Foliage color develops a rich burgundy tint here in the mild portions of the PNW. Since I detest the Pepto Bismol pink flowers, I prefer Bressingham White....same good, deep winter color.

Stipa arundinacea = Anemanthele lessoniana :-)

Thank you for your great suggestion! I detest the typical blaring pink flowers too but I was willing to live with them for the fall/winter foliage color. Now I won't have to - whew! And thanks again :-)

Just a note since I'm not sure this applies in your area but Bergenia here are favored by root weevils that nibble on the edges of the foliage. And new growth can be ravaged by slugs and snails. But it makes such a dense planting if happily sited that you often don't notice the disfigurement.

I have a couple of Bergenias in another location and, thankfully, have not noticed any disfigurement. I do generally have a manageable slug and snail problem and need to rely sporadically on Sluggo. However, this year, with all ,the rain we've had, there must have been a population explosion and I've been reawakened to the damage that they can do and sporadic control may not be enough. Only a few days ago I had planted a trio of small mail order plants of Rudbeckia Little Goldstar and awoke the next day to see they had been ravaged by snails. My other method of control is nightly flashlight patrols. I probably need to start doing that...

Yeck Bergenias, I can definitely relate to that expression of distaste for them.. Mostly because I see them used in the most inhospitable droughty situations, mostly commercial parking lot situations where they look so pathetically neglected, ravaged and boring. And I've never liked their strident pink flowers either. But they are champions at providing counter point to grasses with their bold evergreen leaf foliage and they won't have a neglected situation here so I've decided to give them a second chance.

But first I need to take a food break and use some of that time to do something I love to do - check out a new plant idea - and look up Bergenia omeiensis to see what I might think; stay tuned.....

Goodness me, if this blog doesn't make you love Bergenia, or at least think about loving Bergenia, your heart is colder than mine :-). Seriously, there is precious little on Bergenia omeiensis on the internet, yet I couldnt have found a more sympathetic and encouraging article than this (Bergenia) which comes across as a love affair with Bergenia, but appropriately features Campanula's Bergenia genus redeeming omeiensis, and as a bonus is written in a style which, dare I suggest, Campanula might enjoy as well.

Bergenia

Oh, good find, Echolane. And yep, I do (enjoy this sort of rambling musing).

Have noticed 'Snow Chimes' becoming more widely available so expect ( hope) to be getting my own instead of admiring from afar.

I've seen many photos of bergenia in the spring and I wonder what planet they are from. For two springs I saw those half rotted, ragged leaves that made it through the winter and wondered about the fuss. Perhaps I should have removed the old leaves, as with hellebores? But hellebores have the flowers that come along and my bergenias would have been naked. The bergenias never looked good even as spring progressed.

I say buy a couple and try for yourself. You may have a completely different experience. Cheaper than new clothing, less fattening than a bar of chocolate. And at a spring sale the risk is very low.

Maybe it's because of the zone I live in. After a harsh winter I marvel at a plant that can rise up after being crushed by the snow and frigid temperatures, lift its battered and bruised leaves and bloom. It never ceases to amaze me. I do remove the worst leaves as part of my spring clean-up, and they are quickly replaced with fresh pristine ones. I love this plant. I wouldn't even care if it didn't bloom.Its big glossy leaves please me. Currently, the ground is still frozen so some of my bergenias are still flat on the ground and not attractive, but nothing is growing yet.

Luckily, I have no winter snow to flatten my Bergenias. I do have three in a background location that I don't pay much attention to and suddenly I feel guilty about it. I took a good look at them today and decided they are handsome. They must have liked our wet winter because they really do look good.

I'm on pins and needles for a day or two. One of the California wholesalers my local nursery does business with carries B. emeiensis 'Snow Chimes'. The rep is stopping at my local nursery tomorrow and hopefully (!) they have it in stock and I'll be able to obtain this smaller gem. Cheaper than new clothing :-)

Oh, heavens, I love bergenia! I think they look terrific with combined with fine-leaved foliage - say, ferns or laceleaf Japanese maples. They take full, hot sun or shade, don't seem to mind either dry or moist and generally are just great low-maintenance plants. Couldn't care less about the flowers - its the bold foliage effect I'm after with bergenia. In my area, the leaves take on a reddish tint in the fall.

Pardon me while I vent...... Would you believe---it's weeks later and I am still struggling to order Bergenia omeiensis! My local nursery is wonderful in all respects except one, it isn't reliable about orders. I've learned to hound them, but even so..... Weeks and weeks later and still none. it's been frustrating. The wholesale rep visits every two weeks and the first week I was given some hope that they had 'Snow Chimes' because I prefer the white form. Then two weeks later, they couldn't find but one, then two weeks later, they couldn't find any. Now I've ordered the pink form. They should have been in this week, but no, they're not in. So it looks like I'll have to wait another two weeks - sigh.