Episode: #12 18/11/06
Presenter: Kim Syrus

You know, not all the brilliant colour in our gardens comes from flowers. In fact, some of the best colour schemes are based on foliage, using evergreen plants to create year-round interest. Kim visits Heyne?s Wholesale Nursery to check out a range of plants that will add a new dimension of colour, size and shape to your yard.

Varying the height of your plants will help create an illusion of depth in the garden. This is cleverly done by grading plants in different heights, from low in the front to high at the back. As you grade your plants down, changing leaf size will also help add interest to the bed.

One of the best background plants would have to be Laurustinus (Viburnum tinus). The red tipped autumn tinge on the Viburnum tinus can be equally matched with the cool green colouring and tropical feel of the Sweet Viburnum (Viburnum odoratissima) and they are so easy to maintain. A light shear will keep the plants both shaped and continually producing soft new growth.

Mid sized foliage plants are great fillers. The Dwarf New Zealand Christmas Tree (Metrosideros tomentosa ?dalese?) needs little water and an occasional trim to keep looking good. If you love hedging your plants then the well foliaged Japanese Box (Buxus microphylla var. Japonica) or slightly smaller Korean Box (Buxus microphylla var Koreana) are simply great. Each is easily shaped into a lovely soft hedge.

There is a great selection of smaller growing plants to choose from. Lomandra (Lomandra longifolia) are fine-textured grasses that will add softness to the bed or border. Dwarf Acmena like ??llyn Magic? are small growing lilly pilly?s. The striking, new colourful tips are constantly produced with regular pruning and feeding.

Even the dwarf Nandina (Nandina domestica nana) has a place in the foliage garden. They are like chameleons and the low grower, changes colour from green right through to bright pink in the autumn, winter and early spring.

Changing leaf texture also helps plants to stand out better in the garden. Strappy leafed plants create both a foliage variation as well as a colour contrast making a bold statement in any yard. Cordylines like Red Star (Cordyline australis ?Red Star?) are just stunning. While others in colours of blue, green and mixed, will really add a wow factor to the garden.

There is still a huge range of fantastic foliage plants, large and small, fine and coarse, plain and fancy for you to try out. Take a visit to your garden centre and discover them for yourself.

Heynes Wholesale Nursery
www.heyne.com.au/