Foliage: The Living Palette - Part 3


this end of the color spectrum absolutely requires a contrast, otherwise it fades away into the shadows. I'm mad about purple leaves, but I have discovered that they are somewhat difficult to place so that their true beauty can be appreciated.

The purple leaf Heucheras are a case in point. Especially those scrumptious ones that have recently come on the market, like Heuchera x americana 'Peek-a-Boo'(top) and 'Cathedral Windows'(bottom).

When you look at them individually, you've just gotta have them. When you put them together, instead of the opulent tapestry envisioned, you have nothing. They simply fade into the mulch. To bring out the rich colors and veining, you've got to work other foliage colors and shapes in amongst them.

I discovered this when I finally got the half dozen varieties I'd purchased this spring into the bed prepared for them this fall. Since I had not realized this little fact before setting out the pots to see where they would go, I really didn't have exactly the right companions. I'm going to see how the bed works this year, but I'm pretty sure someone is going to have to move so that I can put some contrasting foliage colors in the bed. I'm leaning toward the silvers and finding something that won't grow too large and will like this particular bed's conditions will be a challenge. Any suggestions are welcome!

Well, it's time to go for this week. We'll talk some more about using our foliage palette in the garden next time. See ya' later.

LINKS

  • The commercial garden center, Garden Escape, has a fairly nifty Design a Garden feature that's fun to play with if you're looking for some ideas. Click on the selections you want and the search will come up with a number of plants to consider. Be careful of clicking on too many options, it confuses their search engine. Of course, they'd like you to buy the plants, but looking is free.

  • Luke Miller, on the Garden Gate site, has written a good article Balance in Design that will help you place your plants properly.

PHOTO CREDITS

All photographs were taken by Marge Talt.

The copyright of the article Foliage: The Living Palette - Part 3 in Shade Gardening is owned by Marge Talt. Permission to republish Foliage: The Living Palette - Part 3 in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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