Jack Frost Brunnera: Perennial Plant of the Year

Add a bit of color to the shady corners of your landscape with the 2012 Perennial Plant of the Year.

Jack Frost Brunnera commonly known as Siberian Bugloss was introduced in 2000. It’s unique foliage and forget-me-not like flowers make it a winner. The dark green leaves are frosted with a metallic silver and the baby blue flowers appear in mid to late spring.

I like to mix Brunnera with other shade lovers like coral bells, ferns, fringed bleeding heart, lamium, astilbe and Canadian ginger.

This perennial performs best in shade and moist organic soils. Mulch the soil with shredded leaves, evergreen needles or other organic matter to keep the roots cool and moist. Morning sun is acceptable in cooler northern climates.

Enjoy the flowers in the garden or pick a few for your indoor bouquet. Allow the plants to grow and slowly multiply to create a shade brightening groundcover.

A bit more information: Plant Looking Glass Brunnera if you like a bit more silver in the garden. The leaves look similar to Jack Frost when they emerge in spring, but will soon develop much more silver variegation. It’s a great choice for brightening shady spots in the garden.