Foliage Can Carry the Show

Welcome to the Member Ideas area! This community feature is where our members can post their own ideas. These posts are unedited and not necessarily endorsed by the National Gardening Association.
Posted by @springcolor on
Flowers are gorgeous but they can be here today and gone tomorrow. Foliage however, can carry the show 24/7 and throughout the growing season.

Gardeners want color and impact for extended periods of time, and variegated or colored foliage can easily fill that need. Foliage finery comes in a staggering array of colors and textures, none of which you ever have to deadhead. Foliage can exhibit variations of green, white, pink, and red, ranging from the deepest colors to the palest pastel, a designer's dream come true. Think of the possibilities to create a dramatic display that will last for the entire growing season.

Here are just a few examples of foliage producing an impact on its own.
Thumb of 2014-03-30/springcolor/65ffeb Thumb of 2014-03-30/springcolor/3f6878 Thumb of 2014-03-30/springcolor/84c353
No flowers in these combos, but lots of impact.

In addition, there is foliage that supports flowers, but will continue the display between flower cycles.
Thumb of 2014-03-30/springcolor/4ba407 Thumb of 2014-03-30/springcolor/0bb8f4 Thumb of 2014-03-30/springcolor/2ab927

Thumb of 2014-03-30/springcolor/a6afc1 Thumb of 2014-03-30/springcolor/2a574b Thumb of 2014-03-30/springcolor/a12be2

Any one of these pictures could easily produce an impact without the flowers, but the foliage just seems to enhance the flowers.

Color for shade is not a problem when you rely on foliage for impact.

Thumb of 2014-03-30/springcolor/6d64d0 Thumb of 2014-03-30/springcolor/8b3ed4 Thumb of 2014-03-30/springcolor/9e19cd

Thumb of 2014-03-30/springcolor/20b38a Thumb of 2014-03-30/springcolor/54bf8f

As you critique your gardens this season, think about adding foliage for added impact. There is so much variety available in the garden centers. I'm a foliage fanatic, so some of my favorite plants are heucheras, coleuses, sempervivums, and hostas. I'm always thinking of ways to extend the WOW factor even after the flowers have faded.

 
Comments and Discussion
Thread Title Last Reply Replies
Great Article about foliage plants by CDsSister Aug 31, 2022 9:05 PM 16

Explore More:

Member Login:

( No account? Join now! )

Today's site banner is by Zoia and is called "Volunteer"

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.