By Linda Stephens-Urbaniak

On Gardening

The Great Plant Picks committee picked out 85 great plants for the Northwest this year. As I mentioned last month, its criteria are that the plants be reasonably pest and disease resistant, be adaptable to a variety of soil and fertility conditions, not require excessive moisture and have a long season of interest. In addition they must be available from at least three retail sources and not be invasive. Perennials shouldn’t require staking, continuous deadheading nor frequent division. Bulbs need to last for at least three years, and trees and shrubs should require little pruning.

Of the same genera as the lovely Avalanche Lily, Erythronium revolutum `Pagoda,’ is a hybrid of a Northwest native but outshines the native with increased vigor. Early in the spring its lovely leaves with dark splashes on them emerge followed by bright yellow blossoms that look like dainty lilies. The plants do best in full to part shade and need rich, moist soil that drains well and has lots of humus. They grow to 12 inches high and spread to about 12 inches wide.

Snowdrops signal the end of winter for many people and three snowdrops are on this year’s list: Galanthus elwesii, G. ikariae, and G. nivalis. G. elwesii is the earliest and the largest. The three pure white outer petals of these plants cover the inner petals that boast a bright green mark at the base. The flower can grow to 9 inches. G. ikariae blooms next with more drooping outer petals covering the inner petals that are marked with a larger green mark. Best planted in groups, these are smaller, growing up to 6 inches tall. G. nivalis is the most common snowdrop and blooms later than the other two, in mid-to-late February. The white blossoms cover the inner petals that boast the telltale V-shaped mark. Growing just 4 inches tall, their naturalizing habit makes large drifts easy to establish. They all do best with about a half day of sun in spring, under deciduous trees is perfect. They like humus-rich soil and are not drought resistant so they will require some summer watering.

`King Alfred’ daffodil was first registered as a cultivar in 1899 and is still the best yellow trumpet daffodil for the Northwest of the Narcissus on the market. It does best in full to part sun in fertile, well-drained soil. It is important for all Narcissus that the foliage be allowed to “ripen” until it yellows (or it can be cut back after the first week in June) to ensure the return of the bulbs next year.

Tulips sometimes do not prove to be perennial for many reasons. Partly it is genetics and partly it is that little critters such as squirrels and voles find them to be like candy. Nonetheless, if you can keep the animals away, Tulipa `Spring Green’ is a beauty that returns. The sturdy 12-14 inch stems are topped with ivory petals feathered with a splash of green. If you use bulb fertilizer rather than bulb meal the four-footed creatures may not find them as quickly. Like daffodils, let the leaves die back naturally.

Camas, the bulb that many Native American tribes cooked for food, is every bit as desirable in the garden for beauty. Camassia quamash is easy to grow and blazes with bright blue star-like flowers clustered at the end of two foot tall stems. They bloom in May and will be dormant by the end of June. They require full to part sun and will tolerate even heavy clay if allowed to go dry in summer. Otherwise provide moist, humus-rich soil.

Hunting for plants that do especially well in our gardens will reward you with beauty, time saved, increased bounty and exceptional vigor. The Great Plant Picks committee makes it so much easier with its recommendations.

Contact Linda at lindagardenlady@aol.com. She welcomes questions and will respond to as many as possible.