Comments on: Garden Designers Roundtable: Underused Plants

By: AK

AK — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 17:24:04 +0000

@Patricia: Thanks for commenting and confirmation on Leucothoe in Portland!

By: Reacquaint yourself with “Underused Plants!” « Garden Designers Roundtable

Fri, 06 Aug 2010 16:08:49 +0000

[...] Andrew Keys : Garden Smackdown : Boston, MA » Carolyn Gail Choi : Sweet Home and Garden Chicago : Chicago, IL » Christina Salwitz : Personal Garden Coach : Renton, WA » Debbie Roberts : A Garden of Possibilities : Stamford, CT Douglas Owens-Pike : Energyscapes : Minneapolis, MN » Genevieve Schmidt : North Coast Gardening : Arcata, CA » Jocelyn Chilvers : The Art Garden : Denver, CO » Lesley Hegarty & Robert Webber : Hegarty Webber Partnership : Bristol, UK » Pam Penick : Digging : Austin, TX » Rebecca Sweet : Gossip In the Garden : Los Altos, CA » Scott Hokunson : Blue Heron Landscapes : Granby, CT » Susan Cohan : Miss Rumphius’ Rules : Chatham, NJ » Tara Dillard : Vanishing Threshold: Garden Life Home : Atlanta, GA » Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)What’s the Fuss Over Focal Points?We Can Hardly Contain Ourselves!Small Spaces, Big Ideas! [...]

By: Patricia C, Portland, OR

Patricia C, Portland, OR — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 14:46:45 +0000

I planted two Leucothoes in my yard this year–and one in the neighbors’ to boot!

By: AK

AK — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 17:15:41 +0000

@Lynn: Thanks for commenting! I wonder about Rainbow’s vigor, since it’s a variegated plant. I have seen it do amazingly well growing against a stucco wall and a walkway in the heat and humidity of Mississippi. I’m thinking I need to try it again myself after writing this.

@Gen: I am SO flattered you read this multiple times. I could see Leucothoe being very happy in your part of California.

@Megan: I could see it being happy in your climate too! You and me both re: the five o’clock shadow. I was just ogling tropicals on your site this weekend…

By: Lynn Wilhelm

Lynn Wilhelm — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 16:25:45 +0000

I do like to use this plant–Agarista populifolia, most often. It’s so perfect in so many tough places and fits well into many of my plans. The deer resistance is really helpful in many neighborhoods.

Haven’t tried ‘Rainbow’ in a long time–it just sat there for years, but I’m inspired to try it again.

By: Genevieve

Genevieve — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 23:16:41 +0000

Andrew, this cracks me up. I’ve read it over four times now this week and noticed new details each time. Thanks for bringing such a fun perspective to your rave about Leucothoe. It’s been a favorite of mine for some time.

By: Megan

Megan — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 15:05:01 +0000

I was just ogling a Leucothoe at a nursery yesterday. My first two growing attempts failed, but I’m ready to try again when fall planting season arrives. There’s one at a botanical garden here that cascades over a low wall, and it’s such a head turner.
5:00 shadow, I like that. I think all plants look better with a 5:00 shadow.

By: AK

AK — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 13:20:08 +0000

Thanks, Carolyn!

By: carolyn

carolyn — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 02:48:17 +0000

Fantastic post, Andrew. I’m always pushing Leucothe to my customers, most of whom are not familiar with it and its many attributes. Love the fact that its also evergreen.

By: AK

AK — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:05:45 +0000

Thanks, Lesley and Gail! I’m interested to hear how others find Leucothoe in dry shade, but yep, I’ve definitely seen it successful here. I imagine watering in well and amending the soil in a tree-friendly, non-smothering way with organic matter helps. In the most successful colony I know of under trees, my client lets plenty of leaves build up when they fall every year. I think she’s got the right idea!