Alright, one last wishlist post from me, your GPOD editor… This time I’m looking past flowers to foliage that I want to add to the garden. Everyone knows that foliage is the heart of a well-designed garden as it lasts so much longer than flowers. BUT I’m very guilty of being seduced by pretty flowers, so I need to really focus on stepping up my foliage game this year.
What are your favorite foliage plants? Send in photos, we’d love to see them!
This conifer is Pinus contorta ‘Chief Joseph’ (Zone 5 – 8). In the summer, it looks perfectly normal. But in the winter, the needles turn this brilliant yellow. It is slow growing, and needs some protection from direct sun in the winter to keep from burning, but wow, what a color! The burlap behind it in this photo is to give it a bit of shade. I took this photo at Hidden Lake Gardens in Michigan.
Another favorite with yellow foliage… Aralia ‘Sun King’ (Zone 4 – 8). Hard to beat that color! I actually planted one of these last year, but it is still small… it takes time to build up to this huge specimen I saw in a garden in Virginia.
I took this photo of a dahlia at Chicago Botanic Gardens, I just loved the rich dark color of the foliage contrasting with the bright yellow flowers! Unfortunately, I neglected to take a picture of the label, so I’m trying to figure out the variety. I THINK it might be ‘Happy Days Yellow’.
Begonia grandis (Zone 5 – 9) is probably the most cold hardy begonia out there. The small pink flowers are pretty, but the foliage is really the star, I love how the backs of the leaves are red.
Bowman’s root (Porteranthus trifoliatus, Zone 4 – 8) is a wonderful perennial native to eastern North America. I’ve always enjoyed is pretty white flowers in the spring, but never realized that the fall color was so good! This is a clump I saw at the Lurie Garden in Chicago.
This may look like a clump of grass that is dead and brown for the winter… but actually, it is a sedge (Carex buchananii, Zone 6 – 9) and it looks like this all summer! Some hate it… I love it. This is a patch from my old garden, where it was a favorite snoozing spot for me cat. Time to plant more in my current space.
Rex begonia vine (Cissus discolor, Zone 9 – 11) is a gorgeous vine I’ve loved every time I’ve seen it at public gardens, but I’ve never actually grown it myself. That foliage is just incredible!
Okay, one last photo, and this isn’t quite foliage… but it isn’t flowers either. Rather, the great fruit of winter berry holly (Ilex verticillata, Zone 3 – 9). This is native to a wide swath of North America. And such a great plant. I don’t know why I don’t have any at home! Need to fix that this year.
Winter is always a slow time for GPOD submissions, so if you’ve been putting off submitting, please send in some photos now! If your garden is dormant for the winter, it is the prefect time to look through your photos from warmer times and send us some of your favorites.
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Comments
Hi Joseph,
Thank you for sharing your wish-list plant choices for sun, shade and foliage! Great choices. I tend to focus my garden plant choices on plants with great foliage and try to build combinations that provide interest and last throughout the season. If the plant also flowers it's a bonus! I have also been trying to incorporate more native plants into the mix.
The Dahlia with the dark foliage and yellow flowers could also be Dahlia 'Mystic Illusion'. I grow Dahlia 'Bishop of Llandaff ' for its dark foliage and scarlet flowers that attract Monarchs and Hummingbirds all season long.
Happy New year to everyone at GPOD!
All garden worthy choices! Chief Joseph has been on my wishlist forever but have never seen it for sale in these parts. Got a Carsten Wintergold Mugo Pine years back as a substitute but it reverted to green and never became gold again. A local nursery has three theories for this so I'm working on their suggestions to see if it will change.
My Begonia grandis has remained small and is a latecomer but quite pretty. Wish it had a longer growing season in the garden.
Bowman's Root and Chief Joseph - gorgeous! Kitty in the grass - gorgeous! That winter berry holly - gorgeous! My plant budget for 2024 - already blown!! : )
Foliage textures and colors are so important in a garden...love the cat photo!
The red winter berries brighten up a gloomy winter day. Happy new year to you and your cat!
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