Color in the Garden
Discover color in foliage. I don’t know why people think of flowers
when a garden is mentioned. Blooming plants make a noticeable
accent only when in bloom and in sufficient numbers to be seen
from a distance. On the other hand, foliage is present in large quantities
all summer long, presenting their leafy faces to the sun and our own
admiring eyes.
Many plants qualify as colorful additions to our garden. One of
my favorites is the large leaf hosta in dusty blue shades. One
clump of this easily found plant covers a square yard of area,
nodding with the breezes and even sending up racemes of lilac
blooms in June. Large leafed coleus can be treated as a potted
plant for good effect as accent pieces. Platter sized caladiums
adds a point of focus in your garden. Don’t pass up decorative
grasses with their tall tan fronds supplying motion as well as color.
Evergreens that shine with sunny yellows and chartreuse are
the golden arbor vitae and variegated hollies. Reds are
represented by Japanese maples, especially the finely divided
miniatures. When visiting your local nursery in the Spring, choose
plants with extra light or dark foliage for accenting the ubiquitous
leaf green. Flowering weeping varieties of some trees sport leaves
of a golden color like the golden chain tree. Twisted willow leaves
are of a jade green color. Large Norwegian maples are to be
avoided because they absorb too much light in the garden and
grow too large for most spaces.
With the instant effect of colorful leaves painting a picture in
your garden, you are then free to place the finishing touches with
your favorite flowers. Just think of the painting it would make!
Retirement downsized my garden but not my enthusiasm.
[tags]Plants, leaves, garden[/tags]