Two for the price of one
FOR years people wondered what caused variegation in plants. Had little green men been round with their ray guns? Was it radiation, air pollution or something we hadn’t thought of worrying about at the time?
Well, no.They’re freak mutations that sometimes just happen.
In the wild, variegated plants rarely survived since they lack their full complement of chlorophyll. But it only takes a nurseryman to spot a variegated shoot on a plain green plant, root a cutting and there’s a new variety.
In cultivation, where they are fussed over, variegated plants can be spectacular.
There are spots, stripes, speckles, streaks, blobs, blotches and borders and when the veins of a leaf are picked out in contrasting colours and tones, they make intriguing herringbone or fishnet patterns.
Variegations come in a whole range of colours.As well as whites, creams and yellows, they can be positively exotic.
Some have mauve, purple, pink, orange or red markings.
Now, not all plants can pull off this stunt.There are virtually no variegated fruit or vegetables, roses or clematis, only a scattering of variegated conifers and few variegated bamboos.
BUT some are well known for their huge range of patterns – just think of all the variegated hostas and ivies, not to mention shrubs such as elaeagnus, euonymus, weigela and hebe.
There are stripy sedges and, if you pine for something piebald in your pond, there’s always the zebra rush whose vertical quills are boldly ringed with white, making them look like a message in Morse code.
Their very difference makes variegated plants special.
But instead of just dotting them around as attractive novelties, why not really put them to work in the garden? Shade-tolerant variegated plants, such as hostas and gardeners garters grass, are brilliant for adding splashes of light and texture to shady corners and dullish areas under trees – bright cream or white markings give the best sparkle in these situations.
Variegated foliage is handy in borders for separating potentially clashing flowers, while variegated plants with good flowers of their own serve a perfect double-duty – when their flowers are over, the striking foliage still earns its keep.
Variegated irises, astrantia, pulmonaria and phlox are invaluable for this role or, if you like the sophisticated look, go for plants whose flowers echo the colouring for their leaves, such as Sedum spectabile “Frosty Morn”.
TWO-TONE plants stand out well against a plain green hedge or a backdrop of trees and are particularly useful for adding subtle highlights to colour-themed gardens.Vita Sackville-West used them with outstanding success in the famous white garden at Sissinghurst, Kent, where the basic theme of white flowers is beefed up with tastefully variegated foliage. Clever stuff.
If you fancy a trendy yellow border at home, mix in a selection of gold, yellow and cream variegated plants, plus some with plain gold leaves and you’ll give it real depth and character. If you want a good plant association to start you off, try a gold-variegated elder with a yellow-flowered shrub rose such as “Golden wings” or “Graham Thomas”.
Variegated plants are no harder to grow than their plain counterparts. You’ll need to watch out for sun scorch in some varieties, particularly the white variegated bamboos, while aspidistra and some ivies will slowly revert to plain green if they don’t have enough light.
Some variegations are frankly disappointing.
A mild rash of discoloured freckles simply makes a plant look as if it’s in the final stages of some ghastly disease. But others are real A-list plants and when good variegations are scarce, it’s an attribute that you’ll pay a lot extra for.