Create a Colorful Foliage Garden
Sometimes, we as gardeners, can get fixated on the flowering plants we bring into our garden. However, gardeners can increase interest in their landscape by wisely using foliage color in their garden. Black leaves, gold foliage, plants with chartreuse variegation....the eye-catching possibilities are growing each year with new plant introductions. Here are some tips for combining plant foliage in beautiful and creative ways.
1 - Use contrasting colors to create bold accents.
A great choice for creating a contrasting and exciting color theme in the garden is to use plants with black foliage and plants with gold foliage. The visual contrast in the black and gold garden will make your landscape pop and sizzle!
Another idea for creating colorful contrasts in the garden include using variegated plants. Some variegated shrubs and perennials have brightly contrasting colors in and of themselves, and the white accents add foliage color all season long. For example, the variegated foliage of the Tricolor Sedum (Sedum spurium 'Tricolor'), is an excellent perennial for adding colorful accent to the garden.
Other bright colors, that create an exciting contrast, include chartreuse or silver to accent maroon or dark green foliage. The new Pennisetum setaceum 'Fireworks, ,for example, adds a bright foliage accent to any garden and is sure to be a popular ornamental grass for mixed borders and containers.
2 - Choose plants with interesting leaf shapes, sizes and texture.
Beautiful flowers last just a few weeks at best, but plant foliage lasts all season long - sometimes all year long. Gardeners should be careful to select plants with interesting foliage texture and color whenever possible.
Contrast a fine cut foliage plant such as Oriental Limelight Wormwood (Artemesia vulgaris 'Oriental Limelight') with a shrub or large perennial that has large, broad foliage like a coral bells,(Heuchera spp) plant. The instant contrast will catch the eye and create landscape interest.
3 - Pay attention to seasons of color and final size dimensions when planting foliage plants.
As with any mixed bed or border, gardeners need to take into account the expected growth dimensions of each plant to prevent overcrowding. This will also make sure each plant is a visible part of the landscape so the foliage can truly be enjoyed. Taller plants can go in the back, or middle of the border, while smaller plants can be tucked around the front and edges where they are easily seen.
Some foliage garden plants change colors in the spring or fall, so be sure to take that into account as well. Many of the sedums turn brilliant red, oranges and yellows in the fall. Other plants, such as Japanese Maples, have colorful spring foliage before the leaves turn their summer shades.
Colorful foliage is a key part of creating a multi-dimensional landscape with lots of interest. See these related resources to help you select perennials, shrubs and ornamental trees for your garden landscape.
Plants with (Black or Maroon Foliage),
Plants with (Gold or Chartreuse Foliage),
(Evergreen Groundcovers),
This 'Plant Highlight' was written exclusively for Sooner Plant Farm by Angela England
.To read more from this talented writer about other highlighted plants and interesting gardening stories click here.
All copyrights reserved by Sooner Plant Farm. No reproduction of this article in whole or in part is allowed without the permission of Sooner Plant Farm.
