This is the time of year to think about what we want in our gardens next season -- at least for those of us in the northern hemisphere, where winter is well under way. As we dream of our gardens and what we want to do, we need to keep our aesthetic tools in mind. Foliage is one of the primary tools available to those of us who garden in shade. With it, we can weave a living tapestry.
Gardening is an expression of our individual personalities, so the way each of us uses our foliage palettes of color, shape and texture will be as varied as we are. I'd be willing to bet that, given an identical set of plants, each of us would end up with a totally different border. This is one of the aspects of gardening that makes it so exciting.
Contrasts and Echoes
As I've said before, to my mind, it is the juxtaposition of foliage colors, shapes and textures, creating contrasts and echoes, that provide continuing interest in the garden. Because we're working with living plants, their relationships are in continual flux throughout the season. For instance, in part of my garden,Buxus sempervirens (Boxwood) underplanted with Pachysandra terminalis creates an echo of texture, continually green, a background, if you will; soothing, but unexciting. This same scene is given an added fillip during the growing season when Dennstaedtia punctiloba (Hay-scented Fern) begins to push its apple green, feathery fronds up through the Pachysandra (which doesn't mind this one bit). The basic color theme is still green, but the contrast in color, along with the foliage shape and texture provides a sensuous element lacking in the basic duo.
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