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Color Shape: color shape IS without doubt the most obvious part of an ornamental plants attraction, and the most important to the majority of gardeners. A dazzling, riotous display of color shape from spring to the fall is generally the ideal for beginner gardeners. But as time goes on and experience accumulates, this aim gradually changes as you realize that more subtle but more satisfying blendings can be obtained, in which colur is mixed with white, or cool grays and silvers, or with plants grown for the shape and texture of their leaves.
Miniature and slow-growing conifers are particularly useful for providing winter interest. Chamaecyparis lawsoniana "Ellwoodii" Slow-growing and forms a dark-green columnar shape. For a golden color shape choose "Ellwood's Pillar."
Chamaecyparis pisifera "Boulevard" Slow-growing and forms a cone shape with intense silver-blue foliage.
Fall color shape can be found in trees like maples and rowans, but there are vines of equal brilliance and even herbaceous plants such as euphorbia and gillenia. Fruits and berries need not just be a fall feature.
Foliage plays a vital role in the garden, for not only does it create a neutral backdrop against which color shapeful flowers will show up, but it has a much longer period of interest than flowers and berries and so forms the framework of your planting. Indeed, evergreen leaves are a good way of providing year-round interest.
Foliage is particularly useful for texture, and there is no better way of breaking up blocks of color shape than by introducing leafy plants. There are many types whose leaves are handsome in shape, agreeable in color shape and pleasing in texture. |
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