Silver—a Jewel in the Garden
While many people spend substantial time planning flower color in the garden, fewer think about leaf color. Most perennials bloom for only several weeks out of the season, making foliage a critical factor in the overall effect of the garden. Silver leaves add interest and contrast throughout the growing season. They also provide a buffer between clashing colors, cool down hot color combinations and brighten up shady areas. Try adding some silver-leafed plants to make the garden sparkle—whether it is in or out of flower.
Silver-leafed plants come in a wide array of forms, ranging from diminutive with fine-textured foliage to giant with large, bold leaves. Many of these plants are tough and drought resistant, thriving even in lean soil and the hot summer sun. Others prefer shade and mix well into the woodland garden.
To add fine leaf texture to the sunny garden, plant some silver-leafed yarrow. ‘Anthea’ or ‘Moonshine’ are good choices. Both produce lemon-yellow flowers throughout the summer if kept deadheaded. If an airy look is desired, add some Russian Sage. Its upright, silvery stems and lavender-blue flower spikes combine well with Black-Eyed Susans or Coneflowers. Add a tall ornamental grass as a backdrop for additional interest.
Add cool elegance to the front of the sunny border or to rock gardens with silver-foliaged plants. Rock Cress is a lovely little perennial that grows only about 6” tall, forms a loose mat of silvery-green foliage and produces white or rose-colored flowers in late April into May. Continue the color on into summer with Cheddar Pinks (Dianthus gratianopolitanus). These low-growing plants produce fragrant flowers in shades of pink and red in May and June and sporadically throughout the summer. Add a grouping of silver-leafed Sedum for a contrast in texture and continuing color. October Stonecrop (Sedum sieboldii) grows about 6-8” tall and produces dusty pink flowers in September and October.
Artemisias work wonderfully to buffer clashing colors or cool down vivid combinations in the hot sunny border. Try ‘Silver Mound’ or ‘Silver Brocade’ to lend a fine texture near the front of the border, or ‘Lambrook Silver’ if a taller plant is needed. If coarse, woolly leaves are in order, try planting Lamb’s Ear. ‘Silver Carpet’ stays very short. Use ‘Helen Von Stein’ if more height is desired. Try using a silvery groundcover to border a bright flower bed. Snow-in-Summer grows only 8-12” tall, has woolly silver foliage and is covered in white daisy flowers from May into June.
Don’t overlook annuals when searching for silver. Many blend beautifully into the sunny border. For a bold look, try Plectranthus—its soft silver leaves and great stature make it stand out in the garden. Datura also makes a strong statement, with large silvery leaves topped by huge, white trumpet-shaped flowers. Add some Lotus (Parrots’s Beak) to containers and flower boxes and let its soft feathery foliage trail gracefully over the side. Licorice Plant (Helichrysum petiolaris) also works well for this purpose. This is available in both a large-leafed and a small-leafed variety, and both types make an attractive combination intermingled with geraniums or with brightly colored petunias. Gazania ‘Talent Mix’ combines silver foliage with brightly colored flowers and is cheerful mixed into containers or in the front of the border.
Many herbs have a silvery cast to their leaves, and they blend beautifully with annuals and perennials in the border or in containers. Of course, they also have the added benefit of fragrance, and are often edible as well. Try a silver sage or woolly thyme for a low-growing border or in a container, or mix some Creeping Rosemary or Dittany of Crete into a hanging basket. For a soft, more upright look, add some Lavender. Lavender is also valued for its attractive purple/lavender flowers and its delicious scent. For height and an unusual texture, also grow some Silver Dollar Eucalyptus, and harvest some for use in dried bouquets.
Some silver-leafed plants do well in the shady garden. Shade-loving plants with silvery tones are very effective at lighting up a shady border. Try mixing Japanese Painted Ferns with purple-leafed Coral Bells for a lovely contrast in both color and texture. For an excellent groundcover, even in dry shade, plant some low-growing Lamium. Try ‘Beacon Silver’ (white-flowers) or ‘Pink Pewter’ (pink flowers) in a dark corner or under shade trees. Lamium works especially well when planted near plants with glossy foliage. Use Lamium to set off the lovely, dark green leaves of Heartleaf Bergenia. Pulmonaria (Lungwort) is another worthwhile plant to try. It boasts unusual mottled leaves, and spring flowers of pink, blue, or a combination of the two. It enjoys similar conditions to ferns and combines well with them.
Author: Maureen Safarik
Maureen Safarik is a horticulturist at The Planter’s Palette