Topic: What foliage plants do you grow?

[pigeonseed]

I've got a lot of colour in the garden, and I'm thinking about developing some calm greenery.

I don't know why but I absolutely hate variegated or red foliage! It just seems to clash with everything. But I love greens of all kinds and can also tolerate a bit of grey!

What do you use to green your garden?

[raisedbedted]

I'm with you on variegated foliage, it just looks false to me.

I use..
Artemesia Annua (Sweet Wormwood) as I love the ferny foliage and the smell.
Petasites as large dot plants.
Chard (red stems I'm afraid)
Zea (plain green ones not the striped ones)

I love my yew and box pyramids and balls as much as my Roses, also love my Eucalyptus Gunii for its foliage and smell.

[jennym]

Portugese laurel - cut to keep to a reasonable size - some pannicles of white flower - dark green laurel like leaf
Escallonia "Apple Blossom"- small evergreen leaf but some pinkish flowers in summer
Garrya Elliptica - needs shade, nice "catkins" - good against a wall or frame
Itea ilicifolia - a sort of holly, ok down south - has "catkin" type flowers in summer - good against a wall or frame
Griselinia littoralis - sort of plain yellowish green medium leaf, doesn't take over here, Ive never seen it flower
Ivy - theres loads to choose from, I like the one with a leaf shaped like a birds foot
Myrtle - dark green glossy leaf, ok down south
Olive - for grey green leaves
Lonicera nitida Baggesens Gold grows quickly but trims easily, tiny lyellow eaves, I think it looks good when clipped once early on then left to go shaggy
Osmanthus - lots of varieties, medium/dark green largish leaf, scented flowers in winter
Pyracantha - white blossom June/July, various colours of berries available winter - good burglar proof hedge
Box - lots of varieties different sized leaves some smaller than others doesn't grow too quickly, some types don't grow tall
Sarcoccoa - lots of different types some don't grow tall, dark green leaf, sweet smelling flower in winter
Pittosporum tenuifolium - lots of varieties - some with very small leaves and black stems, gives good texture
Mahonia - holly like grey green leaf, lots of different types, some grow quite tall, yellow honey scented flowers in winter
Ceanothus - lots of varieties, some grow like trees, some more like shrubs, small dark green ribbed leaf, blue flowers in May, there are different shades of blue to get.
Sophora - good grown against a wall or frame, yellow flowers in spring, foliage is pinnate and looks good all year, I have Sun King and would recommend this.

[GrannieAnnie]

Russian Sage and Lambs Ears and mildewed plants- silvery white
Flowering Peach- burgundy leaves
Blue spruce
Green hollies in various forms
Green ornamental grasses
Striped leaf iris- creamy white and green
Crepe myrtle tree with burgundy leaves and bright pink flowers
Gold barberry brought by a bird
Flowering plum with burgundy leaves
Brown leafed dead plants ;D

[Deb P]

For height at the back of a boarder I like to use cardoon 'florist's cardy' the ornamental variety. Looks good until the frosts and you can leave the seed heads on overwinter for the birds.....

[pigeonseed]

Ooh so many suggestions. I'm going to look up pics of them all.
Thanks everyone! :)

[pigeonseed]

GrannieAnnie - lamb's ears/stachys - I love this! I've seen it in a lot of local gardens and on a nearby allotment, so I'll ask if they'll divide a clump for me in spring.

Brown leafed dead plants

I've just seen this!!  ;D

Jennym, how did you remember all their names? That's a fantastic list and some of these I'd never heard of. I love the look of sophora, beautiful shape and dripping flowers.

box - yes I love it too, and I got two lovely little ones on Freecycle last year, and I've taken some cuttings, so eventually I'll have a little hedge.

I'm also considering a small type of tree like a holly or a May - well, I think holly can get very big, actually - maybe not holly! 

Raisedbedted - Artemisia looks really gorgeous, very delicate. And Petasites looks nice too. There is some red chard in my garden too, by accident - a very pleasant accident, as we eat it all the time!

Lots of ideas! Thanks so much.
xxx

[1066]

I think I have the opposite problem - too much greenery and not enough flowers!

I'm a fan of euphorbias (I have a lovely low growing grey one (will try and remember what it is called - it came from Great Dixter), and the standard Wulfenni (sp).
Ferns are another one I love - for the way the unfurl themselves in spring.
Then there are things like Achemilla Mollis and Heuchera - insignificant flowers but their leaves bulk up a border and can soften planting

I'm sure there are more but my mind's gone blank!!

1066  :)

[landimad]

I have a bit of green growing in the garden.
From the Hornbeam and holly at the front to Oak and hazels in the back.
Plenty of green in fact to compliment all the annuals and flowers which will come into their own whenever nature gives them a chance.

[pigeonseed]

I think I have the opposite problem - too much greenery and not enough flowers!

But is that a problem, or are you happy with it that way? I'm happy to share some flowers if you'd like them.

From the Hornbeam and holly at the front to Oak and hazels in the back.

That sounds nice, landimad - mature trees. I won't plant an oak, or in a few years, my house will be tilting backwards! But I like to look at the trees in the distance.

I've got some alchemilla mollis, and it's very good for greenery. Although the flowers are that mad acid green, which seems to clash with almost everything! (well, my garden is also full of magenta lychnis coronaria, and so it definitely clashes with that!)

I might snip the flowers off. The leaves are gorgous and I can't see them for lime green froth at the moment. And each year I'm dividing the alchemilla and spreading it about the garden. I suppsoe it will also self-seed eventually.

My kind of plant! I've decided I'm not going to attempt to grow annuals from seed anymore, just because I like the look of them in a catalogue. I'm going to grow what divides from root cuttings or self-sows madly whenever you let it. So much easier.

[GrannieAnnie]

Most folks don't like ivy but it was here when we moved into this yard.
It is a pain in the neck to keep trimming it back,
but it stays green all winter- a major plus since we look out that window all the time-
and manages to cover different levels of ground and rock wall giving the eye
a clean sweep and rest where it once used to be too visually "spotty".

There is very little weeding needed. Despite its problems, it is staying.

[1066]

I know what you mean about Ivy - I like looking at it in someones else's garden!

Re the lack of flowers - it's largely because we've held back on the garden until more of the house is finished. So the structural plants are there, I just need to have a proper think through of what else I'd like to see.

As for other foliage plants - Fatsia and phorniums (there is a nice grey / green one - but from experience I'd keep it in a large pot as it's a ***** to dig out)

[pigeonseed]

Yes ivy is normally a pest, but in my garden it doesn't seem happy. I planted one by the wall and it just sits there, the same size as it was last year.

It's sort of huddling at the base of the wall waiting for someone to take it somewhere nicer I think!

[Duke Ellington]

I just love Hostas!! ;D You can beat them for foliage!!

Duke

[GrannieAnnie]

Yes ivy is normally a pest, but in my garden it doesn't seem happy. I planted one by the wall and it just sits there, the same size as it was last year.

It's sort of huddling at the base of the wall waiting for someone to take it somewhere nicer I think!

Um, you might not give up yet. As they say, "First year it sleeps, second year it creeps, third year it leaps"

[pigeonseed]

First year it sleeps, second year it creeps, third year it leaps

aagh! Sounds terrifying. Like it's lying in wait!

I also love hostas Duke, but I can't face the slug battle. How do you look after yours?

[Duke Ellington]

Course grit and slug pellets. I tried the garlic spray method one year and it seemed repel the slugs. Using course grit and slug pellets is easier. If you want the recipe for the garlic spray I will post it for you. I got it from an episode of Gardeners World a few years back where an expert hosta grower made up the spray and used it successfully.

Duke

[1066]

Duke I'd be interested in the spray - I've nearly given up growing Hostas - I have one left at the moment and it has been given a final chance!!

1066  :)