I took a hodge-podge of foliage photos this month in preparation for the foliage follow-up feature hosted by Pam at
Digging. After loading them into my PC, I realized that, with just a couple of exceptions, all the plants I photographed are variegated. I know some people don't care for variegated plants but I'm always drawn to them. Here are the ones that caught my attention this month:
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| Okay, this Abelia 'Kaleidoscope' is sporting a few flowers at the moment but it's in my garden because of its multi-colored foliage, not its flowers. At last count, I have 10 of these plants in the ground and 2 in pots but this one is looking particularly good. |
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| The Abelia 'Kaleidoscope' shown above sits near 2 Pelargonium 'Mrs. Pollock'. Variegation overkill? Maybe, but the difference in leaf size and shape prevents the combination from being jarring (at least to my eyes). |
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| This Furcraea foetida mediopicta was getting too much sun in one of the backyard beds so I moved it to a pot where it gets only half-day sun and it seems much happier. It's underplanted with a variegated Sedum I don't have a name for. |
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| As with succulents, many garden centers fail to label bromeliads but I think this one is an Aechmea orlandiana, possibly 'Rainbow' |
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| I've shown this Pseuderanthemum 'Texas Tri-star' before but, relishing our recent spot of tropical weather, it's looking particularly colorful at the moment |
Two non-variegated plants that grabbed my attention were these:
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| Duranta erecta 'Gold Mound' is striking against other foliage plants in medium green tones |
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| This is Plectranthus ciliatus 'Zulu Warrior', which has pleated leaves with purplish undersides. I'm featuring it this month because I grew this one from cuttings and it's finally beginning to flesh out, which pleases me greatly. |
That's it for this month's foliage follow-up. To find more foliage highlights for July,
visit Pam at Digging here.
All material
© 2012-2015 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
I like variegated plants, but I tend to eschew yellow variegation in favor of white or green variegation (there are always exceptions, of course). I absolutely love that Furcraea. I'm also a big fan of bromeliads and wish there was a wider selection available in the Northwest, but they aren't hardy here so most nurseries aren't going to give them much space. Congrats on your happy plectranthus. It's always fun to see plants you've propagated yourself thrive.
ReplyDeleteI've only recently become interested in bromeliads and still the prices on them keep me from buying the ones I like more often than not. Someday, I'll try planting them in the ground here.
DeleteI adore variegated plants. But as gorgeous as your examples are, nothing made me smile like reading the statement "I'm featuring it this month because I grew this one from cuttings and it's finally beginning to flesh out, which pleases me greatly.".
ReplyDeleteThat's it, you know. There are those moments in the garden when a plan works out or a plant finally-FINALLY gets its roots going and begins to perform the way you KNEW it could. Pleasing. So. Very. Pleasing.
You just enjoy that Plectranthus as long as it works, lady. You earned that one.
I've propagated this Plectranthus (and others) before, Deb, but it's been harder to get them to take here. In my old, shady (and well-irrigated) garden, I literally could stick a cutting directly in the ground with a reasonable expectation that it would thrive. Not so here...
DeleteI'm with you - I love variegated plants and plants with coloured foliage and any colour will do! I'm so pleased that the plectanthrus has taken for you. Growing things from cuttings and seed is so tremendously rewarding
ReplyDeleteSeeds have turned out to be harder than cuttings here as the blasted raccoons and skunks tend to roll right through the soil like tractors. Of course, even cuttings aren't safe from them but, if I grow them up in pots until they reach a good size, they've got a greater chance of making it.
DeleteI too am a variegated leaf lover, & that snippet of information on your Furcraea is so helpful, I have been going to get one but unsure where to put it, so thanks for that!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your new Furcraea, Bec!
DeleteLoving the foliage. Most of my garden is various shades of green as I count it as winter colour
ReplyDeleteOur climates are so very different, Gina. We don't have what you would recognize as a winter season - it seldom, if ever, freezes here.
DeleteVariegation is good in the right spot and you seemed to have got them just right Kris. I love the fresh green colour of the Duranta amongst the darker greens, as you say, striking.
ReplyDeleteI went crazy over Duranta 'Gold Mound' when I first discovered it but, although I invested in several of these plants, that one shrub is the only one that has lived up to expectations. I don't know if the others were improperly labeled or if the problem is simply the result of different placement but none of the others have the size or color of that one. Some of them actually turn purplish during our winter, which isn't all that cold.
DeleteYour Furcraea foetida mediopicta looks so lovely! I've gone through 3 of them now, just not able to give them what they want to make it through the winter. I don't recall seeing that container with the Bromeliad (and succulents, and grasses?) before, it's lovely!
ReplyDeleteI guess I am Evan's opposite in that I stay away from white variegation in favor of yellow and green.
I probably haven't featured the bromeliad before. Most of my succulent pots are in need of a refresh so I've been ignoring them as far as the blog is concerned. The grass (Carex testacea) in the pot with the bromeliad is dead and should be pulled out or replaced. So much to do, so little time!
ReplyDelete