Garden Bloggers Foliage Day

Another post I’m late with – I’m joining Christina of Creating my own garden of the Hesperides in her new monthly Garden Bloggers Foliage Day which takes place on the 22nd of every month. As I also took part in Foliage Follow-up on the 15th, I found it a bit difficult to do another post about foliage so soon after, without being totally repetitive. That is, until I had the bright idea of showing my current favourite foliage combinations for this post.

Let me preface this post by reminding all that I am a very new gardener and am learning by reading, observation, trial and error. These combinations I am showing here are my own experimentation where I am playing around with colour, texture and form. They work for me … right now. Perhaps I will look back in a year and cringe, perhaps not, time will tell.

I have a few books I have found most beneficial when considering plant combinations and that have changed the way I garden. Two in particular … the first is “Foliage” by Nancy Ondra which I bought on the recommendation of Cathy & Steve of Our Garden Journal. The book opened my eyes to what can be accomplished in the garden without ever considering the flowering potential of a plant. I love this way of gardening as it creates a garden which always looks wonderful, regardless of the season. The second book, which I am absorbed in right now, is “Designing with Grasses” by Neil Lucas. I  love ornamental grasses and am on a hunt for a few that will add more interest in my garden. I’m off to buy Miscanthus sinesis “Variegatum” next week. I can’t wait to add this to my garden and have the perfect place for it.

For today, these are my current favourite combinations (Click images to enlarge)

[one_half]Festuca Glauca, Acorus and Lamium[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Festuca Scoparia and Duranta[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Chondropetalum tectorum and Nandina[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Pittosporum eugenioides & Dietes[/one_half_last]

[one_half]A mix of foliage I love[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Iris, Acorus gramineus and Catnip , i mean fur[/one_half_last]

These are just a few select combinations I’ve been working on very recently. Im really loving the combination of photo 4 – the Pittosporum eugenioides ‘Variegata’ with the tall strappy Dietes in front of it and the Delphiniums peeping through … I can stare at it all day. I think the lovely bark of the tree right next to it all enhances the scene of course.

I have a long way to go and right now its all about finding the right plants – sometimes it means waiting for the plant to become available or driving way out of town to a specialist nursery to get it … but its so worth while when it all works.

Happy Gardening
xxx