Mysest56 
February 14, 2019
So often the landscaping which embraces front of a home is less than exciting. In the Pacific Northwest, we suffer from an overload of junipers, rhododendrons and azaleas — what we refer to as the “builders basics.” Maybe where you live, each garden seems to have a privet hedge. Or a token tree by the driveway with a few straggly bushes in the bottom. Nevertheless this is a chance to make a unique statement by developing a visual image frame to showcase your home and reflect your personal tastes.
Over the past several years, the arty homeowners below have changed their entrance garden from normal to exceptional. Taking their colour cues from the purple and slate-blue tones of this stonework, they carefully selected plants and accessories to create a soothing monochromatic palette whilst incorporating silver for sparkling contrast.
The outcome is a refreshing, modern twist on foundation planting that sets this home apart from the neighbors’ and piques one’s curiosity about what could be expected exploring the more personal garden spaces outside.
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Look to your home’s exterior for colour ideas. This home has amazing stonework in muted shades of purple, soft pink and blue-gray, which dictated the picture’s colour palette. To prevent it from appearing somber, the homeowners chose silver as an accent colour — a superb choice for adding a modern twist.
Here is the way to find the appearance.
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1. Contain material in the colour scheme. You may wish to incorporate a distinctive sculpture, water feature or container in your foundation planting layout. Consult with your overall colors for a cohesive appearance. This handsome container has a glossy purple glaze with blue undertones — a great complement to the plantings.
Nestling it in a sea of silver licorice plant and incorporating purple fountain grass to a side has created a artistic vignette that anchors one end of this border
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2. Create a focal point. Include one special feature or plant to be the star. It needs to be something which looks good year-round. In this garden the purple-leaved cultivar of Harry Lauder’s walking stick was selected both for the foliage colour and the twisted branches which are so attractive in winter.
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3. Include a punctuation stage. One of the most common errors when designing foundation combinations is to opt for all low-growing plants. While you certainly don’t need to obscure windows, a vertical punctuation stage adds a necessary break from what could be dull.
Inside this layout a blue Lawson’s false cypress was used. Because this conifer remains narrow, it won’t impede foot or vehicular traffic, nevertheless its vertical shape and odd color make a powerful design statement.
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4. Focus on foliage for a modern appearance. Flowers are wonderful, but they require a strong backbone of foliage to really look their very best. By focusing on the different colors and textures of foliage, this garden not only looks good all year, but it also has a more modern vibe that really sets it apart from typical neighborhood designs.
The Silvers:
Licorice Plant
(Helichrysum petiolare)
The licorice plant shown here is a fabulous drought-tolerant and deer-resistant ground cover. the foliage provides interest.
Origin: South Africa
Where it will grow: Hardy to 20 degrees Fahrenheit (USDA zones 9a to 10b; locate your zone); or like it as an Yearly
Water requirement: Low
Light requirement: Full sun or light color
Mature dimension: 1 foot tall and 2 feet wide
Advantages and tolerances: Drought tolerant; deer resistant; simple care
Seasonal attention: Summer
When to plant: Late spring after all danger of frost has passed
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Silver Mound Wormwood
(Artemisia schmidtiana ‘Silver Mound’)
The soft feathery texture of the herbaceous perennial begs to be touched. Enjoy it in the front of the border.
Origin: Japan
Where it will grow: Hardy to -30 degrees Fahrenheit (USDA zones 4 to 9)
Water requirement: Low
Light requirement: Complete sun
Mature dimensions: 2 feet tall and wide
Advantages and tolerances: Drought tolerant; deer resistant; simple care
Seasonal attention: Spring to fall
When to plant: Spring
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Dusty Miller
(Senecio cineraria)
With its fern-like, fuzzy, silvery-white foliage, this plant has something to offer everyone. In my zone 6b garden, I consider it an annual or short-term perennial, since it will overwinter but seems pretty ragged by spring. For others it’s an evergreen perennial that will grow 2 feet tall and wide. It produces yellow flowers in spring.
Where it will grow: Hardy to 10 degrees Fahrenheit (USDA zones 8 to 10)
Water condition: Low
Light requirement: Partial sun to partial shade
Mature dimensions: 2 feet tall and 1 foot wide
Tolerance: Drought tolerant
Seasonal attention: Year-round
When to plant: Spring or fall
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The Purples:
Red Majestic Corkscrew Hazelnut
(Corylus avellana ‘Red Majestic’)
A burgundy-leaved cultivar of this famous Harry Lauder’s walking stick, this also has impressive purple catkins. The branches, foliage and catkins are all twisted, making this a fun sculptural specimen for the garden or a large container.
Where it will grow: Hardy to -30 degrees Fahrenheit (USDA zones 4 to 8)
Water requirement: Low to average
Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Mature dimension: 7 feet tall and wide
Benefit: Good for floral structures
Seasonal attention: Year-round
When to plant: Spring or fall
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Rose Glow Barberry
(Berberis thunbergii ‘Rose Glow’)
Arching, thorned stems of marbled foliage in shades of pink, purple and white make this a brilliant deciduous shrub for the border.
Where it will grow: Hardy to -30 degrees Fahrenheit (USDA zones 4 to 8)
Water condition: Low
Light requirement: Full sun or partial shade
Mature dimension: 4 feet tall and wide
Advantages and tolerances: Drought tolerant, deer resistant
Seasonal attention: Spring to fall
When to plant: Spring or fall
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Orange Xenox Stonecrop
(Sedum ‘Orange Xenox’)
A showy stonecrop with vertical deep burgundy foliage and orange-red blossoms.
Where it will grow: Hardy to -30 degrees Fahrenheit (USDA zones 4 to 10)
Water requirement: Low
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature dimension: 11/2 feet tall and wide
Tolerance: Drought tolerant
Seasonal attention: Spring through fall
When to plant: Spring
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Plum Royale Coral Bells
(Heuchera ‘Plum Royale’)
Glossy purple citrus leaves tie in beautifully to the subject.
Where it will grow: Hardy to -30 degrees Fahrenheit (USDA zones 4 to 9)
Water requirement: Typical
Light requirement: Partial shade
Mature dimension: 1 foot tall and wide
Benefit: Evergreen
Seasonal attention: Year-round
When to plant: Spring or fall
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The Blues:
Blue Surprise Lawson’s False Cypress
(Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Blue Surprise’)
This dense, columnar, blue-toned conifer needs extremely well-drained dirt to flourish, but it will reward the gardener with an outstanding screen of foliage, which requires on a burgundy throw in winter.
Where it will grow: Hardy to -15 degrees Fahrenheit (USDA zones 6 to 9)
Water condition: Typical to low; do not overwater
Light requirement: Full sun to light shade
Mature dimension: 8 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide
Seasonal attention: Year-round
When to plant: Spring or fall