Foliage highlights to cleanse the plant palate

It's easy to bury oneself in flowers in May and June but that makes it a great time to cleanse one's plant palate with a foliage post.  It's been uncomfortably warm the past several days and it looks like we can expect more of the same until Friday.  While the marine layer is still present, it's been backing off early in the morning at our elevation, some 800+ feet above sea level.  We appear stuck in the mid-to-upper 80sF which makes it unpleasant to tackle major projects in the garden but it's nowhere near as bad as the 100+F temperatures facing residents of our inland valleys.  Taking photos under harsh sunlight wasn't easy, though.

Here are the foliage highlights that stood out during two rounds of my garden with a camera in hand:

I have a ridiculous number of Abelia grandiflora 'Kaleidoscope'.  These 2 (and a smaller one behind the large one) are situated on the south end of the back garden.  They pick up the yellows, oranges and coral colors elsewhere in the borders.

This Abelia 'Kaleidoscope' is in the front garden next to Grevillea 'Superb'.  It's bigger than it looks here.

Abelia grandiflora 'Radiance' has a nice amount of white in its variegation.  It glows in the front garden under Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder'.  It has a lower, neater profile than my other Abelias, which tend to sprawl.

Two 'Hopley's Variegated' Abelias sit in partial shade in my north-side garden.  They get very big if left to their own devices.  I chopped the one on the right nearly down to the ground late last year and was worried it wouldn't survive the experience but it's back!

Agave 'Joe Hoak' and Agave bracteosa mingle in the back border.  The Aeonium 'Kiwi Verde' have grown too tall here, partially hiding the squid agaves, so they need to be replaced by a lower groundcover.

A better, backlit view of the 'Joe Hoak' Agaves, backed up by a large Aloe ferox x vanbalenii

This photo shows the 3 largest squid agaves.  They pup like crazy.  I moved the ceramic fish here based on a commentator's suggestion to lean into the sea theme.

An even closer view of one Agave bracteosa.  I think the smallish red aloe behind it is Aloe cameronii.

Planted as pups of Agave desmettiana years ago, 5 now stately specimens dominate a section of the front slope

My oldest whale's tongue agave (Agave ovatifolia 'Frosty Blue') is backed up here by Leucadendron salignum 'Chief'.  The latter is about 10 feet tall and significantly wider.

Variegated Cistus 'Little Miss Sunshine' is as impressive without flowers as it was when covered with small white blooms

This foliage vignette features Coprosma repens 'Plum Hussey', Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple', and Mangave 'Mission to Mars'

Closeups of the 3 plants named above

This Ginkgo biloba 'Autumn Gold' has been in the ground for 4 years now.  Its fall foliage hasn't lived up to its cultivar name but it appears healthy, although it hasn't gained much in size.  Its branches extend nearly to the ground and I've wondered if I should cut off the lowest ones; however, online sources suggest I should leave it alone as it's slow to get established.

I have more than a dozen of these grass-like perennials, Lomandra longifolia 'Breeze'.  They're considered fire-resistant.

I have almost as many clumps of the variegated Lomandra longifolia 'Platinum Beauty'.  These 3 are in the back border near the house.

This raised terracotta pot, refurbished in January, is looking particularly good.  It contains a Crassula swaniensis 'Variegata', Cotyledon pendens, Echeveria 'Violet', and a 4th noID succulent.

There are other foliage beauties worthy of citing but many didn't photograph well under the glare of intense sunlight (and the Aeoniums have received plenty of coverage in other posts).

I've made a start in pulling out the sweet pea vines in my cutting garden despite the heat.  I hope you're enjoying more pleasant gardening weather.

All material © 2012-2025 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party