Tore out a bunch of grasses and Monkey Flower that were over running the Gunnera, which is an impossible plant to photograph....just never seem to get it "right." Here are a couple of shots taken just as the sun was setting.
Gunnera and the Koi Pond
And the pond with just a wisp of cloud and light left in the evening sky.
That is awsome is Gunnera invasive....
ely
Wow Candy, those pics are great! I'm wanting Gunnera really bad, but I'm a bit worried about it being invasive. Tell me more about it.
Has anyone grown Gunnera in zone 4? I love it, but may have to be satisfied with the cement sculpted versions offered by Little and Lewis.....
Beautiful!
I bought some seeds through Patrick Studios - have yet to get germination.
Maybe next year.
~Nut4Spuds
This is only the second season for this Gunnera, so far not a problem being invasive, dies down in the winter, but comes back readily from the tubers.....loves water. As far as I can tell it is hardy to Zone 7. It is just an awesome plant! Some references state that it doesn't like hot weather, but it seems to thrive here in 10a and is in full sun most of the day.
caitlin - there is a thread over on the Garden Art Forum about a "Garden Mirror" I made using the Little & Lewis concrete recipe. My intent at some point is to make a Gunnera casting. (Once you find out the cost of their Gunnera castings, it would be cheaper to buy several new plants for the next couple of decades or cast one of your own. :-)
I also have Gunnera perpensa which is a much smaller species, softer shiny leaf, not prickly, about 18" high so far this year in its third season, also dies down in the winter and requires copious amounts of water.
Always wanted one too but really no room here! This is one I shot at UC Berkeley Botanical Garden, with my Mom in the pic for size reference. It's not really anywhere near a lot of water, just in a ditch along one of the paths.
One leaf makes a pretty good umbrella.
calif sue, Wow, the plant that could have eaten Mom! LOL
How long does it take that plant to grow leaves that size? Very interesting. Love it.
Wow! We have a whole farm, so space is no problem here, just the cold climate! Do you think a coupla' manure piles over it in the winter would keep the roots alive? Seriously, it's a thought, isn't it?
Morning Sue -
I remember that picture of your Mom! I'm sure the ones at UC can get along fine with less water than further East where we are. They get a lot of fog in the hills where the garden is and nowhere near as hot as it gets here. The largest leaf so far on mine is about 4 1/2', but I've read that the more water you give them the bigger the leaves will get.....like 6' across.
2pugdogs - How long to get that big? Just a few weeks, since it dies back in the winter it has to start over each season with new leaves emerging from the tubers.
caitlin - Well it would either work or NOT.......:-)
Gunnera grows wild and HUGE in Southern Chile...I don't know if it ever snows...but there are glaciers and it gets darn cold there!
Carol
Where would you look for a plant? I'm very curious.
Try the vendors in the PlantFiles listings (upper left hand corner of a listing will often list vendors that have a particular plant for sale):
http://davesgarden.com/ps/go/56632/
I got mine at a local nursery and they were also available from many vendors at the SF Flower & Garden Show 2004 & 2005, so they are out there you just have to look for a retailer in your area that carries them or can order them for you.
They say they should be planted near a pond for the moisture. I wonder would it hurt to plant it in the area where we have my washing machine water run off. I have heard that there are some plants that thrive in that kind of condition. We live in the country on 18 acres but we don't have a pond, darn it any way.
I don't have any personal experience with "gray/grey water", but here is a link to a site that has an extensive amount of information. Scroll way down to near the bottom where it talks about lawns, vegetables and other plants.
http://www.oasisdesign.net/greywater/misinfo/index.htm#treatment