I think I have always loved plants with interesting foliage. This appreciation stretches from grasses and flaxes to colourful broad-leaved perennials. Somehow my garden is now home to grasses, sedges, heucheras and various other ‘foliage plants’ of many different colours.
This happened almost subconsciously. Perhaps it is the latent artist within me that desires these colourful swatches in the garden. I especially appreciate them during winter, when much else is dull and little is flowering. Plants with great foliage and flowers are a double-bonus; my favourite of which is Astilbe x arendsii ‘Fanal’ (which isn’t in flower yet). I remember when I first discovered heucheras in a garden centre. They came in so many rich colours and I discovered they liked shade, which there is plenty of in my garden. Thus began a love affair, and, not surprisingly, my first purchases were burgundy/purple heucheras: Heuchera americana ‘Velvet Night’, Heuchera ‘Amethyst Myst’ and Heuchera ‘Berry Smoothie’. I have 8 different heucheras and heucherellas in my garden at the moment, and cannot pick a favourite. I have trouble picking a favourite grass/sedge too, but it is probably Uncinia rubra at the moment. Here are some shots of foliage in the garden this spring.
Wild Hope Homestead 