Gone Gardenin’ – Unique, versatile and easy to grow

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 18/04/2012 (4406 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

I think some of the best perennials in the garden are those that emerge early from the soil — some even before the frost is out of the ground.

These plants are greeted with great joy as housebound gardeners finally emerge from their “winter prisons” and begin to enjoy their gardens for another growing season.

This year some of my perennials were poking their noses out of the ground by mid-March and many still had some leaves that had come through the winter still green when normally all their foliage is killed by the winter’s cold. There are not many evergreen perennials available to prairie gardeners.

One perennial that is evergreen, however, is the bergenia and that alone makes it stand out in the garden.

The large round leaves usually come through the winter still green, although sometimes a few of them are a little the worse for wear. However, removal of a few damaged or discoloured leaves during spring cleanup will alleviate the problem and new leaves soon appear to clothe the plant in attractive foliage once again.

Bergenia leaves are large, round, shiny, and mid-green in colour, often with saw-toothed or wavy edges. Sometimes there is a distinctive red cast to the leaves and this intensifies in the fall when the leaves become an attractive bronze colour.

During the summer the mound created by the foliage of a mature clump of bergenia can be a metre wide and a little less than a metre tall and it is often used as a textural accent plant in a border or rock garden.

The large leaves have short sturdy stems so the plant does not get leggy or floppy and the mound remains compact and attractive during the entire growing season.

Although the semi-evergreen leaves are the plant’s main attraction during most of the growing season, for a couple of weeks in early spring the bloom of bergenia is what attracts attention.

A number of flower stems about 30 centimetres in height arise from the centre of the clump and bear clusters of small bell-shaped flowers that can range from pale pink to the darkest ruby red, depending on the variety.

The sturdy flower stalks hold the flower clusters well above the leaves so that they take centre stage while in bloom; they are rather unsightly, however, once the flowers have faded and the plant will look much more attractive as it goes into the summer if the spent flower stalks are removed.

Bergenia is a very easy-to-grow, forgiving plant that will thrive in a variety of conditions; some gardeners grow bergenia in full sun while others include it in shade gardens. Because of its sturdy and compact form, it is not susceptible to wind damage and bergenia seems immune to insect and disease problems.

The plants seem to adapt to a variety of light conditions although the ones in full sun will have more bloom and be more compact than those grown where there is a lot of shade. Bergenia grown in full sun will need a steady supply of moisture to prevent the edges of the leaves from browning in the mid-summer heat.

Bergenia leaves are tough and leathery and add a unique texture to any planting — and small ones can be used effectively in flower arrangements as well. These plants can be used in a border or rock garden, they are at home in a semi-shaded woodland garden, or they will combine well with other plants in a mixed perennial border.

Some gardeners use them as groundcovers or in massed beds. I know one gardener who digs up a chunk of his bergenia every spring and plants it into a container, which he uses as an accent in his outdoor garden during the growing season.

About every three years a bergenia will need to be divided and rejuvenated as the clump will become too large and sprawling. Often the centre of the clump will die out.

Dividing a bergenia is easy and if undertaken soon after the plant has finished blooming, the new plants will have time to get established and set bud for the following year. Pieces of the plant are easily dug up and they readily pull away from the parent plant — bergenia is quite shallow-rooted.

Bergenia has a unique appearance, it is undemanding in terms of exposure and care, and is ability to stand alone as an accent plant or can be combined with other plants. The plant has spectacular bloom and interesting foliage, and its evergreen foliage often survives the winter intact.

These characteristics make bergenia a welcome addition to any prairie gardener’s perennial collection.

Albert Parsons is a consultant for garden design and landscaping who lives in Minnedosa.

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