Silver Splendour

Why not bring a bit of silver in to your life with some sensational silvery plants for your garden?

If you are rather partial to aromatic plants then there are several that have not only a pungent aroma but also striking silvery foliage, such as the cotton lavender and the curry plant. With attractively divided silvery leaves, they look gorgeous and need not take up too much garden space either. The aroma is one you’ll either love or hate – it is up to you to decide! Hostas are well-loved herbaceous perennials often grown with great effect in shaded spots, especially those that are also rather damp. Their large, showy leaves come in a range of colours including some smart, silvery blues. When paired with the also somewhat silvery and densely hairy Alchemilla mollis they make a great ground cover display, and the Alchemilla will soon self-seed, giving more plants at no cost to you. Both the English lavenders and their French cousins (with rather more elaborate and often winged flowers) are a good ingredient for any garden where silver foliage can play a part. The aromatic leaves and the flowers smell gorgeous and have a naturally relaxing quality for most people. Bees adore the flowers too, and add to their silvery magic. You can even use silver foliage to create a water-free waterfall, as there are several silver-foliaged plants that have a naturally trailing or cascading effect. The best known is probably Helichrysum petiolare with long trailing stems edged with small, rounded leaves, each so densely covered with hairs that they are like silver coins. They are great for hanging baskets, creating a waterfall effect within weeks of planting. For a year-round effect, grow one of the variegated ivies such as Hedera helix ‘Glacier’ whose grey-green leaves are edged with silvery white. Many of the small Artemisias have the most elegant of silvery foliage, not least Artemisia ‘Powys Castle’, whose finely divided foliage takes on the appearance of silver filigree lace. They will look their best grown in a fairly sheltered, sunny spot and will provide you with a fabulous display for many, many years. Sometimes that touch of silver comes after

flowering, in the form of seed heads. There are many plants whose flowers may be brightly coloured that then offer a gorgeous, silver display once the flowers themselves are long forgotten. The seed heads of the lovely purple or white flowered alpines called Pulsatilla, for instance, are a real delight. Each seed is equipped with feather plume to help it disperse, making a wonderful wisp of silver. Some of the clematis too have very fluffy seed heads – the silvery furry seed heads of the wild clematis are aptly known as old man’s beard. For a similar effect on a shrub take a look at the Cotinus – most have wonderful autumn colour to their leaves and the seed heads explain why this shrub’s common name is smoke bush! Many plants whose leaves appear silvery look this way because the leaf surface is covered with a dense matt of short hairs. As an added bonus, after rain or even a heavy dew many silvery plants will become studded with water droplets, making them look as if studded with pure silver gems. It is almost enough to make you glad when the dewy autumn mornings arrive in a few months’ time. For the tiniest space, even a small window box, you can still enjoy growing some silver – try the houseleek Sempervivum arachnoideum with its evergreen, fleshy rosette of red-tipped leaves that is covered with a web of silvery white hairs – and not a spider in sight! Many of the silvery foliaged plants have their origins in the Mediterranean, where the dense layer of hair helps to reduce the amount of water that is lost through the leaves and their pale colour helps to reflect some of the sunlight, thus adding to their ability to withstand dry or hot conditions. So, when you’re looking for plants for a sunny, dry area of your garden, you won’t go far wrong with silver foliage! Silvery foliage plants may produce their absolute best display in bright sunlight, but use a few in a slightly shaded spot, ideally combined with some plants with large, pale-coloured flowers, and you will see how they also have the ability to make that dull spot look brighter. Combine silver foliage plants with some with either very dark-coloured leaves or those with rich blue or purple hues and you’ll introduce a really magical effect, as the richness of the dark colours is brought to life with the sparkle of the silvery foliage. Plant silver foliage close to, say, Cotinus ‘Royal Purple’ with darkest purple leaves, and you’ll see what I mean. Visit Pippa’s website (www.pippagreenwood.com) to book Pippa for a gardening talk at your gardening club or as an after-dinner speaker.