Yes, I grow a lot of flowering plants. But over the years I've also developed a good backbone of foliage plants. When I find a plant I like, I often look for more plants in the same species or genus. After the floral excesses of
Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, I thought I'd close out the week by featuring some of my favorite foliage.
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| I also like to combine complementary foliage. This is Aeonium 'Mardi Gras' with Coprosma repens 'Fire Burst'. |
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| I inherited this clump of Agave attenuata with the garden but I've planted pups from this clump in numerous other areas |
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| This photo of the flaking bark on Arbutus 'Marina' is off-topic but, as all five of my Arbutus are doing their thing right now, I felt I had to share at least one photo |
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| This mass of agaves in my north side dry garden grabbed my attention, in part because the dense clusters of the smaller agave are now encroaching on the larger Agave funkiana 'Blue Haze'. I didn't have a name for the clustered agaves and I went down a rabbit hole looking for one. I found similar plants labeled 'Rosa Gorda' and other things but couldn't locate a formally accepted name. Even San Marcos Growers, my go-to source for plant IDs admitted to the confusion as to its name. One on-line commentator identified it as a hybrid of Agave potatorum and A. isthemensis but didn't cite a source. |
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| My oldest Agave ovatifolia sits several feet away from the mystery clump in the same bed. It's gotten rather cozy with the Agave vilmoriniana on its left. |
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| I inherited several Calliandra haematocephala with the garden too, all used as foundation plants, which means they're regularly sheared to keep them within bounds. The good news there is the fresh new foliage is gorgeous. I actually like the foliage of this plant better than it's pinkish-red powder-puff flowers. |
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| This is Centaurea 'Silver Feathers', which I like in this location, where it glows. I've got too many in another location in the back garden and some or all are going to have to come out as one walkway is no longer passable. |
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| I may have over-used Coleonema pulchellum 'Sunset Gold' as well. I have these plants in both my front and back gardens. Those shown here are in the back, on opposite sides of the flagstone path. The clump on the right is encroaching on Yucca 'Bright Star' and needs to be thinned. |
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| I only have one Dasylirion longisssimum and I'm not sure I like it here but I recently cut back a blue-flowering mass of Wahlenbergia in front on it to reveal its structure so I can make a decision on whether or not to keep it. (The purple-leafed plant behind it is Vitex trifolia.) |
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| Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder' deserves its name. I have two, one of which I brought with me from our former house. It's the one on the left, which gets more sun and glows this time of year. The plant on the right is in partial shade. |
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| I often forget that I have a Leucadendron 'Ebony' but I caught it peeking above the mass of Grevillea 'Scarlet Sprite' in front of it and snapped the photo on the left yesterday morning. I subsequently cut back some of the Grevillea and took a second photo yesterday evening. A bit more pruning is required I think. (The plant behind 'Ebony' is Leucadendron salignum 'Chief'.) |
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| I have more grass-like Lomandra longifolia 'Breeze' than I can count off-hand |
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| Here are more in the back garden, mingling with Abelia grandiflora 'Kaleidoscope', the color of which is echoed by Agonis flexuosa 'Nana' in the background |
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| And here's still more in the front garden, mixed with Phormium 'Maori Queen' (and that's not even all of it) |
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| I only have one Melinathus major but it's looking its best right now. I cut it down to the ground each year. It's complemented here by Leucadendron 'Jester'. This 'Jester' is always relatively pale by comparison to the one I have in full sun. |
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| I was ready to pull out this Phormium 'Yellow Wave' but, after two years of decent rain, it's looking better. There's a second Phormium behind it, which I think is supposed to be 'Apricot Queen' but just looks like a smaller version of 'Yellow Wave', never having developed any apricot color. |
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| These Yucca 'Blue Boy' sit in the same bed. The one on the left was given to me by Denise of 'A Growing Obsession' years ago after I reported losing another one to agave snout weevil. There's a third tiny plant in there too, which I found growing in another bed a year or more after I removed the infected plant. |
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| Yucca gloriosa 'Variegata' is a slow-grower. I planted the one on the right in a decaying tree stump to deter the raccoons from using that spot as their toilet. It's taken awhile but my strategy finally seems to be working. |
That's it from me for this week. I hope you're finding ways to stay both healthy and sane as the scourge of the novel coronavirus continues to afflict the US. Seriously, anyone who doesn't mask up when going out in public needs to look in the mirror before complaining about shut-downs and the tanking US economy. In addition to wearing a mask, be sure to vote in November - we can't afford four more years of this reality game show with people's lives at stake.
All material © 2012-2020 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
The agaves are splendid. Do you fertilize them?
ReplyDeleteNot generally, Ed. I bought a product called Cactus Juice, which I've used occasionally. I do think it's a good idea - I just never seem to get to it!
DeleteFlaking bark of Arbutus 'Marina' is divine and makes Agave attenuata pop! It's my favorite picture of the post.
ReplyDeleteIn my former garden, I grew Arbutus unedo but Arbutus 'Marina's is a much more dramatic and attractive plant. That red bark color is always present but its annual peel is a bonus. I'm lucky to have inherited four of the trees with the garden.
DeleteArbutus is quite a handsome tree, so red. A major focal point I would imagine as it would be difficult to miss.
ReplyDeleteIt's a wonderful tree, Lisa. I get it pruned annually to ensure air flow among the branches as the species seems prone to developing sooty mold on the leaves because the foliage grows so thickly.
DeleteAppealing bark is one of the things I'm missing here, since my crepe myrtle cuttings didn't survive.
ReplyDeleteThat's too bad, Diana. I've wanted a crepe myrtle for years. In my former location, the plants were prone to mildew due to the persistent marine layer. As it's drier here, I'm tempted to try one, perhaps when the dead toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia) is cut down.
DeleteI'm always impressed with your plants but even more impressive is your memory of their names.
ReplyDeleteWriting blog posts on a regular basis has helped cement most of the plant names in my memory, Barbara, but occasionally I do have to consult my spreadsheet to job it. I actually have a harder time recalling the plants' common names!
DeleteWell said, Kris. I, too, want this idiocy to end, the sooner the better.
ReplyDeleteA beautiful post highlighting your fabulous foliage plants. Your gift for blending color is evident. My favorites are Centaurea 'Silver Feathers' and the Coleonema/Yucca combo. I looked up Centaurea 'Silver Feathers' - is it true that it is hardy here in zone 5? If so, I want one!
It's hard to understand how so many people can ignore or deny science when they depend on it for virtually everything they do...
Delete'Silver Feather' handles heat well but I'm surprised to learn it's reportedly hardy to zone 3. I wonder if it comes back from the roots if it freezes?
It must be fun to play with so many textures and colors at hand. I particularly love that clay colored urn/pedestal you had standing in the middle of one photo. It made a striking statement.
ReplyDeleteThanks Cindy. That's actually a terracotta urn, placed upside down and topped with a large terracotta pot. I've had it for years but, unfortunately, the pot on top seems to be slowly disintegrating.
DeleteWho needs flowers when you have got so many great textures, shapes and foliage colours You have created a beautiful garden full of interesting plants and flowers too.
ReplyDeleteThanks Elaine. It's a work in progress but then what garden isn't?!
DeleteHard to pick a fav but those attenuatas against that red peeling bark, wow! And I love Jester and melianthus against another arbutus. And Silver Feathers -- I need that in a pot!
ReplyDeleteCentaurea 'Silver Feather' gets bigger than its specs when planted in the ground so plopping it into a pot is probably a good idea, Denise!
DeleteHaving interest in the garden encompasses so much more than blooms and you certainly prove that in your garden. The inherited Agave is glorious - does it have an ombre colouration or is that just the light?
ReplyDeleteThe slight blue tinge on that Agave attentuata is a trick of the light, Margaret, although there are variegated forms of that plant.
DeleteWow, Kris everything looks amazing...and it's mid July! To think there was a time when I thought you didn't have many agaves...
ReplyDeleteWell, I didn't have any but that one clump of Agave attenuata when we moved in, Loree. (They wouldn't have liked my former tiny, shady garden.) Once I got here, the fever took hold.
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