It's that time of year when the Bergenias flowers come out to play. I have lots of them in pots that I have propagated over the years.
They originate from Russia, China and the Himalayas. Their common name is 'Elephants Ears'. Americans call them 'Pig Squeak' because their leaves make a squeak noise when you rub their leathery leaves.
Named after German Botanist called Karl August von Bergen. They are an old fashioned garden favourite and I love them.
English Plantswoman Gertrude Jekyll use to use them to define rows of herbaceous perennials borders.
Their leaves change colours through the winter months and give hints of brown and purple and then along come their flowers. They are a tonic for any gardener waiting for their Sleeping Beauty of a garden to wake up in Spring.
It's wild and windy here today in the countryside next to the sea. But the Bergenias don't mind!
I do like their pretty pink flowers but the leaves can get quite big and untidy.
ReplyDeleteThey would look good in your Ecclesiastical house JayCee. Perennials are very labour intensive and the Bergenias do need tidying up now and again. I love them for their resilience to the winter weather and how they are one of the first flowers to flower when all the other flowers are either asleep or feeling sorry for themselves. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I've seen those before. I love any flower that gives a bit of colour in the winter. Lovely
ReplyDeleteTotally agree Linda. I love any flower that gives a bit of colour in Winter. Roll on Spring time.
ReplyDeleteAnd they grew in all my difficult places - like under the lime trees and on the embankment beside the drive. Rezl hardy things they are.
ReplyDeleteYes they grow in most places including shade Tigger.
DeleteThis blogpost was sponsored by BeautifulBergenias.com. Order your Bergenias online right now from Dave Northsider, Head of Reproduction and Fertilisation.
ReplyDeleteSoon to be released for sale at a carboot sale in Munster.
DeleteI don't know if I've ever seen them either, but I love the idea that they bloom early and grow in difficult places. Our back yard is shaded by two very old oak trees. I've looked an they are available here! Thank you for this.
ReplyDeleteTheir leathery leaves make them resilient to even Siberian winters Debby. It's great to see plants blooming in February.
DeletePS: We have had so much snow here, which makes things difficult for the wildlife. Tim has been going out to the retirement property to put out corn for the deer. My little green house was 70 degrees inside. :)
ReplyDeleteNice one Tim feeding corn to the deer. It's starting to warm up in my polytunnel.
ReplyDeleteWe've been getting subzero temperatures here (Fahrenheit) punctuated by warmups, which seem to be bringing snow, and lots of it. The deer can't get to the grass when the ground is covered. A few years back, it was so bad that deer were starving to death in the woods. That's a sad sight. We always feed the deer and the rabbits and the foxes too.
ReplyDeleteYou will never be short of wildlife visitors Debby. We throw vegetable peelings to the birds in the fields.
ReplyDelete