Eagle Lake Nurseries Gardening Tips

May 2002

Foliage for All Seasons

It is tempting in May or June, when planning a herbaceous perennial border, to gravitate to everything in bloom at the garden centers. After the plants are installed, the garden comes alive with a vibrant riot of colour, epitomising the best of English cottage gardening until…July. The once spectacular blooms have disappeared without a trace leaving a swath of green that now blends in with the lawn.

The solution is to incorporate plants with interesting foliage colour and texture into the overall landscape plan. This will extend the garden through each season, creating a lush tapestry and the flowers become a colourful bonus. Here are some of the perennials we have at our garden center that are useful in creating an all season garden.

  • Sun

    Artemisia:
    Sages grey foliage has a harmonising effect in the garden, toning down adjacent bright colours.
    Silver King Sage ( Artemisia ludoviciana) 60cm tall. Silver-white foliage.
    Silver Mound (Artemisia schmidtiana) 30-60cm tall. Very soft touchable foliage.
    Silver Brocade (Artemisia stelleriana) 15-30 cm tall. Silver leaves are sharply divided.
    Calamagrostis acutifolia 'Karl Foerster'
    Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grass 60 cm tall. Upright grass with red flower spikes. Perennial plant of 2001.
    Cerastium tomentosum:
    Snow-in-summer: 5-20cm tall. Silver foliage with white blooms in summer.
    Festuca ovina 'Glauca':
    Blue Fescue: 30-45cm tall. Nice blue colour on arching, tufted foliage.
    Helictotrichon sempervirens:
    Blue Oat Grass: Lovely blue upright ornamental grass.
    Iris pallida'Aureo-variegata':
    Sweet Variegated Iris: Fan shaped green and pale yellow variegated leaves with lavender-blue flowers.
    Perovskia atriplicifolia:
    Russian Sage: 90-120cm. Beautiful aromatic silver-white foliage.
    Sedum:
    Stonecrop cultivars: Many interesting foliage colours including blue, red and green with pink or red edging.
    Sempervivum:
    Hens and Chicks: 2.5-7.5 cm tall. Little green rosettes.
    Stachys byzantina
    Lambs Ears: 45-60cm tall. Soft and fuzzy grey leaves.
  • Sun to shade

    Alchemilla mollis:
    Lady's Mantle: 8-45cm tall. Droplets of water glitter on leaves like little diamonds. Flowers in summer with chartreuse flowers.
    Ajuga reptans:
    Bugleweed: 10-30cm tall.
    'Bronze' Bronze foliage.
    'Burgundy Glow': Variegated pinkie bronze foliage.
    Bergenia cordifolia
    Heartleaf Bergenia: 30-60cm tall. Shiny thick leaves take on a great bronze fall colour. Pink flowers in spring.
    Cimicifuga simplex:
    Snakeroot: 90-180cm tall. Shiny oval leaves.
    Heuchera 'Palace Purple':
    Bronze Coral Bells: 45-50cm. Purple foliage.
    Lamium maculatum:
    Deadnettle 20-60cm tall.
    'Beacon Silver': Silver foliage with green edges.
    'Chequers': Green with silver center.
    'White Nancy': Green and silver foliage.
  • Partial to full shade

    Hosta: 10-90cm tall
    'Bressingham Blue'60cm tall. Round very blue leaves.
    'Francee': 30-38 cm tall. Green leaves with a white trim.
    'Frances Williams': 30-34cm tall. Blue-green leaves and cream edges.
    'Gold Standard': 30-45 cm tall. Green leaves turn golden in summer.
    'Golden Tiara'30 cm tall. Heart shaped green leaves with yellow margins.
    'Mediovariegata' 60cm tall. Variegated, wavy green leaves with white centers.
    'Sum and Substance' 45-60cm tall. Large golden leaves.
    Ligularia: 90-180cm tall
    'Desdemona' and 'Othello': purple-green foliage. Clusters of yellow flowers.
    Matteuccia struthioptereis
    Native/Ostrich Fern: 90-120cm tall. Vase shaped leaves add a nice airy texture to the garden.
    Pulmonaria angustifolia: 25-38cm tall
    Lungwort, 'Mrs. Moon': Silver spotted leaves.
    Jennifer Seafoot,
    Eagle Lake Nurseries Garden Center