Not all beautiful gardens are centered around show stopping flowers. Sometimes, gardens are a little “quieter”, in that they’re all about foliage and texture.
A few years ago, I produced a feature story for Better Homes & Gardens® Country Gardens magazine at the stunning gardens of Maria Nation, photographed by Andre Baranowski. Maria’s extensive gardens at “Good Dogs Farm” are located on eight acres in Ashley Falls, MA, in the bucolic hills of the Massachusetts Berkshires.
One of the most interesting things about Maria’s gardens was that she initially started with English-style perennial gardens, which were exuberant with color and flowers. After she discovered the gardens of ‘La Louve’ (‘She Wolf’) in Bonnieux, France, she was inspired by how the late designer, Nicole de Vésian, created peace and harmony with texturally shaped plants (and very few flowers). So Maria did what any ambitious gardener would do – she took everything out of the garden, gave away the plants, and started from scratch.
Below are a couple of images shot by Andre Baranowski that feature silvery foliage plants Maria incorporated into her extensive gardens. Maria’s gardens were not only featured in the magazine story I produced, but also in photographer Andre’s book Garden Wild: Wildflower Meadows, Prairie-Style Plantings, Rockeries, Ferneries, and other Sustainable Designs Inspired by Nature. Andre and I also worked together on many gardening photo shoots over the years, and he is unbelievably talented – and also very nice! His book is filled with many images and stories of inspirational gardens and would make a wonderful gift for avid gardeners.
GRAY GARDENS IN PROVENCE
Maria Nation was the one who introduced me to the exquisite gardens of ‘La Louve’ in Provence. These gardens (which are open to the public on select days of the year) are all about structure, foliage color and the play of light. And there are many shades of gray.
Notice how the shades of gray look different, depending on the light. I love the majestic silvery-gray leaves of the cardoons (below left), which add textural interest, and the blue-gray pruned juniper shrubs (below right). Interesting, textural gardens, without a flower in sight.
GRAY ACCENTS IN MY GARDENS
Like Maria Nation, I’ve also been inspired by the gardens of ‘La Louve’ – but in a much smaller-scaled garden! I’ve added silvery-gray foliage plants to our new gardens, both in containers and in the ground.
In the photo below left, I lined a long wall with dwarf olive trees, underplanted with silvery dusty miller, variegated sage, and pops of deep purple succulents. One of my all-time favorite plants (not just in the gray category) is Senecio ‘Angel Wings’ (center image), which I discovered at one of my favorite nurseries, Ladera’s Garden & Gifts in Palo Alto, CA. I love the velvety leaves and how the white-silver foliage pops during the dusk and evening hours. And I’m super-excited to add artichoke plants to our landscape (below right).
GREY GARDEN INSPIRATIONS
I’ve curated a gallery of inspiration images, to show you how you can add gray to your garden plans – both in containers and in garden beds. The images below show the many different shades of gray you can incorporate into your garden – from bluish-gray to purple-gray and green-gray. Some gray plants even look gray-white (such as the Senecio ‘Angel Wings’ and Senecio haworthii). You can also add mounding gray foliage to the base of a garden tuteur, to soften the base (more about tuteurs in this post). A gray artichoke garden ornament or verdigris sundial makes a nice counterpoint to gray foliage plants.
MY FAVORITE GRAY PLANTS
Without further adieu, here are my 10 favorite gray plants for your garden. These grow in a range of zones, some like shade, some like sun, and some are drought-tolerant. If you have a good rapport with your local nursery, they can apprise you of which plants grow best in your region.
HEUCHERA ‘STAINLESS STEEL’ (Zones 4-9. Shade to part shade. Perennial) The silvery tones pop in full shade, but it can take a little sun. Mounding form looks great in borders, especially under trees.
SEA HOLLY ‘SILVER GHOST’ (Zones 4-9. Full sun. Perennial) This plant is a showstopper in the garden, growing to 3-4 feet high. Most sea hollies need light and good drainage to bring out the silver tones.
SENECIO HAWORTHII “COCOON PLANT” (Zones 9b-11b. Sun/part shade. Succulent) This is a dwarf succulent that leans towards a frosty gray. Would look fabulous in clusters either in a dark planter or in a rock garden. Drought tolerant (like most succulents).
STACHYS BYZANTINA (Zones 4-8. Full sun. Perennial). Also known as “Lamb’s Ears” for its thick, soft, velvety leaves. This is one of my favorite silver plants in a sunny border. It also makes a beautiful companion plant at the feet of garden roses. Very low maintenance and easy to grow.
LAVENDER ‘GOODWIN CREEK’ (Zones 7-9. Full sun. Perennial) If you want to bring a bit of Provence to your garden, this plant is a must-have. Like other lavenders, this variety forms a dense mound of finely toothed, silver-grey foliage and beautiful, long, slender, dark purple flower spikes. Very tolerant of heat, sun, and periodic drought. I’m growing this in my garden around the base of the fountain, and it is the most low-maintenance lavender I’ve grown.
DUSTY MILLER ‘SILVER LACE’ (Full sun. Annual in colder climates). The pretty lacy foliage makes an excellent border, edging, rock garden or container plant. The leaves also look wonderful as a contrast in fresh flower arrangements.
SALVIA ARGENTEA (Zones 5-9. Sun/part shade. Perennial) Silver sage is known for its dramatic, eye-catching furry leaves. I’ve planted this at the base of a container tree and you could spot it from across the street.
SENECIO ‘ANGEL WINGS’ (Zones 8-11. Full sun) In a word, this plant is sensational. I’ve been growing it in containers in my garden, and I love how it “lights up” at dusk. The silvery-white foliage looks beautiful when planted alongside darker green leafed plants. It makes a great accent plant in sunny, drought tolerant borders, rock gardens, succulent gardens, and containers. It’s a frost-tender perennial, so it needs to overwinter indoors or treated as an annual in cold winter regions.
JAPANESE PAINTED FERN (Zones 4-8. Full shade to partial shade. Perennial) Beautiful mounds of dramatic foliage adds a textural focal point in a shade garden. Luminescent blue-green fronds with dark central ribs fade to silver at the edges. The short stature and spreading form is excellent for use as foreground foliage and ideal for containers. This is one of my favorite fern plants.
AGAVE AMERICANA (Zones 8-11. Full sun. Succulent) Also known as “Century Plant”. Agave americana often grows as tall as 6 feet, and its leaves are gray-blue to blue-green with spines at the tips and on the margins. A majestic plant for a large garden in warmer climates.
AND ON THAT NOTE…
You can check out more of photographer Andre Baranowski’s work at his website here. Not only is he an epic garden photographer, but his food photography is exquisite, as well. You’re in for a real treat!
For more information on visiting the La Louve gardens, check out this site.
I hope this post has inspired you to Make Your Every Day More Beautiful® by adding a few touches of gray to your gardens. Happy planting!
