Dark Side of the Moon Astilbe Planted - May 2023

Dark foliage is something I've been chasing for a number of years.  I'm a foliage gardener.  And that mostly means greens.  Light greens.  Dark greens.  Glossy greens.  Dull greens.  But, starting last year, I was turned-on to the idea of being deliberate about dark foliage.  Guessing it was Erin the Impatient Gardener who talked about dark foliage.  I included it on my 2022 to-do list.  And have done a few things in recent years: purple heucheras, a Chocoholic Black Snakeroot, and this silvery Coral Bell that I planted late last Fall and hasn't quite emerged just yet.  

So, when I saw that sign (above) at the Morton Arboretum Plant sale, these were the FIRST things in my box.  I grabbed three of them.  Should have bought even more.  

I stuck them into the southside bed -  behind the Twinkle Toes Pulmonaria (I moved these closer to the front of the border last Fall), and sort of weaved in next to some Summer Beauty Allium.    Below is a photo showing their initial size and spacing:

Here's my 2023 Morton Arboretum Plant Sale Posts:

• A single Orange Queen Epimedium for the understory garden in back. 
• A single Island Breeze Hosta with red legs and bright yellow foliage planted in the understory garden in back.  
• A pair of HGC Merlin Hellebores planted amongst the existing Lenten Roses. 
• Three Spine Tingler Epimedium (Barrenwort) planted by Amber Queens. 
• Three Dark Side of the Moon Astilbes - dark foliage FTW.