Forget flowers, it’s all about the leavesBy Jamie Elfrank

I know, it sounds like blasphemy. Who would dare suggest that the flowers should take a back

seat to the plant that produced them. Outside of Japan (the land of leaf lovers) this is a historically

foreign concept. The entirety of western gardening has been flower-centric. From the Dutch tulip

craze, to the classical English rose gardens and even the Victorian orchid craze the flower has taken

center stage. However, times are changing.

Although flowers are still the primary interest of the weekend gardener, a growing trend towards

foliage appreciation is on the rise. Leaf patterns with gold and/or white (known as variegation)

have long been appreciated, but the sheer volume of new variegated plants coming into the market

is staggering. As if in pure defiance of nature more and more solid gold leaf plants are being

discovered and created. And on the other spectrum many plants are being bred to have leaves of

reds, purples, caramels, silvers and even the deepest black. While the world may be going green, it

is certainly possible to have a lush garden devoid of it.

So why should a gardener forsake flowers in lue of foliage? Duration. Flowers are finite and

ephemeral even within the season. Few plants that live from year to year flower continuously

throughout their growing season, and once flowering is over a gardener is typically left with a

long season of mostly green. But where flowers fail, leaves persist throughout the season. Bright

colorful foliage can add an eye-

popping appeal to a garden even

without flowers, or can provide the

perfect backdrop to compliment

it’s flowering companions. A dark

purple or hot pink flowered plant

can be stunning, but combined with

a plant with leaves of acid yellow

and it can be bold enough to make

your teeth hurt.

So I plead with you my fellow

gardeners. Break yourselves

away from asking “does it flower all season?”. Stop limiting your creativity searching for that one

trick pony. Give yourselves a broader palette of colorful leaves and treat flowers as they should

be treated. As accents. Little treats throughout the growing season to accent your bold and leafy

garden. Rely too heavily on those flowers, and you’ll be disappointed.

It’s a Small World After All: Gardening for Small SpacesBy Jamie Elfrank

As people move closer to civilization the potential for a vast yard diminishes. Many

people are left with minimal options for land. Sadly many gardeners thrust into this

situation can not adapt to their surroundings and continue to hold onto previous habits,

much to the dismay of neighbors, utilities companys, and/or future owners of their

home. How many times have you seen a small property and home dwarfed by a massive tree that

was obviously a poor choice for the space? This is a classic example of the right plant, for the wrong

space (there are no wrong plants). So what is there to do?

A gardener must be mindful and adapt their plant choices to their new surroundings. Although

to many this may seem as being forced to limit their options in reality it is the creation of new

gardening opportunities.

Proportion Matters

Small spaces fill up very quickly, both physically

and visually. On a small lot an 8 foot shrub can

overpower the visual space more aggressively

than a giant tree on a large lot, and can certainly

obstruct walkways. Gardeners who make this

mistake often go through cycles of “plant, grow,

and destroy”, where enjoyment of their garden

is short and ultimately turns into a maintenance

nightmare. Choose plants with strong visual

impact, but stay compact. Regardless if you plan

on living in your home in the long-term, plan

around the plants “10-year size”.

Create a theme

Do the research, pick out the plants you like, and

create continuity. A small space is easily seen in

it’s entirety, and a random selection of individually

attractive plants can quickly turn into a visual

mishmash. Choose plants that contrast each

other in texture and color, but then bridge them

with plants that share some of their virtues. Mix

a coarse green plant with a whispy gold plant, but

bridge the two with a whispy green plant.

Three’s a crowd

Planting in odd numbers or groups of threes takes

up space very quickly, and in tiny gardens spaces a

grouping of plants can quickly fuse to look like one

giant individual. Stick to your theme, and don’t

be afraid to plant just one of a plant that fits that

theme. You can create a garden with good unity

and solid continuity without repeating a single

plant once.

Invest appropriately

Plants aren’t produce. You aren’t paying by

the pound. If a 12-inch tall miniature tree is the

same price as a 6 foot specimen don’t scoff at the

price difference. Plants are priced in terms of

the amount of time it takes to produce them. If

you buy the larger, seemingly more economical,

plant you will likely overpower your space quickly.

Invest in buying a more mature slow growing

miniature plant that will not overwhelm your

garden. Remember, if it stays small you can

always dig it up and take it with you.

Enjoy your garden

Ultimately create a space that you can enjoy both

aesthetically and in terms of maintenance. An

overgrown garden will only cause excess time to be

used in managing it. Plants never stop growing, so

choose plants you can watch grow with joy rather

than dread. If you garden wisely you can have a

space that is well groomed and the envy of the less

garden savy.

A gardener must be mindful and

adapt their plant choices to their new

surroundings. Although to many this

may seem as being forced to limit their

options, in reality it is the creation of

new gardening opportunities.

Top five Plants For Small Garden SpacesMiniature Hinoki CypressAlthough naturally a tree that achieves 60’ or more, there are many excellent miniature and dwarf forms in a variety of colors. ‘Lynn’s Golden’ is a stunning gold leaf specimen that doesn’t burn in sun and has tiny scale-like leaves that grow in a fanning pattern to 4-6’ in ten years. Old fashioned varieties like ‘Nana Gracilis’ can slowly achieve 6’ for the medium-sized garden, while forms like ‘Nana’ and ‘Leprechaun’ will grow a scant 1” per year. As a group of conifers they have a variety that can fit perfectly into any space.

Miniature HostaAlthough restricted to the shade garden the newest wave of dwarf and miniature hosta offer not only diminutive size, but a range of colors from golds, whites, greens, blues, and any combination of the four. A 20 sq/ft garden plot could easily house 20-30 different varieties, and offer a visual bonanza.

EpimediumAlthough the first Epimedium enter the US were basic and only moderately showy, the newest species and hybrids being imported from Asia are of much higher quality in both color and form. Most varieties are smaller growing, and have attractive leaves and delicate flowers. Their dainty look stands in stark contrast to their overall indistructibility in the garden, with few animal or pest problems. Newer varieties can be expensive for their size (typically $20-30 for a 4” pot), and are best found through mail order, but are well worth the extra effort and expense.

Dwarf Woodland IrisesThe US native Iris cristata and Iris verna are wonderful spring blooming woodland irises with flowers of pale purple. They can slowly spread to for wide patches, but stay well under 1’ tall. The Asian Iris gracilipes is a clumping species that looks like a small grass. In the spring it is smothered with lavender flowers with dark purple veins.

SedumA larges group of plants that range from clump forming plants to slowly spreading ground covers, they provide an excellent architectural appeal with their succulent leaves. Upright forms tend to have the best flowering impact, but ground-cover types can have the most colorful foliage. Sedum sieboldii is a low groing clumper with buff grey leaves with a hint of pink on the leaf edge. In fall it is smothered in pink flowers. Sedum ‘Angelina’ is a spreading sedum whose stems look like little golden pine branches. In the winter the entire plant gains red tints that provide winter interest.