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Four easy plants for contrasting foliage
It’s just started to pour – quell surprise. At this time of year my cottage garden is filled with perennial geraniums, poppies, foxgloves and roses, all throwing their flowers up to the sky. But even at this time of year, when petals and buds are everywhere to be seen, foliage remains every important. Of course, you don’t HAVE to have contrasting foliage, but you’ll find that your plants stand out all the better. So, if you want to spend more time relaxing on your rattan garden sofas from Internet Gardener, and less time rummaging amongst the borders, here are four easy to grow plants that’ll offer great contrast.
Stachys byzantina
This fantastic plant, also known as Lambs Ears – stroke the leaf and you’ll discover why – has a beautiful silvery foliage. Furry flower spikes appear at the beginning of the summer and provide the added interest of purple blooms rather akin to nettles.
They’re easy to grow, spread quickly and require minimal maintenance other than cutting back the flower stems as they fade.
Heucheras
I’m a HUGE fan of Heucheras. They thrive in shady patches, so you can use their diverse range of foliage to brighten up all but the darkest areas in your garden, but you can also find specimens that love direct sun, allowing you to fill all areas of your borders with these wonderful plants. Long flower stalks develop during the spring and summer months, with small bell-like flowers a welcome added attraction of these plants.
Heuchaeras come in a huge variety of colours, from light greens and striated yellows, through to deep dark purple.
Dianthus (Carnations)
Dianthus come in an extraordinary range of colours, but I’m more interested in their foliage than their flowers. Many of the cultivars have silvery grey thin leaves that when clustered together, can be extremely striking.
I’m not a huge of the large blousy blooms, but I do like the larger foliage that they come with, so I generally cut the buds when they’re about to open and use them as cut flowers. Then I get to enjoy the foliage without the petals taking all the glory.
Ajuga reptans
I love this little plant and think it should be utilised more in gardens. The deep purple foliage of Ajuga reptans makes it ideal for contrasting with border specimens. It’s extremely low growing, so is perfect ground cover for the front of borders or in pots. Also, mid spring sees Ajuga throwing up small spikes covered with blue flowers that the bees absolutely adore, making it a seasonal interest plant that’s also wildlife friendly.
One of the nice things about the above plants is that their foliage will prevail around the year. This ensures that you’ve always got some contrasting leaves even in the depths of winter. They also need very little maintenance, allowing you to sit back and actually enjoy your oasis – on sunny days, of course.
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