I HAVE ALREADY SPOUTED OFF ABOUT HOW I AM NO FLOWER GIRL. Foliage rules here. Month 3, and it still looks good. What flower can say that? Oh, really?
THE LECTURE that he’s been giving for a number of years is not-so-subtly called “Kill Your Lawn.” Ecological horticulturist Dan Jaffe Wilder knows that starting over and creating an entire native habitat instead of a lawn isn’t for everyone. But Dan just wants to grab our attention and get us to start to make some changes at least in the way we care for the turfgrass we do want in our landscapes. And maybe give up a little square footage of it to some other kind of more diverse planting, too, like the wild strawberries (Fragaria virginiana, inset). Alternative, more eco-focused styles of lawn care, along with some lawn alternatives is what he and I talked about on the podcast. Dan is Director of Applied Ecology at Norcross Wildlife Foundation in Wales, Massachusetts, and its 8,000-acre sanctuary. He’s also co-author with Mark Richardson of the book “Native Plants for New England Gardens.”
(Stream it below, read the illustrated transcript or subscribe free.)
Beautiful foliage, indeed! I always fall for puckery hosta and prim euphorbia, but farfugium is a new one for me. I’ll have to look it up. :-)
I love foliage and all its shades of greens and burgundys etc…Your foliage looks fantastic, I am partial to the Japanese Painted Fern and the Euphorbia because of that beautiful burgundy color.
I’m with you. My name aside, I love Japanese Painted Ferns.
Welcome to Lulu, and to Perennialgardenlover. I am glad to “meet” two more gardeners who “get” the leaf thing. Come again soon.
Now Fern, how did I know you’d have something to say about this one? :)
Margaret, I love the staying power of foliage plants, they never fail to perform in my shade garden. Although, I must confess for several years I struggled with plants that were not suitable. European Ginger is an old favorite. I think I’ll try ‘tiger eyes’. Your website transports me to my garden while at work…I love it and the great comments.
It’s hard to argue with those photos. In fact, one of the most consistently beautiful areas of my garden is the foliage garden in the front. Easy care too!
Robin
Gardening Examiner
Margaret, I love your photos and would like to add heuchera, especially those with maroon coloring. I have some of them with ferns and hosta. Thank you for daily inspiration!
Nancy
All great ‘flowers’ in their own right! I have grown all but the Farfugium. Is that hardy where you are?
@Layanee: No, the Farfugium is not hardy here. Goes in the house; hates me for it. I try for near-dormancy in winter, barely awake, cool. A greenhouse would be easier. :)
I overwinter my farfugium in my greenhouse but this past winter I made the mistake of letting it flower (I do love yellow daisies but these have nothing to boast about) so this year it’s leaves are much smaller than usual.
I would add to your list potentilla gelida. That one is hardy and a great silver (silver?) leaved perennial.
Have you ever tried planting some liriope? I love it’s leaves and blooms. It might be a good one to add to your collection of favorites.
Yes, foliage rules in my garden too. For variety of form, leaves beat the pants off of flowers, and frankly, leaves provide just as great a color palette as flowers.
Especially in the varied summer conditions of the Northeast, flowers can come and go very quickly (the rotting blooms of the Eden rose from too much rain at the wrong time come to mind) Flowers are the frosting on the cake and as such are sometimes not even needed or welcome (I cut off the flower stalks off of my Hostas the minute they appear because I feel they detract from the beauty of the foliage.) And then there are the plants that have both stellar foliage and flower. My favorite, cake and frosting success this year are the dark leaved dahlias (Romeo, Flame and Yellow Hammer). Their black opalescent foliage has been a joy for 2 ½ months and the flowers will keep coming now until frost.
I bow down to thee! I’m still unable to move beyond my affair with anything that blossoms but greatly admire those with foliage fortitude. ;-)
Don’t you just love Euphorbias? They are quickly becoming a favorite of mine. I also love purple foliage in the shade garden especially if mixed with chartreuse.~~Dee
Welcome, Diana. I have numerous ‘Sieboldiana Elegans’ hostas that size at least, and no seeming end in sight. After 15 or so years, they are just so big…so I divided some this year and I swear, they have already practically caught up. A beast! Nice to “meet” you, and come again soon.
Sum and Substance is a great hosta. Some
of my favorites are Spilt Milk, and Elegans,
the latter of which I saw recently at a garden walk, and I kid you not, it was a full five feet or more across. ONE PLANT !
The gardener said she’d had the plant for ten years. I immediately ran out and got one
for myself !
I’m a latecomer to this discussion, but I just wanted to add that I, too, am a foliage girl– glad to know there are others like me out there! Don’t get me wrong: I love flowers, but the blooms come and go and what you’re left with are the form (structure of the plant) and the foliage. So happy I found you, Margaret!
Welcome, Cyncyr. We will get back to this topic again and again as the season gets going (and the leaves unfurl!). So thanks for the reminder. Glad you found me, too. :)
a new favorite of mine is mukdenia ‘Karasuba’ which I got from Sunny Border