A Winter Project in Garden Design: Why Not Look at the Leaves

Feb 02, 2019

When the snow is falling and time is available, think about researching the plants you would like in your garden in 2019. One idea is to think about the leaves that you would like in your garden. Leaves have shape, size, colour and texture. Leaves can be small, large, spiky, leathery, thick or coloured. They can be white-edged, yellow-edged, marbled, silver, pink, purple, variegated. Some leaves can even tell you what conditions the plant requires to grow. So how do you choose what plant you might want? 


The first step, before you visit the nursery or plant centre, is to assess your garden conditions. Regarding the soil, do you have clay, loam, sand or rock? Is your garden dry, average, well drained, wet or boggy? Will the garden be in full sun, partial sun (assess how many hours of sun an area will receive), shade or partial shade? Is the area windy or protected? 


How much time do you have to maintain a garden? Are you creating a new garden or just looking for one plant to fill an open spot? What height and width is required? 


Doing your plan or research first, before you buy, saves time, money and frustration for yourself and for those assisting you at the garden centre. 


Now you are ready to choose. Here are a few suggestions: 


Large Leaf

yellow wax balls
Hydrangea

If a large leaf is required for your design, consider hosta sieboldiana ‘Elegans’ - partial shade to shade and average moisture. Yellow wax-bells Kirengeshoma palmata or hydrangea arborescens ‘Haas’ Halo -full sun to partial shade and average moisture conditions. Calla lilies Zantedeschia species or caladiums Caladium species - rich soil, partial shade and protection from wind. For a deep pink large leaf consider Rodgersia pinnata ‘Chocolate Wings’- full sun to partial sun and average moisture. This plant will survive in clay soil as well. 


Tall or Spiky

For a tall or spiky look consider sea holly Eryngium ‘Blue Star’ -full sun and drought tolerant. Adam’s needle yucca filamentosa or red hot poker Kniphofia species -full sun and good drainage. Bear’s breeches Acanthus mollis - full sun and rich soil. For a feathery, tall look, consider astilbe ‘Purple Blaze or Purple Candles’- shade, moist, humus-rich soil. 


Coloured Leaves

Coloured foliage requires high light levels, otherwise they may convert back to green. 


However high light levels and full sun are not one in the same. Protection from intense, hot, direct sun is required in a lot of cases or leaves will scorch. 


Consider barrenwort epimedium grandiflorum ‘Rose Queen’-full sun and well drained soil, coleus - full sun and well-drained soil, caladium - filtered sun and well drained, rich soil, canna – full sun and moist soil, hosta – partial shade to shade and well-drained soil, heuchera coral bells – partial shade and well -drained soil. 


Burgundy or Purple

Burgundy or Purple shrubs - diabolo ninebark Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Diabolo’ – sun , dry soil (drought tolerant) and royal purple smoke tree Cotinus coggygria ‘Royal Purple’- sun, dry soil (highly drought tolerant) or weigela - sun, moist to well drained soil, may be of interest. 


Golden, Lime and Edge

Golden shrubs - Consider sutherland gold elderberry Sambucus racemosa ‘Sutherland Gold’- full sun, well drained soil, golden princess spirea Spiraea japonica ‘Lisp- sun, moist to well-drained soil, baggesen’s gold box honeysuckle Lonicera nitida ‘Baggesen’s Gold’- sun and average evenly moist soil. 


Lime coloured foliage- try sweet potato vine ‘Green With Envy’ – sun to partial shade and well-drained soil, coleus ‘Lime Time’- sun and well-drained soil, lanai verbena ‘Lime Green’ - sun and well-drained soil , panicle hydrangea ‘Little Lime’ - sun and average moist soil. 


White-edged, yellow-edged and marbled leaves require high light levels but need protection from direct, hot intense sun. Hosta plaintain lily, kiwi vine Actinidia, caladium ‘Angel Wings’, euonymus spp, hardy geranium cranesbill, meadowsweet Filipendula, or money plant lumaria anna ‘Variegated’. 


Silver Grey and Blue

Silver - variegated do best in partial shade and well-drained soil. You could try lungworts or lamiums.

 

Grey foliage, especially if it is fuzzy, need full sun and well-drained soil. Some suggestions might be lamb’s ears Stachys byzantina, rose campion Lychnis coronaria, silver sage, butterfly bush Buddleja davidii, wooly thyme Thymus pseudolanuginosus or dusty miller Centaurea cineraria. 


Most blue foliage requires full sun and excellent drainage, such as blue fescue Festuca glauca. 

However some can tolerate partial shade and moisture, such as hosta with a blue-green , smooth leaf. 


Leathery and thick succulent

Leathery evergreen leaves require partial shade and cool sun, protection from wind and average moisture soil. Examples could be rhododendron, bergenias spp, hellebores, laurels Prunus species or hollies.


Thick Succulent leaves have a purpose and that is to store water. These plants can tolerate full sun, dry soil or moist soil (as long as it’s fast draining) and neglect. ‘Neon’ showy stonecrop, aloe vera, sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ or sempervivum ‘hens and chicks’ or sprawling rockcress. 


Whatever attracts your eye, spend your winter researching and designing your garden space from a leaf point of view. You will be pleased with the results. 


References 

Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening 

Mark Cullen’s Ontario Gardening 

www.gardeningknowhow.com 

www.finegardening.com 


Categories


All Blog Posts

Latest Blog Posts

Higher Ground - Gardening in Raised Beds

by Jennifer Deeks • 17 Dec, 2022
By Courtney Brull

Gardens as Essential Ecosystems

18 Feb, 2021
It’s interesting to think of a garden as the place where nature and culture meet, maybe where they overlap. What we plant, what we think is attractive, how we think about land ownership – these all come from our culture. It is becoming more and more apparent however that our culture is having a devastating impact on nature. We are witnessing an alarming rate of species decline – both plant and animal - in part because we are losing so much of the habitat that “nature” requires for survival. When we add to this the stress on plants and animals brought on by climate change, we are seeing that nature is in trouble. This may require us to look at our gardens differently. Rather than looking at our garden or yard as a bit of the earth that we own, and can do with as we like, what if we were to acknowledge that our gardens are a part of nature – not separate from it at all? What difference would that make? Ecologists describe the parts of an ecosystem as having different functions. Often these functions are related to the needs of human beings. Our ecosystem filters our water, cleans our air etc. Different parts of an ecosystem – say, the plants – also have different functions related to other parts of the same system. If we see our gardens as a part of the larger ecosystem around us would we plant different plants? In addition to how pretty a plant looks in our garden, could we also consider what the function of this plant might be? If the plant had to have a function- such as providing pollen for a bee’s breakfast, or a nesting place for a bird, or some leaves that a caterpillar would eat on its way to becoming a beautiful pollinating butterfly – what difference would that make? Many ecologists are now saying that it would make a big difference. Some say that it would make a crucial difference. There are thousands of acres of privately owned land in Canada that could provide natural habitat to many stressed or endangered species. An American ecologist, Doug Tallamy, is promoting the establishment of “HomeGrown National Park”. A Canadian initiative – IntheZone Gardening from Carolinian Canada and the World Wildlife Fund describes the linkage of natural areas through connections and corridors created by home gardens. One way to begin to think of one’s garden this way is to think of Keystone species. These are species of plants that are especially important to the ecology of a certain area. They are like the keystone of an ancient arch – the stone that keeps the whole thing from falling down, though in nature it may not be quite that simple. Establishing the Keystone species for a particular eco-zone is a complicated process and not without its controversies. These are the species known to be important in the ecology of Grey Bruce: (no doubt this list is not complete) Trees : Oak, Willow, Native Cherry, Birch, Aspen, Poplar, Maple and Cedar. rent source.
graphic of watered and wilted plant

Water Wise / Know How

15 Aug, 2020
We all want lush, vigorous, healthy gardens, lawns and planters, but how much water do we really need to apply to achieve our goals? How much is enough water, without wasting our precious resource? Water requirements depend on many factors: Is the soil sandy or clay based; does the garden have a layer of mulch to help retain moisture; has compost been applied yearly to add moisture retention for sandy soil and add porosity to clay soils; is the flora planted, appropriate for the soil type; are the plants drought tolerant or water guzzlers? A garden and lawn require, for the most part, (depending on the plant choices and soil type), approximately 1 inch of water per week for the water to percolate to a depth of 8 to 10 inches. This encourages a deep, strong root system for plants that will be able to withstand drought conditions and heat waves. Also, plants with deep roots are healthier plants that will be better able to deter pests and disease. When using a sprinkler system to water, try laying an empty tuna can on the ground to determine when you have reached the 1-inch water required. When watering by hand/hose, 30 seconds per square yard is usually sufficient. Shallow watering creates a root zone close to the soil surface in which plants become easily stressed during drought or heat waves. During these difficult conditions, watering may need to be increased, but first check the soil’s moisture level. The time of day when you water is important. Try to water in the morning, between 5:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. when the sun is not as strong, giving time for plants to dry. This will allow water to penetrate the soil and not be evaporated by the hot, mid-day sun. It will also reduce the risk of sun scald on the foliage. If watering in the morning is not an option, wait until about 4:00 p.m., making sure there is still time for the leaves to dry before night fall. If you must water at night, try to only water the soil, as wet leaves encourage diseases such as powdery mildew. If watering at high sun is your only option, it would be best done by applying water to the root zone via a soaker hose. We want to be as effective as possible when we are watering to conserve this precious resource. Check the soil first by inserting a finger. If it is dry up to the second knuckle, watering is needed. If the soil is moist just below the surface, hold off watering. When watering overhead of plants with large leaves, the water can slide off the leaves far away from the root zone... like an umbrella being held over the plant. We call this the “umbrella effect”. Delivering water to the base of plants encourages deep roots and is especially important for establishing new plantings. Leaves themselves take up very little water, so watch out for possible obstacles directing the flow away from the root zone. Container gardens are a closed system. They are not part of your regular garden’s eco- system and do not have the benefit of surrounding soil moisture and nutrient conditions. They need special consideration for proper maintenance. The smaller the container, the more frequently it will need watering during heat waves and drought. This might mean checking your small pots several times a day during stress times. Larger containers, on the other hand, (from 12-inch diameter and up), usually require less work and may require watering only every other day. Regardless of size however, it is a good idea to check all containers for sufficient moisture each day. When watering, ensure that you see water draining from the bottom of the pot and that the entire growing medium is wetted thoroughly. Frequent watering flushes away nutrients so your containers will need fertilizing for optimum performance. Remember to feed regularly with an NPK balanced product per package instructions. Flora prefers water temperatures close to what they would receive naturally in a rain event. If you are able to water using rain barrels or containers that have been left out to come up to air temperature, it is a great way to water. (Water from a hose can be shockingly cold). If you are able to give natural rain or well water as opposed to city water, this is all the better for your plants as it won’t contain chlorines and other possible chemicals.

Share

Share by: