If you can, I suggest exchanging them for a similar but much tougher variegated Polemonium, "Stairway To Heaven".

While "Brise d'Anjou" lasted only one season in my garden, "Stairway To Heaven" has returned the last few years (although only one of my three plants is large and vigorous; the other two barely scraped through the past winter).

what eric said!so lucky you didn't plant them.
best,
mindy

Unless you are willing to grow them as an annual, I would take them back. Get the "Stairway to Heaven" if it's there. I highly recommend this one. I was just thinking yesterday to get some more. I have them in three locations where they're all doing well. Love them!!!!

Its going back! I haven't seen 'Stairway to Heaven' but I will inform the nursery.

Thanks!

what a waste of money.. thank god you have us.. for our collective wisdom ...

though one in a pot on the patio treated as an annual might be precious for the season ... though i wouldnt even waste that money.. lol ...

ken

Don't do it!! You may be surprised and have great luck growing 'Brise d' Anjou'! I have been growing mine for nearly five years with no problems whatsoever. Mine is planted in part sun, with fairly good soil. It is planted on a slight mound, which gives it the good drainage it needs. Only thing I could say aginst it is that it is not a fast grower- not very vigorous.

I know many people have had problems with it, but you will never know unless you try. 'Brise d' Anjou' may be one of my favorite variegated plants of all time. I love it so much that I hope to find more of it soon to add to a new shade garden...
CMK

Well, here's my story: Last season I bought seven of the "something-sapphires" variegated one. Only two made it through the winter, the two that survived are doing okay - not spectacular but good enough. I returned the five (!) that didn't make it to the nursery (were under warranty), and the gal told me words to the effect that these plants are not known for their longetivety - a year or two is what most folks end up getting out of them.

So, if you *really* want the foliage effect in a particular spot it may be worth it to you to treat as a short-lived perennial. For me, the two I have remaining are *exactly* what I want in terms of foliage in that location, so truthfully if (when) they finally meet their demise, I'll probably replace with the same thing. In the location I had the other ones in, I went with something different, other plants fit the bill fine there.

I'm with Eric. Zero success with Brise and some success with Stairway over the last 2 winters.

I also bought Brise d'Anjou last year. It was on sale and very cheap and I only bought one. I didn't realize at the time they were not considered good performers. I planted it and it came back this spring but is pretty small still. So, time will tell. I won't die if it doesn't make it.

I do have something that has very pretty variegated foliage similar to that, It is a Buxus sempervirens Elegantissima. I love mine. It seems very slow growing and is about the size of a 2ft perennial about now. Maybe even closer to 1.5ft tall and wide. Not sure if you have the conditions for it, but might as well check it out.

It lasted one WHOLE season? You were lucky! It took just a few weeks for mine to die. I have not seen worse rubbish for years.

I tried three times with Brise, twice it didn't overwinter, the third time it came back so weak and pitiful I tossed it. I think our winters are just too wet for this one.

Annette

I have 'Stairway to Heaven' as well as 'Touch of Class'. The former is incredibly robust and the latter is just okay.

Stairway has been divided several times.

fwiw, mine's in a dry shade area that gets a few hours of morning sun and occasional supplemental irrigation.

I guess this post serves as a reminder, lol.

I never did plant them.

I'll be putting in a STH next spring.

Like mxk3 stated, I also purchased the "Something saphires" over 2 years ago. I thought I was doing something wrong. Nearly dead, I've moved it, blamed myself- too much water, too little. It seems it doesn't want to thrive, or even show more than a shoot, if that...

Yes, good for collective knowledge, sometimes in retrospect.

For what it is worth, the 'Touch of Class' I got last year has done really well. No problems so far with mine. Such unusual flowers on it too...
CMK

This is a stinker (Brise d'Anjou)! I planted two this spring and they did not even make it to July. They were in partial shade where I have Gaura, hosta, and creeping Lysimachia. They just melted... and it hasn't even been particularly hot this summer.