About this cultivar: Brunnera macrophylla, what about it? I'm taking a break so let us hear what John Holland had to say about it in the Daily Telegraph; " Brunnera macrophylla, with its 20in-tall (50cm) airy sprays of blue forget-me-not flowers and dense mounds of neat foliage, is a mainstay of many shady gardens, but rarely receives plaudits. The plantswoman Margery Fish wrote that she wondered why she bothered to grow it, until, each March, the beauty of its deep blue flowers reminded her. Graham Stuart Thomas was similarly ambivalent; he always grew brunnera, but snootily said that to describe it as "cabbagy" would be flattering. (Remember, though, that he considered dahlias suitable only for council-house gardens.)......... Brunnera makes good groundcover and mass plantings in flower are a spectacular sight" I find that 1) Technically deciduous is effectively evergreen 2) It looks natural yet ornamental at the same time 3) It is incredibly reliable 4) Can be used as ground cover as easily as a specimen plant 5) When to flower dry our the seeds head provide lovely structure. One of our favourites Position: Full sun, Partial shade, Full shade Soil: Almost any soil - grows well in Ballyrobert! Flowers: February, March, April, May, June Other features: Great Ground Cover, Dappled Shade or Full Shade Loving, Woodland plant Hardiness: H6 - Hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15°C), Fully hardy - grows well in Ballyrobert! Habit: Clump forming, Bushy Foliage: Deciduous Height: 15 - 45 cm (0.5 - 1.5 ft) Spread: 15 - 45 cm (0.5 - 1.5 ft) Time to full growth: 2 to 5 years Plant type: Herbaceous Perennial Colour: Blue, green Goes well with: Use as Groundcover. Dicentra, We also grow it with Geranium and Centaurea. You can also try it with Carex, Helleborus, or small ferns. About this genus: Brunnera is a genus of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae. They are rhizomatous perennials, native to the woodlands of Eastern Europe and North West Asia where they thrive in cool, consistently moist locations. Numerous cultivars are available, most of which are used as groundcover in dappled shade. Some possess variegated foliage. The genus gets its name from the Swiss botanist, Samuel Brunner, (1790-1844 ) who was a famous plant collector in the early 1800s who explored Crimea, the Caucasus, Siberia, Italy, and western Africa. Brunnera is known for its attractive, often hairy, heart-shaped leaves and clusters of small, blue or white, forget-me-not-like flowers. The genus brunnera contains just 3 species and unsurprisingly is very closely related to myosotis (Forget-me-not). The best known species to gardeners is macrophylla which in Latin means large-leaves (although you may know it as Siberian bugloss). Bugloss comes from Greek meaning ox tongue in probable reference to the roughness and shape of the leaves. Brunnera grows best in part-shade or shade that is not too dry (not a problem here in Ballyrobert!). You can try it in full sun but it must have consistent moisture as the plants fade fast in very dry conditions. Soil wise we have not found Brunnera to be fussy at all. Brunnera makes good groundcover and mass plantings in flower make many people ohh and ahh. Other plants that enjoy the same conditions as Brunnera, such as Dicentra, make grood partners. We also grow it with Geranium and Centaurea. You can also try it with Carex, Helleborus, or small ferns.
