Foliage in Your Garden

Foliage is just as important as flowers are in a garden. It forms the structure and backbone around which everything else revolves. Most gardens are planned with little thought given to leaves and the contributions they make. Once the excitement and diversity of the many different leaf textures, colors, shapes and sizes are appreciated it soon becomes obvious that there are wonderful plant associations and combinations to be explored. As well as offering a background against which flowers and other garden ornaments can be displayed. Foliage provides interest in its own right.

To achieve garden tranquility, use a variety of foliage colors and limit your flower colors to quiet tones with an occasional striking accent. Soft textures and feathery foliage are very restful and they create soothing sounds when they rustle gently in the breeze. Colorful flower gardens can sometimes be too stimulating - when there are many varieties to look at, your eyes dart everywhere. So for tranquility in your garden, mix a few colorful flowers with a wide variety of foliage that requires little maintenance.

Blooms come and go, but foliage remains all season. You can take hostas, ferns and many other foliage plants and place them among classical architectural elements in ways that are both playful and soothing.

Perennial vines will help you get quick results. You can use the big leaved vines to provide a backdrop for garden flowers or to screen unsightly views. For year round green foliage, use vines like English Ivy. To get rich fall colors, choose vines like Lowe's Ivy and Boston Ivy.

We're naturally attracted to bright flowers especially in summer gardens. But garden designers will tell you there's something to be said for subtlety. Especially, those plants that earn their keep with understated differences in color and texture.

The garden is evolving into a sanctuary. People everywhere are discovering the value of outdoor living spaces as refuges from the stress of everyday life. Create a sense of calm with a flowerbed filled with muted, serene colors such as soft pastels. Be sure to choose low maintenance plants that can be enjoyed most of the year. Create a natural habitat for butterflies, birds and other small wildlife. Add food sources such as berries or nuts and nesting boxes. Add sound to your outdoor living space. Sound soothes the senses, add water features or wind chime. The trickle of water is especially calming and you can easily add a simple tabletop fountain.

Happy Gardening!

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