to the Fine Gardening GARDEN PHOTO OF THE DAY blog! Every weekday we post a new photo of a great garden, a spectacular plant, a stunning plant combination, or any number of other subjects. Think of it as your morning jolt of green.

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Comments

  1. ncgardener 11/08/2010

    Nice, I like the look.

  2. HC_Bill 11/08/2010

    I planted both variegated and plain green pachysandra.

    The plain green thrived and the variegated died out.

    Go figure.

  3. arboretum 11/08/2010

    bill, may of us on your bus. it's a finicky thing.but terrif.
    mindy
    http://www.cottonarboretum.com/
    a teaching website

  4. arboretum 11/08/2010

    btw, michelle, REALLY nice shot. would be great to see on a FG cover
    mindy

  5. sheilaschultz 11/08/2010

    I learned to garden in the midwest where shade is predominant, it became obvious early on that variegated plants are almost always more interesting. They make a statement in a shady space, a spark of light that allows surrounding plants a little glamour.

  6. ktPA 11/15/2010

    I want the Celereodenron. anyone know where to get it? thanks

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