Jack Frost Brunnera

I bought Jack Frost Brunnera the very first year it became available commercially.  I paid $35 for a teeny tiny plant in a 4" pot.  It was worth it.  This plant is a pleasure.  It is one of the first to bloom in the spring and its little true blue flowers are so pretty.  Jack Frost holds its variegation unlike other Brunneras.

This plant is called Hadspen Cream Brunnera.  Its leaves are supposed to look like this.  It did the first year.  After that it was solid green.Still pretty mind, but definitely not worth the extra dollars I paid for the pretty variegation.

Jack Frost on the other hand has never lost its variegation and I have had it for years.  It thrives in shade and one plant easily becomes multiple plants since it responds so readily to dividing.  The blooms are only around for a few weeks in the spring, but the leaves hold their own the rest of the summer and if you pair it with something like red impatiens, the effect can be dramatic! 

In the garden the last couple of days I've gotten the chard planted and about half of the leeks.  I also put in a new rhododendron in the new shade bed along with a Strawberries and Cream Hydrangea. This particular hydrangea is a zone 7 plant and probably has no prayer of making it through the winter in my garden.  It is so gorgeous though, I bought it as an annual and will try and baby it this fall to see what happens.

Otherwise, the beets and zinnia have sprouted.  The pea patch looks like it was dug up by a critter.  I'll need to do some investigative digging in that area in a couple of days.  I really really need to get the carrots in in the next few days as well.  The soil prep for carrots is such a pain, but I want them in and and happy well before the heat arrives.  With this whacko weather, that could happen any time now.