Welcome to Garden Bloggers’ Foliage Day, where we celebrate all kinds of foliage, green, evergreen, silver, gold or red.
As the forecast for today wasn’t great I decided to photograph the garden on Wednesday. The first images were taken in the morning when there was a weak wintery sun. I selected some parts of the garden that for some reason are rarely featured or are the background to some feature I wish to talk about.
Just as I was beginning to write I glanced out of the kitchen window and saw that the late afternoon sun was illuminating the garden. I grabbed the camera, and managed to capture a few magic moments.
Some foliage that had appeared drab green in the morning positively shone; red foliage of Nandina domestica glowed and the stark nude forms of fading Perovskia stood ghostly white.
The Upper Drive Border is predominantly evergreens of various shades
The Upper Drive is mainly Mediterranean shrubs, mostly evergreen and mostly pruned to create a cohesive planting. All of the shrubs have flowers but it is their form and foliage that earn them their place in this border.
The upper drive from a slightly different angle
The path that is part of the View West from the terrace
In the image below, taken in late afternoon, the sun shining on Nandina domestica and Elaeagnus stems brings the scene to life.
The same view in late afternoon light
Acanthus mollis looks at its shiny best at this time of year, with Fatsia japonica growing well in the background
A symphony of green under the Mulberry.
In the wet conditions the usually totally silver Cerastium tomentosum is bright green
Agapanthus foliage behind the Cerastium has been damaged by frost, but the plants will recover.
Nandina domestica with Arbutus in the Large Island
The sun picks out every leaf, every stem of grass and every red berry.
Looking across the formal beds to the Melia azedarach in the Left hand border
Panicum virgatum ‘Skyscraper’ (not that tall in my garden but looking great this year in the Large Island.
Another Nandina domestica with Phlomis fruticosa seed-heads and ghostly stems of Perovskia
The Perovskia almost appears as if it were in flower in this light.
Every month I like to emphasize the importance of foliage in all gardens whether they are designed around evergreens or if the perennials are the main feature how the foliage of those plants is as important as the flowers. But perhaps it is the enjoyment of a few moments when everything sings because of the light is something we can all celebrate whatever our gardening style.
If you would like to share some special foliage please link your post in the comments here with a link to this post in yours. Perhaps you have a plant that has been highlighted by sun shining on frost, or a tree or shrub decorated with snow; do share what foliage you are enjoying in your garden today.
As it is Thursday, the Slope also needs to be included so here are a couple of images. Eschscholzia californica are growing more and covering more ground; and the grey wet days have made some of the silver foliage plants look very green.
The usual view
I need to prune the branch sticking out of the Cypress
Everything is growing, the soil is almost hidden again
The image taken in the afternoon makes everything look different.
I’m looking forward to reading your posts.
Creating my own garden of the Hesperides 
Beautiful Christina. Very different from Sussex where so much is reduced to sludge at this time of year. Dave
I know just what you mean about sludge in southern England but you will have some sunny days when you’ll appreciate the magic. One of the things I love most about living in Italy is the light.
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Great foliage plants as always…the plants are much greener than usual, but there is still much silver, especially in the view near the greenhouse. I love how the Panicum mimics the structure of the trees in the distance, very artful 🙂
Here is my humble entry: https://railwayparade.wordpress.com/2015/01/22/gbfd-physocarpus-opulifolius-diablo/
I love everything about grasses! For the movement they add to the garden first of all but also their architectural value. Thanks for joining in again this month Matt and I’m sure it won’t be humble at all.
This is the first time I’ve seen Nandinas and really appreciated them and wanted one for my garden, the leaf colour is beautiful.
There are lots of new varieties available now too, but they don’t all flower and produce berries (I think they were bred for some States in the UK where it is invasive. Look out for the ones that have the narrow bamboo-like foliage, the rounder foliage ones seem to be the ones that are infertile. It isn’t invasive here or in the UK, I wish it would seed around and grow but not one ever has!
I love that moment when everything starts to grow and the bare ground is covered again. You are ahead of the south west UK-it will be another 8 weeks here although bulbs are pushing through. Love the textures and contrasts you’ve combined in your garden.
Interestingly some bulbs here are later than the UK because they need a cold period before they flower and it doesn’t usually become cold here until January.
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That photo of the nandina, phlomis and perovskia is just wonderful Christina.
I have tried to capture a little magic here too, with frost:
http://www.rustyduck.net/2015/01/22/frost/
Thank you Jessica, I have put that image as the screensaver on my laptop, I loved the effect too. Thank you for joining in GBFD with such wonderful images of frost on your foliage. Some including the fern were breathtaking.
Your Nandina is such a beautiful colour and when sunlit, quite magical! Your Perovskia looks beautiful too, as good as it was in the summer.
my link is …..http://leadupthegardenpath.com.
Nandina is becoming one of my favourite plants now that mine have grown and are making a statement. I want to search out some of the new varieties. thank you for joining GBFD again this month Pauline, you always have something beautiful to share with us.
Your garden looks wonderful in the winter sun, Christina, especially the Nandinia and the Perovskia. I must remember to put some more of that in this year.
Here is my very different icy garden
As you say your garden is looking very different in the frost or rather ice, I hope everything survives. Thank you for joining GBFD this month, with some fascinating images.
It is amazing the difference the play of light can have on a plant–your photos demonstrate that well. The “View West” comparison is especially striking. The photo with the Nandina and Perovskia has such a beautiful contrast of color–very nice combination. I can’t grow Perovskia, though others in Austin do and it was in my mother’s gardens, further south in Texas on the Gulf Coast. I think I have too much shade for that plant–I have to content myself with enjoying it in other gardens. Thanks for hosting and here’s my contributions for GBFD:
Yes, you’re right Perovskia is a plant that likes full sun and free draining soil, perfect in my garden. Light is so important not just in gardens but in rooms too! Thank you for joining GBFD this month.
It’s all lovely, especially the Nandina, the Panicum and the view across the formal garden. I should like a Panicum at some stage, but can’t decide which one, as there are so many pretty ones! How tall does yours get? The name implies it gets pretty tall…
This Panicum should get very tall but it doesn’t in my garden because it doesn’t get enough water (even though as a group Panicums are pretty drought tolerant). If you want one that is upright in form but not too tall try P. ‘Heavy Metal’.
That’s one of the Panicums on my narrowed
down list, along with ‘Strictum’ and ‘Cloud Nine’. Thanks Christina!
Great foliage, Christina. Like others, I particularly like the way the perovskia enhances the winter garden, even when it’s not in bloom. Please see my offering at https://johnsviccellio.wordpress.com/2015/01/22/garden-bloggers-foliage-day-1222015/
The Perovskia works very hard in my garden, it is one of the few plants that really is drought tolerant. Thanks for joining in again this month John.
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Your acanthus and fatsia particularly caught my eye today. Wonderful textures. Sorry, but today is such a rush. My post is https://pbmgarden.wordpress.com/2015/01/22/garden-bloggers-foliage-day-january-2015/
Susie, don’t apologise, I loved you post. It is great to have a different angle on foliage. I much appreciate your joining GBFD.
The tapestry of muted colours of foliage really stands out in winter – although the nandinas do really glow, as you say, and I too have been eyeing them up as a potential additon to the new shrub border. I have focussed on variegated foliage as you can see at
Thanks for hosting, as always.
I really can’t recommend Nandina highly enough. The delicate white flowers are already in bud and last for ages on the shrub, the foliage is beautiful in all seasons changing from pinky bronze in spring though bright green and then red when temperatures drop. Don’t be tempted by the round leaved varieties that don’t flower and don’t change to such good colours, the form of these is not so lovely. Thanks for joining in again this month Cathy.
Thanks for the info on nandinas, Christina – I will remember that when I am looking
I love the muted colors in your landscape because of the softness and reliability of your sun. The glow of the nandinas is exquisite. When there is a symphony of grey–as in Portland, Oregon, we seem to need a bit more color. But how I admire your landscape and what you have done!
Thank you Susan, Today it rained almost all day so it was good I decided to take my photographs yesterday.
You have captured the winter light so beautifully in these photos Christina – as you say the right must be one of many beautiful aspects of life in Italy. I love the combination of acanthus and fatsia – I have a mature fatsia and might steal your idea and add some acanthus to the border. I also love the perovskia – its ghostly appearance is breathtaking.
My contribution for this month is at: http://peoniesandposies.com/2015/01/22/garden-bloggers-foliage-day-garden-topiary/ – most but not all the photos were taken this month – I hope it is ok to use some older photographs to illustrate changes?
No problem at all in using images from other months in these foliage posts, Julie. If you do grow Acanthus, and it is lovely, be sure to remove the flower heads before they set seed, it can be quite invasive! They make exciting cut flowers, very architectural.
The switchgrass looks especially fine. So airy and yet so upright! I don’t think I have heard of this variety before.
I’m sure it would grow very tall for you Jason, the summer foliage is slightly blue and it does have a beautifully upright form.
Running behind, but managing to join the meme again today as I really appreciate the emphasis on foliage. Your nandina is spectacular, but what I really like at the moment is the ground cover plants you have filling out the beds and softening the ground. I plan to put mine in after the bigger structural plants are in, but I really miss the effect as yet! It’s also good to see how effective the “spent” stems – such as your perovskia – can be; I must give some thought to that…
My own post is up at http://smallsunnygarden.blogspot.com/2015/01/looking-at-leaves.html
You’re right to wait until the other plants begin to establish before planting ground-cover to close but you can plant further away as they make their own statement not just as a cover for the soil. They certainly help cut down the weeds growing which is the bonus. Thanks for joining in GBFD this month Amy.
Thank you for hosting this great monthly event. Here is my first attempt to join in: https://forestgardenblog.wordpress.com/2015/01/22/garden-bloggers-foliage-day/ Best Wishes, WG
Welcome, Woodland gnome, thank you for joining GBFD I hope it becomes addictive to you.
Looks like that is a strong possibility 😉 I may also try the Monday vases. The ones I visited last evening were a balm to my gardener’s soul. Such beautfy scavenged from the garden even in January! Thank you for your warm welcome, Christina, WG
Your late afternoon light does indeed make everything glow Christina. Your Perovskia is wonderful in all seasons – for reasons I don’t understand, I’ve been utterly unsuccessful growing it here. I’ll have to try it in another setting.
I think Perovskia is a plant that needs to be planted in large drifts, it isn’t very successful as an individual plant.
Lovely pics, the foliage of the cerastium looks so different to how I know it. Is it a special variety? The Melia looks stunning – I have only a handful of berries on mine but it’s such a strong grower. Nandina really creates a firework.
Yes, my Cerastium is usually bright silver but the heavy dew had left it very wet and so green.
As always…it is the formal garden that gets me….
It looks so quiet today…
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Hi Christina – that Nandina domestica’s lovely – that’s a new one for me, thank you.
And your Perovskias look fabulous. I have one paltry plant, but would really like more. You’re right, they’re much better in drifts. I’ve seen that Chilterns sell seed – perhaps that’s the way to increase my collection. Have you ever grown them from seed?
Anyway, here’s my January, GBFD. Sorry it’s a day late!
And thanks for hosting.
Hi, welcome to GBFD, My Perovskia do self seed and if I am quick to lift them before their tap root has grown, they will develop well. I’ve never collected seed to grow them because I have so many. they are also easy from cuttings if you want more than one I would buy one plant and use that to produce all the plants you want.
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I love the shoots of the formal beds with the ghostly white stems, I look forward to by perovskia making a strong statement through the winter. I am totally in love with the Nandina, has to be the single best purchase I made last year, like yours, mine glows. That pannicum looks wonderful, I have dreams of planting panicum in the front garden if I ever get the other half cleared. And as ever, your garden is a beautiful demonstration of the value of evergreen structure to knit everything together. Sorry not to join in this month.
No need to apologise, Janet. When you have time I always enjoy your posts, I know you have a busy schedule at present.
Those Nandinas are the real star of the show this winter I think Christina. I just wish mine had changed colour in autumn. It was new last spring but I would have expected it to turn.
I love the wintery feel you have managed to capture in your images, you’ve so much green that adds interest everywhere.
Glad I was able to find time to join in this month. A big thank you for hosting.
http://mygardenblogs.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/gbfd-spring-promise-winter-reality.html
Is your Nandain domestica or one of the new hybrids that I don’t think change colour as much, or maybe you haven’t had enough cold yet; mine really only changed colour in late December. Thank you for joining in GBFD this month Angie.
I think I love the perovskia stems most of all this month. You have really captured the light perfectly and they seem to have a new life even though the rest of the garden finally looks like winter….. unless that’s only because iris blooms aren’t displayed this week!
I keep trying to join in but things are so busy at the moment. Maybe if the snow recedes I can find something for January 🙂
Both the irises are still in the garden, Frank, the bearded iris still has buds and the winter flowering unguicularis has more blooms each day.
I have to say (again) that Perovskia can do no wrong! They overwinter so beautifully. And partnered with that Nandina, is a magnificent composition!
The Nadina is in the Upper Drive border (just) while the Perovskia in these images is on the slope. It is interesting how at different times one notices different combinations.
Wonderful! Late afternoon is my favorite time in the garden; the light is pure magic. Your Nandina domestica s gorgeous. Here it is invasive, and I have tried to eliminate it from my garden, unsuccessfully. A little part of me is glad of that. It is so pretty!
A lot of new Nandina have been bred that aren’t invasive; they are infertile, some don’t even flower (which is sad as then of course there are no berries). This past weekend the light has been more beautiful each afternoon, I’m looking forward to it now.
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The Perovskia creates a perfect “Purple Haze”. Didn’t think I could love it any more, but there you go. I’m late to the party, but: http://bannersbyricki.com/archives/4290
Glad you were further impressed, but as I siad below, it needs to be a drift rather than an individual specimen. Thanks for joining GBFD this month Rickii.
If we ever get an early thaw before spring I will be joining in again….for now I can look at these wonderful views of the upper driveway and the view west….I like how these evergreens blend together perfectly.