NEIGHBORHOOD GARDEN FOR NOVEMBER 26, 2016
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NOT
JUST GREEN
BY GLADYS JEURINK
When someone says
“leaf” we usually think green. But any of the other colors can be found
in a leaf. This is one of the things that makes planting fun.
Chlorophyll is the pigment we see as green.
It is also the “workhorse” of the plant. It absorbs s energy from
sunlight to manufacture carbohydrate.
The contrast of
the other colors in our leaves makes the garden a rainbow. Flowers do
not last very long but those colored leaves work all summer long. Some
of my favorites are the purple and reds, a few so dark they are about
black. The easiest one for Lincoln is probably the PERILLA. I love its
dark purple, red, black clumps mixed in with the light green leaves. But
it is listed as a “thug” in some of my books as it will seed by the
thousands, grow in shade or sun, dry or wet areas. I like clumps of
about 5 plants and then watch in the fall for when the seeds are ripe.
It does pull very easily so I let it be about 2.5 feet tall with its
handsome leaves. The blooms are small and hardly noticeable but the
sharply cut edges of the leaves are gorgeous. I like a pink flower in my
bouquets, using their leaves as a background.
A tall grass I
like as a background in my pots is “PURPLE MAJESTY” MILLET with dark
spikes usually taller than any other potted plant as well dark leaves.
It is easy to start from seed and needs its share of a big pot. Pale
blue flowers next to that intense purple really looks nice.
Or in October when it is getting cool, a big fat DAHLIA in a pale
color with the tall spike above, fills a vase nicely.
CANNAS are good
for foliage color. Last year I had a CANNA
“PRETORIA” in a pot out front. It
was 5-6 feet tall and with its big 24 inch long yellow and green stripe
leaves, it could not be missed. Then a bright orange bloom three inches
across, appeared and lasted for several weeks. A little HUMMINGBIRD
found them and almost disappeared diving down into the bell shaped
blossoms for nectar. He tried all of the bell shaped flowers in the
front yard. BJ found a red leaved CANNA with its bright red blooms he
dove into. The “PRETORIA” spent last winter in the garage where the red
leaved one will join it. There is a TROPICANA that has red stripes in
its leaves I am hoping to find next spring. They will need room. They
also like water to support that huge 6 to 7 foot plant. Luckily I have 2
lots to play in for them to grow.
If you like
yellow in your leaves there is WEIGELIA. The plant I want to find is the
AMSOMIA with bright yellow foliage in the fall. The one I have stays
green. For a short bright yellow there is TALINSUS, called “FLAME
YELLOW” or “JEWEL OF OPUS”. It is 12-18 inches tall, spreads seeds
around quite generorously. I like it next to my path with its tiny
clusters of reddish pink flowers. You will have lots of little ones next
year to add color to your pots.
A plant that
must have every color in its leaves is the COLEUS so you can add yellow
to your color scheme. Usually 1-3 feet tall and wide. If you would
rather have orange, “SEDONA” is my is my favorite. We used to think of
COLEUS as a shade plant but lately there have been sun lovers at the
garden centers. I cut the blooms off as soon as they appear so that the
plants will use their energy in leaves. For the herb lovers there is a
yellow OREGANO leaf. FEVERFEW also has a golden variety if you can find
it.
How about some
black leaves for color overhead all season. “DIABLO” NINEBARK, a shrub
with dark leaves and white blooms makes
quite a show. Even
one of the big DAHLIAS “BISHOP OF LANDSDORF” has dark red blooms and
dark red foliage. A little bulb, an OXALIS, puts out a dark red leaf,
likes a shady spot, not hardy but blooms year around in a pot inside.
They are sometimes called SHAMROCKS, or SORREL. Copyright 2016 |