Three for Thursday: Cloudy With A Chance of Starshine

There were many stellar new additions to the front gardens during the recent renovations but Farfugium japonicum 'Jitsuko's Star' definitely stands out right now.  I had admired the compact mound of rounded deep green foliage when I saw this plant at The Arbor Gate in September during Heidi Sheesley's and Chris Wiesinger's talk on bulbs and companion plants. When Otahal and I made our trek out to Treesearch, this plant was on my 'must have' list, even though I expected to be less than charmed by the bright yellow blooms when they appeared.  Yellow has always been my least favorite color of flower, although in recent years the cheery profusion of sunny golden blossoms on Copper Canyon Daisy has persuaded me that it's a color worth including.

Then 'Jitsuko's Star' began to bloom recently and I can't help myself ... I'm smitten!  The double yellow blooms, daisy-like though they may be, remind me of trumpet Daffodils.  I may have to underplant the Farfugiums (a/k/a Leopard Plants) with Narcissus as my own private joke.

This shade-loving perennial should be able to handle our hot and humid summers; it's hardy below zero so we don't need to worry about its succumbing to even our coldest winter weather. According to the  Plant Delights Nursery website, this variety is also known as 'Yaezaki', which they say means 'double flower'.   The blooms are borne on tall scapes that PDN says can reach 3 feet but are about 18 inches high on my plants.   On this cloudy and damp fall day, the bright yellow flowers are a welcome splash of color.


I hope you'll join me and post your own Three for Thursday.  Pick 3 pictures of plants from your garden ... tell us about 3 books you've read that you want to share ... rant about 3 things that bug the heck out of you ... show us 3 pieces of garden art or 3 photos of egregious crimes against gardening ... you choose what your three will be.  Just have fun and feel free to be wildly creative!