Beefsteak Plant

Last year, I really enjoyed the Beefsteak Plant (Perilla 'Magilla') I had planted near our front yard driveway.  Its multicolored foliage created a bright spot in the shade of the Red Oak tree.  Of course, our below freezing winter temperatures killed it back down to the ground, and its future is still uncertain (as nothing has yet made an appearance).  However, I successfully rooted several cuttings over the winter (quite easy to do with this plant).

So today, between the twin waterfalls in my backyard, I planted two of the smaller and one of the larger cuttings.  Have yet to be satisfied with any plant I have tried in this location - but hoping that its bright colors will be an attractive centerpiece to the pond.  And I still have more cuttings to try in other locales (including its original front yard location if it is does not reappear from the roots).

As I worked to put the cuttings into the ground, I kept hearing buzzing near my ears.  Glancing around, I discovered my first blooms of this year: the tiny blossoms of the Dwarf Buford Hollies (Ilex cornuta 'Burfordii Nana') were making the bees quite happy.  Not particularly showy (not really even visible unless you are within inches or you happen to be a honeybee) - but they are the promise of winter's red berries to come.