The Gardener’s Notebook
This spring, look beyond the fleeting flowers to the real stalwarts of our gardens: foliage, says George Hudson
The green in our outdoor spaces accounts for the majority of the form and texture, with flowers providing just fleeting splashes of colour. Yet foliage is often overlooked.
We’ve all been to a garden centre and purchased plants on impulse because of their flowers, but the backbone of all good gardens is their foliage. Whether it is a balcony display or a border, having a mix is the key to a considered planting approach. Dialling up on big leaf plants will give a tropical feel to your space, whereas opting for pointy and silvery foliage will give the feeling of a hotter climate. Here are five leaf types to try:
The big ones
Some of my favourite plants are big leaf plants. Make the most of London’s microclimate by growing more tropical species like canna and calla lilies, and bananas and woodwardia ferns.
The small ones
It’s easy to forget about the little guys. Small leaved plants are great at filling gaps and help a garden feel more natural. Babies breath, campanula and muehlenbeckia are great gap fillers.
The feathery ones
Lots of plants have lacy or fluffy foliage, with leaves that are deeply cut. Plants like these can bring a real softness to spaces. Try things like Mexican feather grass, fennel and its cousin giant fennel, ferns or cow parsley if your space is shady. Yarrow has smaller feathery leaves with flowers in many colours.
The long and pointy ones
Long straight foliage gives a new dimension to foliage planting. If you feel like something is missing from an arrangement of plants, adding a linear dimension often helps get the balance right. Consider grasses like silvergrass and reedgrass, or miniature (unless you have space) pine trees like Pinus mugo.
The unusual ones
Not all leaves are cut equally. While many are round or heart shaped, others are far more intricate. Tetrapanax has huge deeply lobed leaves, the paper mulberry has fantastic trident-like leaves and Fatsia polycarpa has long finger-like leaves.