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.