Leaves Plants at www.japanese-home-gardens.com

The plants adapt to most any soil, only needing moisture at the roots. They are called lungwort according to the Doctrine of Signatures, medieval medical practice wherein various plants were used to cure diseases indicated by the form and color of their leaves plants, roots, or flowers. The leaves plants of lungwort were thought to look like lung tissue. Mature plants are 1 foot high and have a 3-foot spread. To cover ground quickly, plant them 9 inches apart. P. officinalis var. immaatlata has plain green leaves plants. The plants are hardy in Zone 4 and will also do well in medium shade.

Plants that have their roots on the bottom of a pool and their leaves plants floating on the surface are known as deep-water aquatics. These plants are of less ornamental value than water lilies, with their large exotic blooms, but they help keep algae at bay. Aponogeton distachyos (water hawthorn) (z9—10) has very fragrant, "forked" white flowers and oblong-shaped leaves plants, and Hottonia palustris (water violet) (z5—9) has white or lilac-tinted flowers and large whorls of bright green leaves plants. There is a range of plants with yellow flowers, including Nuphar lutea (yellow pond lily) (z5—10), which has small, bottle-shaped, yellow flowers and leathery, green leaves plants, and Nymphoides peltata (water fringe) (z7—10), which has delicately fringed, buttercup-yellow flowers and round, purple-mottled leaves plants. Along with the leaves plants of water lilies and deep water plants, floating plants help to cover the water's surface to reduce the amount of sunlight that algae thrive on.

Just before the first frosts of autumn, on a bright sunny day when the plants are dry, draw the leaves plants together around the stem and tie them in place with garden twine. Then take strips of paper about 6 inches wide and starting at the bottom, wind them around the leaves plants right up to the top. Over this a 3-inch band of hay is tied. Bank up the plants with soil to help with support. Leave for about a month until the blanching is complete. Plants can also be dug up and stored in a cool, dry spot with all the wrappings in place.