Good morning and welcome!
If I could go back in time and change one aspect of my garden, I would incorporate more white and yellow foliage. Most of my hillside is in the shade. I initially planted purple foliage to increase the visual interest which can create a focal point in a sunny garden. Unfortunately, I observed that this enhanced the darkness of a shade garden. Over time, I included more light colored foliage and saw how it brightened up my shadowy landscape.
Using foliage is often overlooked as a way to enhance a garden. I know I took a haphazard approach until the last year. Although color is usually my first consideration, plants with contrasting leaf shapes, sizes, and texture also make interesting combinations.
Monotonous — that is how I would describe the back yard in 2016.
I love the way the pink edging of Shojo no mai Japanese maples sets off the fountain and illuminates the patio. I wish I bought more to spread around the property.
Sadly, my Stachys Bello Grigio did not make it through this winter. It was one of my favorite silver-white plants and really enhanced my garden, especially at night. I replaced one with a Rock and Roll Peruvian lily which I am using across the garden to add evergreen white variegated foliage with red flowers.
Do you have a favorite plant that you have lost and realized it might not be prudent to purchase again?
Silver-white or blue-gray leaves provide a feeling of tranquillity and reflect light. Silver foliage goes with most other colors and makes a statement when used with warm colors like red, orange, or gold. White foliage lightens up a garden and is visible at night. Some types of white variegated foliage can sunburn in full sun.
Most silver plants have evolved to cope with hot, dry climates by covering their green leaves with tiny hairs. While many of my silver plants do well without irrigation, their color is often washed out on the hillside unless they are paired with purple or pink foliage.
In the next photo, light colored foliage such as variegated Jacob's Ladder (Polemonium 'Brise d'Anjou'), variegated thrift, Stachys Bello Grigio, and a lime colored Heuchera provide some lightness along the path.
Peaking up from the black mondo grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’) and Viola labradorica is Dahlia ‘Sunshine’ which blooms with a profusion of bright sunshine-yellow, orange-centered flowers over dark foliage. This is my only dahlia that the slugs usually leave alone. The remainder of my dahlias are potted for their protection. Also present is Heuchera micrantha 'Palace Purple'.
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My neighbor’s cat in the photo below was the most interesting part of the landscape in 2016. Ivy was removed from the top of the hill and the exposed dirt increased the darkness.
Plants with gold or yellow foliage stand out like a ray of sunshine. Sunlight and soil moisture may affect how yellow-leaved plants perform. In fact, my Coprosma 'Tequila Sunrise' and Kaleidoscope Abelia are not getting enough sun to produce the vivid orange expected on the multi-colored, primarily yellow, variegated leaves. In shady areas, yellow mimics dappled sunlight brightening up darker greens, blues, and purples. Some golden plants may be susceptible to leaf scorch.
Taking a closer look at the plants in the top center of the arch and starting on the left in the picture below is Cornus alba ‘Elegantissma’, Rock and Roll Peruvian lilies (white variegated foliage with red flowers), and Cornus stolonifera 'Zachary' which is another red twig dogwood but with yellow variegated foliage.
Looking downhill in 2016, you can see the work in progress...
Three years later, the plants have started to fill in the landscape. Silver King Euonymus is another white variegated shrub I am using to replace plants on the hillside.
Another view of 2016. Can you see the turkeys at the top of the hill that Bandit is trying to scare? Or is it too dark?
By 2019, I increased the plants with lighter foliage which contrasts well with the burgundy foliage. Now the darker foliage looks like an accent instead of a shadow.
I love the spiky leaves of the Queen Palm and white striped New Zealand flax.
Sunlight and nutrient levels can influence the appearance of purple, bronze, red, and black foliage. These plants may develop deeper colors with sunlight. Low nitrogen enhances red or purple toned colors while high nitrogen levels may cause the plant to appear greener. Phosphorus deficiency may cause a more of a purplish tone. My hillside had a variety of nutrient issues which resulted in duller colors in the shade garden.
Bronze leaves can be very drab unless the sun lights them from the side or from behind, then the resulting effect is a plant that glows with red highlights. Plants with dark leaves stand out when paired with silver, yellow, white, or orange leaved plants. Dark foliage can help with areas you may want to hide or have recede into the background (i.e. fences).
Japanese maple, Shojo no mai, is on the right and the fountain. A multi-colored loropetalum is planted behind the fountain. On the left of the fountain is a purple and white fuchsia.
While not an example of foliage, I bought my coral bark maples (Acer palmatum 'Sango Kaku') for the striking red stems in winter. As the year progresses, the pale green leaves stand out against the darker green landscape and the foliage transitions from chartreuse to a vibrant, golden yellow in the fall. Considering the foliage changes throughout the year gives my garden greater variety and personality.
Variegated leaved plants offer a range of options from subtle to exotically colorful foliage. These patterns include spots, swirls, or lines. Some leaves may break color rules and have both warm and cool colors on the same leaf.
Four yellow flecked Abutilon, a Butterfly maple, six variegated Fuchsia thymifolia, and licorice plants (Helichrysum petiolare 'Limelight') brighten the area under California bay trees. The Asparagus densiflorus Myers fern is one of my favorite texture plants.
The top, right corner of my hill is dark and few plants want to grow there. Originally, this was covered in ivy and poison oak. I chose to irrigate only a few plants and I am experimenting with ways to lighten this area. So far, the white tinged Vinca major 'variegata' is spreading the best without irrigation. Licorice plant (Helichrysum petiolare 'Limelight') and Lamiastrum galeobdolon need more water than I want to provide in this location. I tried a couple of succulents but it is dark and the winter rains washed them out.
I used the dark Aeonium arboreum 'Zwartkop' to echo the colors seen in the Forest Pansy Redbud and purple leaf plum trees.
Senecio serpens (Blue chalksticks) pairs well with the yellow tipped Incense Cedar in the blue container that matches the Senecio. I have seen Senecio serpens used as ground cover instead of grass in the hotter areas inland in California. Last year, I planted it in the dark, top right corner of my garden but it disappeared during the rains. Lamb's ear (Stachys byzantina) is the silver-white foliage peaking out by the stone raised beds. The gray foliage of my small pineapple guava (Feijoa sellowiana) tree is visible in the top left corner.
I planned to write this foliage blog for a while and was inspired during my vacation to Singapore and Bali. I was in awe of the people, the culture, the temples, and natural beauty. The following are a few of my favorite pictures highlighting foliage.
The silhouettes of the trees below are just as eye-catching as the palace architecture. I think these are Norfolk Island Pines (Araucaria heterophylla)?
The black thatched roof of temples seen throughout Bali is typically made from ijuk (black aren fibers), dried coconut, or rumbia leaves.
Colors influence the mood of a garden whether it is energizing oranges or tranquil blues. The color wheel can be a useful tool to understand the relationships between the colors. One easy way to combine colors is to use analogous colors. Analogous colors are those that are next to each other on the color wheel. These colors tend to blend together well. The diagram below shows the 6 major colors on the color wheel. Analogous colors include red and orange, orange and yellow, yellow and green, green and blue, blue and violet, and violet and red.
If you like contrast in your colors then try using complimentary colors. Complimentary colors are opposite each other on the color wheel. The diagram below shows the different complimentary colors. Three examples of complimentary color pairs are violet and yellow, red and green, and orange and blue.
The source for the color wheel below and some of the commentary is from Proven Winners:
www.provenwinners.com/...
Using my side yard as an example, the ground is primarily covered in orange Siberian Wallflowers and Nasturtium. I added analogous colors by using yellow Nasturtiums, red Bottlebrush, and “Limelight” Helichrysum petiolare. The purple Iberis complements these flowers.
Some random wildflowers also showed up creating a spontaneous and whimsical garden.
I am still trying to catch up on my pruning, weeding, and who knows what else out there.
What are your favorite foliage plants?
What is new in your garden?