Surprisingly Silver Fall Foliage

Every fall, I’m pleasantly surprised to find that some of the loveliest silver hues come late in the gardening season. Perhaps it’s the colder temperatures or the way autumn’s softer light is reflected on the leaves that brings out the intense color. Maybe it’s simply because there is little left in the garden to draw my attention, but I’ve found that silver foliage plants are definitely more striking in November than they are in July.

The featured photo above is Snow-in-Summer or Cerastium tomentosum, an old-fashioned perennial that is covered with enchanting pure white flowers in May. After blooming, the finely textured silver foliage remains a lovely focal point in the garden although these plants prefer and look best in cooler temperatures.

Sweet Romance’ Lavender is a workhorse in the sunny summer garden producing abundant wands of fragrant deep purple blooms over a long season while also attracting many pollinators. Although ever so pleasing to us, the deliciously sweet scent of Lavender repels deer and rabbits.

Berggarten’ Sage makes an eye-catching addition to the herb or flower garden with its bold yet softly textured leaves. Not only is this plant extremely showy but it also makes an excellent sage for use in the kitchen!

Japanese Painted Ferns incorporate a tapestry of colors on each and every frond while retaining an overall striking silver sheen.

White Nancy’ Lamium is one of my favorites for filling in garden gaps as this plant loves to politely ramble and spread amongst its neighbors without overpowering them.

Lamb’s Ears or Stachys byzantina should be included in every garden for its softly textured leaves that just beg to be touched! A classic grown with roses in the June garden, Lamb’s Ears also looks stunning next to white or blue flowers which are remarkably enhanced by its pleasing silver coloration.

Cobweb Hens and Chicks or Sempervivum arachnoideum is a remarkably hardy succulent that loves to tuck itself along and in between rocks or pavers. Colorful early summer blooms on long arching stems look like something from an alien planet but it’s the unusual cobwebby rosettes that make this plant special year round. An easy and fun plant for children to grow!

‘Excalibur’ Pulmonaria or Lungwort is an early spring charmer with pink to blue, forget-me-not style flowers. Long after blooming, the elegant lance-shaped leaves hold their striking silver color well into late fall!

All photos taken in November by Nancy Marie Allen

Light Up Your Garden with Silver and Gold Foliage

Have you ever noticed how accents of silver and gold really add sparkle to the holidays? By using these same colors in our gardens, we not only enhance the beauty of surrounding plants but substantially increase our overall botanical bling!

In my woodland garden, shown in the featured photo above, silver and gold perennials are used together to draw one’s attention to this shady spot. Although the garden would still look lovely with just green plants, it would lack the drama that these brighter plants impart.

Golden ‘Dancing Queen’ Hosta helps companion plants shine (Photo by Nancy Marie Allen)

Golden perennials and shrubs are all the rage right now and it’s easy to see why. These garden gems are useful in that the eye is immediately drawn to them and because of this phenomenon, they are especially effective in brightening darker, shady areas. Hostas, Creeping Jenny, Bugbane, Heuchera, Heucherella, Golden Oregano and Japanese Forest Grass are just a few gold foliage plants to use in shade to part sun.

Golden Hostas, Bugbane and Creeping Jenny make this shade garden glow (Photo by Nancy Marie Allen)

Gold in the sun garden can be absolutely dazzling in its brightness! Golden-striped ‘Color Guard’ Yucca is a particularly bold accent plant and one of the best for dry, sunny sites. ‘Aztec Gold’ or ‘Sunshine’ Veronica are excellent low-growing groundcovers for smaller gardens, while ‘Sun King’ Aralia, eventually growing 4 to 6 feet in height and width, should be given plenty of room to spread. Some Hostas such as ‘Golden Sculpture’, ‘Sum and Substance’ or ‘Sun Power’ can also tolerate sun, although morning sun with some afternoon shade is always best for these beauties.

‘Color Guard’ Yucca (Photo by Nancy Marie Allen)

With a few exceptions, many gold foliage perennials tend to ‘burn’ with too much sun. You may notice the leaves blanching out (whitening) or the edges turning brown, especially in warmer climate zones. If you find this to be the case, just move your plant(s) to a little more shade until you find the perfect spot!

Silvery ‘Jack Frost’ Brunnera looks striking next to a Blue Angel Hosta (Photo by Nancy Marie Allen)

While far more subdued in appearance than gold, silver foliage plants also bring welcome light to the garden and blend well with both hot and cool colors. Some easy-care silver plants for shade include Brunnera, Lungwort, Lamium and Japanese Painted Fern. Even without flowers, their striking foliage patterns create visual interest all through the growing season!

Berggarten Sage (Photo by Nancy Marie Allen)

Sun lovers like Lambs Ears and Berggarten Sage become even more intensely silver in color as temperatures dip. An added bonus with these plants is their soft fuzzy texture that begs to be touched!

Summer blooming Rose Campion produces abundant cool white or hot pink flowers that contrast boldly with its silver-leafed stems, while Snow-in-Summer is an early spring bloomer with bright white flowers that nearly cover the ground-hugging tiny silver leaves. Other sun-loving silver plants include Russian Sage, Artemisia, Silver Thyme and Lavender.

Silver plants also tend to ‘glow’ at dusk and because of this make excellent additions to white flower or moon gardens!

Rose Campion is a classic silver foliage perennial (Photo by Nancy Marie Allen)

The well-known Burl Ives song includes the lyrics, “Everyone Wishes for Silver and Gold.” Instead of just wishing, I encourage you to add some of these sparkling plants to your garden next spring!