Meet Mark Cullen

Canada's best known gardening personality, Mark Cullen believes that Canadians of all ages need to play more - preferably in the dirt. A best-selling author with over 400,000 books in print, Mark reaches over one million Canadians every week through various media outlets. He is Home Hardware's horticultural spokesperson and regularly contributes to various magazines, gardening shows and newsletters. With a familiar style that people can relate to, he delivers a message that is compelling, fun, informative and inspirational - all based on his organic approach to gardening. In his spare time Mark enjoys driving his Ford Model A - and of course he loves to garden.




2012 Perennial Plant of the Year


~ January 4, 2012


Brunnera Macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’ has been named the Perennial Plant Association's 2012 Perennial Plant of the Year. It carries the common name Siberian bugloss. And I love it.


I have grown Jack Frost in my own garden for several years and it is one of the greatest garden performers out there. This outstanding perennial plant is known best for its clear, distinctly variegated foliage. The silver/white inside margin of the heart-shaped leaves look their very best on an overcast or rainy day. How many plants can you say that about?




Insect and disease resistant in the extreme! I love what ‘Jack Frost’ does in my woodland garden and I think that you will enjoy it in a shady spot in your garden too. Note the ‘forget-me-not’ type sky-blue flowers in early spring.




Light – Perfect for a woodland garden. ‘Jack Frost’ prefers shade but can handle a sunny location. Requires afternoon shade to prevent leaf scorch.


Soil - This plant performs well in all but the driest conditions.


Hardiness - USDA Zones 2 to 9


Brunnera “Jack Frost” is not difficult to find at retailers and performs well in half sun to full shade locations.