When it comes to annuals, you probably think of the flowers – but don’t forget the foliage! In fact, some annuals (like sweet potato vine) are known just for their fantastic leaves. And why not? Leaves have distinctive colors, forms and textures that can dress up a garden just as wonderfully as flowers.
Some annuals – like this coleus – have amazingly colorful foliage!
Photo Credit: ©2000 Dolezal Publishing/Image Point
Ornamental kale can add an exotic appearance with its multicolored, finely textured leaves.
Photo Credit: ©2000 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
Dusty miller adds a glowing silver hue to annual displays.
Photo Credit: ©Dolezal Publishing/Tim Butler
It’s easy to mix stunning foliage with beautiful flowers in an annual bed. Start by selecting a low-growing foreground variety (here, dwarf marigolds were used), with taller background plants (like nicotiana), and a distinctive foliage species for the center of the group (here, dusty miller).
Photo Credit: ©2000 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
While all annuals bear flowers, those prized primarily for their foliage usually have small, insignificant blossoms. Make your foliage selection based on whether you want the leaves to stand out or act as a screen for the base of taller plants.
Photo Credit: ©2000 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
In the rainbow of annual foliage, you’ll literally find hundreds of different greens, as well as purples, whites, reds, yellows and silvers – not to mention blotched, spotted, veined and striped leaves. Some plants – coleus, dusty miller, ornamental kale, rex begonias and fancy-leaved geraniums, to name just a few – are grown primarily (or strictly) for their amazing leaves.
Want something splashy? Try flamboyant foliage to add boldness to your garden, so as long it doesn’t clash with companion flowers (red-leaved coleus, for instance, can be stunning in the right company, but you might think twice before combining it with shocking-pink impatiens). But even green foliage needs to be thoughtfully incorporated into your color scheme. Consider what kind of backdrop the leaves of your plants will make for your flowers: Do you want a striking contrast of pale blossoms against dark-green leaves, or would you prefer the more harmonious look that lighter foliage would provide? Keep in mind that some annuals (like periwinkle) have foliage that starts out green and turns colors as the seasons change.
Leaf shape also can have a tremendous impact on the way your garden looks. Lacy-leaved cosmos have a different effect than the stout, broad leaves of sunflowers. When you’re choosing a plant, evaluate the outline of its foliage (is it delicate, solid or blade-like?), and imagine how each foliage form would combine with nearby leaves and flowers in your own garden. Always strive for a variety of shapes for balance and visual interest. In some cases, you’ll find that a plant’s leaf form is so striking that it actually can dominate an entire planting. For example, love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena) has a cloud of feathery foliage that creates an air of informality no matter what else you plant along with it.
Contrasting leaf textures add yet another element to your garden design: the glistening foliage of periwinkle will be a very different foil for your other plants than the woolly leaves of African daisy. Size matters, too. You’ll need to plant a group of golden feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium ) to get the full effect of its dainty filigree foliage, but a single 10-foot-tall castorbean plant, with its out-sized bronze, green or red leaves, announces its presence mightily.
Choosing annuals primarily for their foliage display might seem, at first blush, a surprising decision. However, many annuals bear leaves of distinctive color, shape and texture, and they can create visual effects in flower beds that are truly stunning. So don’t be afraid to experiment with foliage – you may just be amazed at the incredible garden you can create!
