Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Fine Foliage, for Foliage Follow-up…


Over the last few weeks I’ve taken quite a few photos of this Grevillea victoriae 'Murray Queen' intending to post about it for a “favorite plant of the week” feature, however something a little louder kept stealing the show. Funny thing though, my eye keeps being drawn to it…

Perhaps even more compelling is this Magnolia laevifolia 'Snowbird' I could stare at it for hours, just like this…no bloom (although the blooms are pretty sweet).

Of course you see what they have in common; it’s the combination of green foliage and orangey brown bud that gets me, I’m drawn like a moth to flame. I think that’s why I find the mahogany bark on Arctostaphylos is so appealing, the green/brown combo again.

Or the dark red new growth on Mahonia gracilipes…

And why Phormium ‘Tom Thumb’ will always be my favorite small Phormium.

But of course Mother Nature makes it easy when great color combos occur naturally, on the same plant. It’s a little more challenging when you’ve got a wealth of different plants, all ones you love, to know which ones will harmonize and create a spectacular combination. Do you go for contrast, or tones that blend? What about texture, or mixing variegation? We can all use a little help from the experts, and that’s where the new book Fine Foliage by Karen Chapman and Christina Salwitz comes in...

Reading it was a treat. Here are two ladies (three if you count the photographer) who spent months dreaming up foliage groupings, naming them, and then braking down the elements to tell us why they feel each combo works. Now I’ll admit personally there were a few too many Heucheras for me (I still don’t care for them), but even I could see beyond that and understand the particular feature that plant brought to each collection. Now for my favorite image from the book…
photo by Karen Chapman courtesy of St. Lynn’s Press

Isn’t that gorgeous? Not only is it green and orangey but it’s fuzzy too! The big leaf is Rhodoendron pachysanthum and the grass is Carex testacea. What to see more fabulous foliage? Today is "foliage follow-up" hosted by Pam Penick at her blog Digging, if you visit you'll see a list of other bloggers participating in the event. Let’s look at that photo again, because I’m in love…
photo by Karen Chapman courtesy of St. Lynn’s Press

(I received a complementary review copy of Fine Foliage from St Lynn’s Press, however was under no obligation to write about it.)

All material © 2009-2013 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

24 comments:

  1. Fun, fabulous, and fine foliage! That last combination is way cool!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Completely agree -- that last combo is wonderful! More than that, it's... perfect!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So you don't mind that I shared it twice?

      Delete
  3. I loved that book as well! Although I think my favorite combo is the one right on the cover. Love Carex testacea too. I never used to like orange in the garden, but I am growing fonder of it lately.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Being a lover of orange I find it frustrating how many plants bloom pink (sorry Grace). Hot vibrant pink isn't quite as bad but a sweet bubble gum pink just doesn't work.

      Delete
  4. It was really hard not to buy a Magnolia laevifolia at Hortlandia.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I really don't understand why you resisted!!!

      Delete
  5. Oh no! Another Rhododendron that must be sought out. That photo had lingered in my mind from an earlier post. So happy to see it again.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Was it on Pam's blog that you saw that photo? I laughed when I saw she'd selected the same image as I did.

      Delete
  6. Can't wait to look through this book. Orange and green - magic!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I bought one of those Rhododendron pachysanthum last year and sited it carefully, but it drowned after we had one of the wettest years on record, sigh!

    Your Mahonia gracilipes is miles ahead of mine. Two points to note about mine though, the first is the late April frosts we had last year damaged the growing point and it sprouted loads close to the base of the plant and sadly I noticed that the 'orrible easterly winds we had during March have bleached some of the older leaves, sigh again!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This is the first time my Mahonia gracilipes has looked good, so I'm pretty excited about that. How frustrated you must be with Mother Nature...

      Delete
  8. We don't have any phormiums any more in the garden but I'm hoping to spot Tom Thumb here real soon, it's lovely!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Indeed. It's been on my must have list for awhile and was so excited to find it again. I had two lovely plants that perished during the PKW's.

      Delete
  9. Phormium ‘Tom Thumb’ is the best! I have a small one that I planted last year! thank goodness it was not a PKW! love love love your foliage as always. and that last picture is seriously insane! I'm going to have to pick up a copy of fine foliage!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I noticed yesterday that my neighbors phormium is just about at pre-PKW status, remember how they were all so huge, once upon a time? She planted hers right when the rest of us had given up and now it's saled through 2 (3?) winters.

      Delete
  10. I think I need to put that book on my list. One of these months I'll get it together enough to participate in both Bloom Day and Foliage Follow Up. But first I need some foliage to start showing up :).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Having foliage really does help one participate in foliage follow-up!

      Delete
  11. That last photo is total eye candy! If that's an example of the kinds of foliage combos they are pitching, I need it! The red new growth on your Mahonia gracilipes is gorgeous - mine is much more purple. I suspect it isn't very happy where I planted it...time to look for a better location.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As I mentioned in my reply to Adam this really is the first my M. gracilipes has looked good, a year later it's finally seeming to settle in and grow. How long has yours been in the ground?

      Delete
  12. Yep, that image from Fine Foliage is simply perfect. The colors are similar to many of your own foliage pics, aren't they?

    ReplyDelete
  13. This was such a treat to read tonight just before bed. Thank you! I'm so thrilled that you all enjoyed our book. We very much wanted to give you as much eye-candy as we could possibly squeeze into one little book. We had an awful time narrowing them down!
    Using foliage in design is so thrilling, the ideas are simply endless. Love your leaves! :-)

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for taking the time to comment. Comment moderation is on (because you know: spam), I will approve and post your comment as soon as possible!