Above is our creation for the NW Flower and Garden Show Here Comes the Sun:
A sunburst patterned flagstone patio surrounded with plant materials that offered a wonderful contrast of foliage textures and gold and yellow colors.  

Many attendees enjoyed the contrasting foliage and the way all of the elements of this garden came together.

As ‘plant people’, we sometimes take for granted what may be new for many people.  Two plants that elicited a lot of comments were Enkinathus (at left) and Mahonia ‘Charity’ (below).

Enkianthus campanulatus (Red Vein Enkinathus) is a deciduous shrub with an erect branching habit to ultimately 10′ or so in height.  Pink bell shaped flowers arrive in May after the plant has leafed out, which the honeybees love.  Dense foliage throughout summer gives way to beautiful and long lasting fall color of orange and red.  Once the leaves fall the light brown wood of the previous year’s growth can provide an nice pattern against a backdrop of the home or larger evergreen plants.

Mahonia x media ’Charity’ is an evergreen shrub that grows to approx. 6′.  The stiff, spiny branches provide a beautiful contrast to many other plants in the garden.  Yellow flowers are borne in small ‘crowns’ at the top of the plant and are followed by a bluish seed pod.  This plant is striking in the landscape or in containers where it may kept for a number of years.

Both of these choice garden plants are reliable Pacific Northwest performers; they require little watering once established and are reasonably cold hardy.  They would be an asset to any landscape.

Pictured above: Mahonia Charity, Rhodo PJM (purple foliage) and Carex flagelifera (Sedge)