LEAVES THAT GLOW
Artemesia
This is one of my favorite groups of plants. Most gardeners have had the sad experience of using Silver King (Artemesia albula) and discovering just how quickly it spreads via runners. Regardless of this fault, it is valuable as a filler in garden bouquets and can be dried for pressed flower pictures or used as a base for dried flower arrangements or wreaths. Every garden needs at least a small plot of this wonderful plant.
Silvermound (Artemesia schmidtiana) is a nice plant if you can keep it growing. It forms a nice mound of very lacy looking, shiny foilage. Here in Michigan I find it sometimes doesn't make it through the winter. I am sure that further south, it will thrive. In the evening, light is reflected off of the leaves so they appear to twinkle!
Another common plant is called Dusty Miller (Artemesia stellariana). It very much resembles the common annual plant called Dusty Miller, hence the name. It looks nice draped over a raised bed. It has not proven reliably hardy for me.
Powis Castle is another Artemesia that grows from woody stems. It is not invasive and makes a wonderful mound of lace-like leaves towards late summer. It seems to have a hard time coming alive in the spring and I often think I've lost the plant. It is another plant that appears to glow in the dark.
Perovskia
Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia) is another silvery, fine textured plant. Its leaves reflect available lights at night and the blue/purple flowers appear mist-like in the day. This is a plant that should be in everyone's garden and makes an excellent back of the border plant. It should be staked with a plant ring to help control its tendency to flop over.
Stachys
Lambs ears (Stachys byzantina) is another very soft, silvery leafed plant. It is good for the front of the border and is an excellent foil for brightly colored flowers. One of my herb books comments that the leaves were used for bandages! You may be able to find one of the new non-flowering cultivars.
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