Even with the May(hem) of flowers running riot in our yards, foliage holds its own.

Acanthus spinosa

From the moment it begins to emerge from winter’s slumber, all bristling with fresh “new green”, to its red-tinged dying act, the foliage of Acanthus spinosa threatens to upstage its dramatic flower spikes.

Cornus canadensis

The few 4″ pots of Cornus canadensis that I planted at the woodland’s edge are beginning to fill in nicely. Most of the dogwoods are deer magnets, but they seem to leave this alone (knock wood).

ferns with Persicaria ‘Red Dragon’

Ferns are beginning to migrate into planting beds, and welcome to them. Especially when they pair so nicely with the Persicaria ‘Red Dragon’.

Picea abies ‘Nidiformus’

The new growth on the evergreens gives them a wonderful dimensionality, like on this Picea abies ‘Nidiformus’, sometimes called a Nest Spruce, for the way it spreads out in a way that might invite passing birds to take up residence.

J maple new growth

Maple leaves are beautiful in all stages, but especially in the spring and fall.

Poncirus trifoliata ‘Flying Dragon’

Poncirus trifoliata ‘Flying Dragon’ is at its best, with leaves and blossoms emerging simultaneously and still allowing the twisted, thorny nature of the superstructure to shine through.

Heuchera ‘Caramel’

As pretty as any flower, Heuchera ‘Caramel’ will keep this color nearly year-round, producing fairy wands of blossoms almost as an afterthought.

This is no afterthought: check out Digging and let Pam introduce you to others with foliage on the brain.

10 thoughts on “

  1. Oh so much leafy goodness on your plate this month, Ricki. I really admire the curvy branches and yellow flowers of ‘Flying Dragon’ Poncirus trifoliata. So beautiful!

  2. Of course you know I LOVE your Poncirus…and I wish I had a place for that Acanthus. I”m a little gun shy of buying another Acanthus after trying to move the Acanthus Mollis…and move it, and move it. There are still leaves coming up a year later!

  3. Pam~Thanks! ‘Flying Dragon’ is my pride and joy.

    Greggo~Thanks for stopping by.

    Loree~Oh, my…Mollis never gave me that kind of trouble, but Spinosa does indeed hope to take over the universe. I will soon run out of willing recipients of the extras…guess you will not want one.
    I DO know, but could have guessed…those thorns!

  4. We’re talking eye candy here, girl. I love how the plants are taking on such deep tones this year with all the rain. Red Dragon is exceptional and Caramel looks outstanding. I guess there’s always an upside to our rain. 🙂

  5. Don’t you just love the splendor of spring and all the colorful new growth? Your garden looks so lovely and inviting. I’ve always wanted to try Cornus canadensis but have never found it in any local nurseries. I’ll be interested to hear how it continues growing for you.

  6. Debbie~I’d say it is worth searching out: little dogwood blossoms in spring and russet tones in fall, as if the leaf shape and plain old green were not enough to recommend it.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *