I only like the cold when it does stuff like this

Because this winter has been so much colder than the last, some of my evergreen perennials are doing wonderful things. I don't even mean that sarcastically.

The cold turned my Mahonia nervosa wine-colored. The stems are pink! I recently read up on this plant and discovered that it doesn't want full sun, where I have mine sited. It's done fine so far (I barely watered it last summer) so I'm going to keep it there until it screams.

Parahebe perfoliata's purple stems have spilled their coloring into some of the leaves, making it even better looking than before.

On the downside, my favorite agave is mush.

Agave parryi, ay yi yi.

This was before six inches of snow fell. It's completely rotted through and there's no saving it. Sigh. I guess I'll just have to go shopping at Cistus for a more cold-hardy replacement! 

Say yes to mahonia!

My sister-in-law and I chatted recently about how we've both been reluctant to put Oregon grape in our yards. I see it in landscaping underneath big trees and it looks leggy and sad (not to mention it's pokey and I'm clumsy, a bad combination). But then I saw this guy at Portland Nursery and I wanted to buy five of them. So pretty! So colorful! Evergreen!

Mahonia nervosa

I've placed it in the dry zone of the new rain garden where hopefully it will spread and stay bushy. I'm also plotting the inclusion of a Mahonia x media 'Arthur Menzies' for structure behind the rain garden. Any other great varieties I've been missing out on?