Working-Class Plants

Probably because I come from a long line of blue-collar people, I've always valued what I call "working-class plants."  Think of them as Cal Ripkens with roots and leaves:  every day, they show up for work and contribute something worthwhile to the landscape, you don't have to coddle or bribe them, and generally they make the rest of their horticultural teammates look good.



Nandina domestica 'Gulf Stream' showing winter color

Here's a very short list of a few of these plants that have never let me down.  All are broadleaf evergreens; GPP denotes Great Plant Picks selections (see link under "Things to Do"). 

In the interest of brevity—which, admittedly, is a problem for me—I'm going to keep comments to a minimum:

• Cistus x hybridus (rockrose)  GPP; many species and hybrids available
• Euonymus fortunei (wintercreeper):  available in an array of variegated cultivars such as 'Emerald Gaiety', 'Emerald n' Gold', 'Harlequin', 'Moonshadow', 'Blondy', and a cute steppable  miniature called 'Kewensis'
• Nandina domestica 'Gulf Stream' and 'Moon Bay' (Heavenly bamboo—don't let the common name fool you—these are woody shrubs, not true bamboo!)  GPP
• Viburnum davidii (David viburnum)  GPP
• Viburnum tinus 'Spring Bouquet' (Spring Bouquet laurustinus) GPP

Pink rockrose on Main Street, Sumner

Where can you buy these?  Hmm...how to answer this honestly without getting myself in trouble with serious plant people?  (Deep breath...)

Let me put it this way:  like most people, when it comes to buying food and household supplies, Bob and I have to stretch our budget by shopping for the basics at Costco, Wal-Mart, Grocery Outlet, WinCo, and Fred Meyer.  We like to visit the Puyallup Farmer's Market and local farmstands for fresh produce in season, and maybe hit Tacoma Boys now and then.  (Our goal this year is to look more diligently for "Made in USA" on the products we buy...but that's another post!)

So why not apply the same principle to buying landscape plants?  The plants listed above are easy to find at the big box garden centers.  Don't get me wrong:  I love specialty nurseries and support them every chance I get.  But I used to work at one (which is no longer in business) and I always wondered why we were competing with the big garden centers on plants such as those mentioned here—there was no way we could meet, much less beat, the big boys' price.  And guess what:  customers aren't stupid—we had a hard time moving those plants. 

I also respect my clients' budgets too much to suggest that they ought to pay higher prices for exactly the same plant (and often it's exactly the same—from the same source) if they can get it cheaper elsewhere.  They wouldn't listen to me anyway!



Viburnum davidii, end of winter, no maintenance

 So this is what I tell them:  by all means, if you can afford it, buy from the specialty nurseries as much as you can.  But if budget is an issue for you, shop the big garden centers for your basics in the Spring, when plants are constantly cycling through and not sitting there suffering with the vagaries of the weather.  Go to the specialty nurseries for your investment and accent and OMG! plants—specimen trees (such as dogwoods and Japanese maples), dwarf conifers, peonies, ornamental grasses, ferns, hellebores. . .and on and on. 

(And don't forget to check out the Spring plant sales—see the Miller Library link under "Things To Do").



Viburnum tinus 'Spring Bouquet' (with V. davidii at right)

By the way...finding myself in need of images of the two viburnums mentioned, I just moseyed outside and snapped the David viburnum next to the sidewalk in front of our house, and the 'Spring Bouquet' laurustinus a couple of doors down.  We had a brutal winter here, and this is how they looked today, with no pruning or maintenance to gussy them up for the camera.

Like I said:  working-class plants—they get the job done.