variegated shrubs nobody has around me!

I am in need of variegated shrubs that are quite uncommon.
I want my garden to have plants that are special, so I need your advice.

Thank you so much, Christie

Ok, let's make this a little bit easier; my neighbours aren't big on gardening, so it can't be THAT hard to find plants they don't have!
CC

Shade? Sun? Flowers or not? Do you care if it's evergreen or deciduous? How big?

Shade in the later afternoon, flowers optional, if deciduous with fall colour, not higher than 2 metre.
I bet you know of a few smashing ones ecrane!!! Please, do tell!!!!!
Christie

I don't have that many variegated plants--the ones I can think of off the top of my head that I have are Nerium oleander 'Variegata', Abelia 'Confetti', and Pittosporum 'Irene Patterson'. The Abelia is pretty common, but the other two I haven't seen around too much. The Abelia will be in your size range but the other two will get too big for you.

I did a couple of advanced searches for you in Plant Files...in all of them I selected zone 9a for hardiness to give you a little extra breathing room, and I selected variegated for leaf color. I varied the height in each search and left everything else alone (so there may be some in here that like shade or partial shade, you'll want to eliminate those from consideration--I'd consider your area full sun if it just gets a bit of shade in the late afternoon)

Height 6-8 feet: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/advanced.php?nn%5B16%5D=12&nn%5B1%5D=8&nn%5B2%5D=0&nn%5B3%5D=16&nn%5B4%5D=0&nn%5B5%5D=0&nn%5B6%5D=0&nn%5B7%5D=0&nn%5B8%5D=5&nn%5B9%5D=0&nn%5B23%5D=0&nn%5B10%5D=0&nn%5B12%5D=0&sname=Plants&Search.x=32&Search.y=8
Height 4-6 feet: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/advanced.php?nn%5B16%5D=12&nn%5B1%5D=7&nn%5B2%5D=0&nn%5B3%5D=16&nn%5B4%5D=0&nn%5B5%5D=0&nn%5B6%5D=0&nn%5B7%5D=0&nn%5B8%5D=5&nn%5B9%5D=0&nn%5B23%5D=0&nn%5B10%5D=0&nn%5B12%5D=0&sname=Plants&Search.x=36&Search.y=8
Height 3-4 ft: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/advanced.php?nn%5B16%5D=12&nn%5B1%5D=6&nn%5B2%5D=0&nn%5B3%5D=16&nn%5B4%5D=0&nn%5B5%5D=0&nn%5B6%5D=0&nn%5B7%5D=0&nn%5B8%5D=5&nn%5B9%5D=0&nn%5B23%5D=0&nn%5B10%5D=0&nn%5B12%5D=0&sname=Plants&Search.x=34&Search.y=6

dubble post, sorry!

This message was edited Sep 16, 2007 9:02 PM

Wow, Ecrane, you're a Godsent!!!!!
I will take my time tomorrow and check them all out!!
Thanks a million!
Christie

Saw one for you at a nursery today--Osmanthus heterophyllus 'Goshiki'. Not sure if this is in one of the searches from yesterday or not.

I am looking at companies that sell it, it's a winner!!!
However, one question; which other one would it need to set berries?
CC

It's not a holly, it only looks like one so if it's going to set berries I don't think it needs another plant. But someone commented in Plant Files that this one rarely makes berries. I had another O. heterophyllus cultivar for a few years at my old house and never saw flowers or berries on it, so I'd plan to enjoy it for the foliage.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/56751/
If you don't mind a little bit of a road trip, it's at the Armstrong Nursery in Dublin. There were several there today, but you might call and see if they would hold it for you before you make the drive.

Believe it or not- I do not drive. Don't have a car or a license. Hubbie drives me, but he thinks I already should have been "done planting" 2 years ago.
So for me; mail me my babies please!!
Thanks for correcting me on that, it indeed is not a holly, so the berry thing doesn't apply.
Christie

So make him bring you down here! Tell him otherwise he'll have to buy you a car and teach you how to drive, that ought to get him in the mood to buy you as many plants as you want! (and doesn't he know that you're never, ever done planting?)

He wants me to drive, but I am scared of your crazy American traffic! Let's not give him the chance to start about that again!
And no, he doesn't know we're never done planting... Good thing really!
I am better of bying plants online!
CC

Guess I figured the idea of teaching you to drive would scare him more than it would scare you! But if not, then forget the idea!

yup. Let's buy plants online or close to home!
I can order it here too.
Thanks! Christie

May I be a little OT here? I would encourage you to go to a professional driving school and learn to drive. Almost all women outlive their husbands; the ratio at age 70 is about 12 to 1. It is not wise to be dependent upon someone else taking you around. I mention this because I happened to be driving my husband to work one day when he had a stroke in the car and started slurring his words. I immediately took him to emergency, of course! Driving is like most things - with practice, it gets easier.

Anyway, back to variegated plants: I love them and have many.

--Variegated bearded iris: Dalmatian iris, not impressed with the flowers but they sure spread themselves around with the leaves!
--Lavatera olba 'Aureum' starts off yellow and ages to a chartreuse-green, very striking against darker foliage. Wonderful big purple blooms in early summer.
--Abutilon 'Thompsonii': gorgeous yellow and green leaves with lovely coral blooms. I also have 'Savitzii' which has stunning green and white leaves with coral blooms, but it needs more shade as well as protection from cold than 'Thompsonii'. The latter is very vigorous whereas 'Savitzii' is fussier.
--Lamium 'Purple Dragon' which is one of the more stunning shade/moderate water groundcovers around.
--Rhamnus (buckthorn) 'Variegata': if you need a narrow small tree with striking green/white leaves, this fills the bill.
--many of the hybrid pelargoniums are variegated, and all are easy to grow in our climate and surprisingly xeric. Be sure to get them when in bloom, because sometimes the bloom colors of different varieties will clash.
--Strobilanthes 'Persian Shield' is an annual except where you can protect it. Like Plectranthus 'Rubrum' (the latter is not variegated but has an underside and stems of rich purple which contrast with the green leaves), in the right spot it will stay around for you.
--I have a chartreuse yellow Plectranthus whose name I've lost, but it has a colored center of dark wine which makes it another wonderful groundcover. I also like vinca minor 'Illumination' which really lights up shaded spots. For sunny areas, there's a variegated liriope 'Silver Dragon' which doesn't need as much water as most of its cousins and has a nice whitish edge to the grass-like leaves.
--variegated Aucuba 'Gold Dust' is one of the great xeric plants for partial shade or shade. Very tough and fills out a moderate height spot nicely.
--variegated Solanum vine is a lovely bright yellow that edges small green leaves, white white flowers. Not quite as massive as the green solanum but will still cover a trellis with vigor.
--Oxalis siliquosa 'Copper Sunset' aka 'Copper Velvet' changes color depending upon how much sun it gets. In winter it turns a beautiful rosy color shading to chartreuse; in sun it turns more chartreuse to green, with tiny yellow flowers. Non invasive and a lovely plant. Much better behaved than Polygonum 'Variegata' which will pop up 20' away.

Wow Jkom, thank you for the big list, I will check them out one by one!
And about women outliving their spouses; my husband is 23 years older than me, so you're definately right on that one!!
Christie