Fabulous foliage: plants that create a backdrop of texture and shape
Flowers may take centre stage when blooming, but foliage is the backbone of the garden and creates a backdrop of constant texture and shape, says Camilla Phelps
WE are all too easily seduced by flowers, colour and scent, but never underestimate the power of leaves. Foliage is the backbone of a garden. It’s the scenesetter, and a key influencer of our garden style. We need foliage to create a canvas of textures, shapes and shades of green, and to provide a backdrop to the blooms.
Fabulous foliage is often big and bold, rich in colour and strong in form, but leafier plants can play many different roles. Bananas, palms and tree ferns make features in their own right. Add the bold leaves of canna lilies to a mixed summer border for contrast with frothier perennials. Group more tender plants such as ginger lilies, scheffleras and alocasias, with leaves of varying size and shape to create a tropical-style haven in a sheltered corner. There are foliage plants for ground cover or leafy climbers that can be used vertically to clothe walls or fences. Get your foliage plants right and the rest of the planting will nestle more naturally around it.
Green leaves are great for shady corners, but there are some fantastic sun-lovers with a wider variation of colours, too, from silver-green to red, bronze and black. Many good foliage plants earn their keep as evergreens, and they are often plants with good architectural form. Some even have spectacular flowers to boot.
Distinctive shapes and leaf textures
Starting from the ground up, leafy spreading plants, such as stachys, ajuga or bergenia, are great for knitting together, covering bare soil and allowing other plants to take centre stage. Midstory plants are key for structure. So add euphorbias, phormiums and ferns to punctuate a mixed border with their distinctive shapes and leaf textures.
Tall plants such as bamboos, tetrapanax and fatsias bring height without dominating, and work well in courtyard gardens. Don’t be afraid to use large-leaved plants even in a tiny area – they actually create the illusion of a larger space.
There are so many great leafy plants to choose from to suit your garden style, size and growing conditions. So before you plant a summer explosion of colour, stop and think about the greens, greys and reds of foliage, and make sure they get invited to the party, too.