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Showing posts with the label dark foliage

Penstemon Midnight Masquerade - Three Planted IB2DWs - October 2023

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For the past few years, I've been a 'stick to the plan' gardener.  That plan was a layout/design, but it was also a plan in terms of sticking to plants that I know and understand how they'd perform.  It also was VERY limited on flowers.  I've talked about foliage gardening and thanks to our deep shade yard, I've mostly had foliage plants over the years. But, this #FallPlanting season, I felt a little moved to step out of my comfort zone and decided to buy a couple of things at the various end-of-season sales including a number of new (to me) flowering perennials.  The first one that I put in my cart was 'Midnight Masquerade' Penstemom or Beardtongue.  That's the 1# container at the top of this post.   It is a Proven Winner and here's what Walters Garden has to say : This Penstemon will help fill the gap in your lineup for a taller, attractive foliage option. 'Midnight Masquerade' produces a sturdy clump of deep burgundy purple leaves. The

Acer Palmatum Bloodgood with Green Margins - September 2023

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Around the corner from our house is a Acer palmatum that is planted near the sidewalk.  It is a mature tree that was planted many years ago and has grown up tall-enough to be able to sort-of walk *under* the canopy of the tree as it reaches out over the sidewalk.  I was pretty sure it was a Bloodgood based on all observable factors including the (normally) dark red foliage.  But, this week, I was stopped in my tracks by some of the colors on the leaves. I had to take a photo: Does Bloodgood get these green margins in late Summer?  I know that sun exposure does different things to different Japanese Maples.  But, this is just something else, isn't it?  I really loved seeing this and while I don't know how long this will last, knowing that it takes place in late August/early September is a nice little nugget of info on my Acer palmatum journey. I look at Mr. Maple's 10-for-10 things each week and I see these photos of really striking foliage.  That look almost out-of-this-wor

Two Eiffel Tower Black Tower Elderberry - July 2023

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Last Fall, I planted a Lemony Lace Elderberry that we bought at the end-of-year sale at The Growing Place basically on a whim .  I've come across Elderberry shrubs before, but I didn't have them in our plan.  But, a quick Google search of the Lemony Lace Elderberry had me intrigued, so I brought it home.    This Spring, the Lemony Lace Elderberry has become a star in the garden.  F rom the purple buds that first emerged to the BRIGHT foliage in a dark spot in our garden, it has really impressed me.   So, when I came across something called a dark-foliage Elderberry that was called Eiffel Tower Black Elderberry, I was intrigued.  Here's the tag for the Eiffel Tower Elderberry: Just like with the Lemony Lace Elderberry, I went off to looking on the Web for details.  The Missouri Botanic Garden has this to say about the Black Tower Elderberry : It is an upright columnar shrub with dark stems and large serrated leaves that emerge celery green and mature to burgundy to almost j

Dark Side of the Moon Astilbe Planted - May 2023

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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 t his 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 si

Shade Annuals Planted in Landscape Lobelia, Begonias, Impatiens, Polka Dot Plants - May 2023

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The way that I think about gardening is that you have to have a systemic approach to planning and planting that is paired with a secondary, supplemental approach to zhuzh'ing things during the growing season.  That systemic approach means trees and shrubs and even perennials.  (I need to do more evergreen shrubs....just a self-reminder.) But that supplemental zhuzh'ing is something that I've mostly done through division and some bulbs.   I suppose that's the difference between a landscaper and a gardener, right?  A landscape gets it all planted and is satisfied.  A gardener will work the garden all year long.  A plantsman?  That's for another post. One of the things that I've talked about over the years is how to use annuals in the landscape.  The only place that I've successfully planted them is out front in the porch beds.  In the back?  Nothing. Last year, I included the idea of using shade annuals and dark foliage .  But, I really didn't move on it. 

Divided Dark Red Heucheras Along Garage in Shade - June 2022

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Back in 2019, I transplanted a dark read Coral Bell perennial that I had in our urn container into the bed on the side of the garage and didn't think much about it.  It survived that first Winter and grew to a nice size.  Last Spring, I decided to divide it up into three plants.  This is an area of deep shade, so after dividing them, I didn't water them too much.  But, by Fall all three of them had survived .  Fast forward to this Spring and all three are showing new, dark red (maroon) foliage in the long, linear bed along the garage.  You can see them below: This photo - while posted in early June - was actually take in early May before I mulched the beds.  One of my 2022 to-do items (#16) was to design with dark foliage .  These certainly count as dark foliage.  Another item (#12) continue to divide plants.  These are too small (right now) to think about dividing them, but I'm thinking they'll go on a two or three-year schedule.   2019: Planted in container. Transpl