Has this ever happened to you? It’s early spring, plants are popping out with buds and blooms, and you want to fill your car with everything that’s giving off bright colors. Then, by sometime between late July and mid-January, that same garden bed becomes tired and lifeless.
I’ll let you in on a little secret: Flowers are the jewels of the garden, but foliage is the backbone. Think of flowers like a great accessory; they’re always getting attention, but they don’t do much if the rest of the outfit is missing. If you want a landscape that stands out, even when nothing is in bloom, you need to stop shopping for petals and start shopping for leaves. The structure, texture, and consistency of foliage will keep your garden looking good in and out of bloom.
Here are seven “heavy lifters” that we keep at our nursery that offer more interest in their leaves and stems than most plants do in their flowers.
- Pieris japonica
If you have a spot with shade and slightly acidic soil, Pieris is a must-have. This plant is related to blueberries, and it does produce similar drooping clusters of bell-shaped flowers in late winter and early spring. The real show for this plant starts when the new leaves emerge.
Depending on the variety, the new growth emerges in a bright, fiery red that resembles a second bloom. As the season progresses, those leaves transition to a deep green. It’s a strategy to keep the landscape interesting and maintain color year-round.
- Golden Euonymous
If you’re looking to add a bright spot to your garden, Golden Euonymus could be your go-to. Golden Euonymus offers dependable, high-impact brightness. Its deep green leaves are edged in gold that stays bright whether it’s the peak of July or a gray afternoon in January. It’s going to give a lush, colorful look year-round without the wait for a spring bloom or the mess of falling autumn leaves.
- Nandina
We have several types of Nandinas, like ‘Gulf Stream’ or ‘Firepower’, which are well-behaved, non-invasive, and cold-hardy. These plants are going to have color all year long.
Nandina provides a lace-style bamboo texture that contrasts beautifully with broader-leaved shrubs. But the real magic happens when the temperature drops. As other plants go dormant and brown, Nandina turns a brilliant, deep crimson. It’s one of the few plants that actually looks better in the middle of a cold snap than it does in the height of summer.
- Red Twig Dogwood
Most people think of Dogwoods as trees, but the Red Twig variety is a shrub that earns its name in the dead of winter. During the summer, it provides a nice, clean green backdrop. But once the leaves drop in late fall, you’re left with straight, neon-red stems.
When you plant these against a dark fence or a backdrop of evergreens, they look like living art. To keep that color bright, prune out about a third of the oldest, largest stems every spring. The newest growth always has the most intense color.
- Kaleidoscope Abelia
Kaleidoscope Abelia is one of the hardest-working shrubs in the nursery. The variegated leaves literally shift colors throughout the year. You’ll see lime green centers with bright yellow edges in the spring, which evolve into a golden-orange and fiery red as fall approaches.
It’s a low-mounded plant, making it perfect for those spots under your front windows where you don’t want something that will grow to block the view. Plus, it’s deer-resistant and drought-tolerant once it’s established.
- Sunshine Ligustrum
If your garden feels a bit “dark” or heavy with deep greens, you need a Sunshine Ligustrum, the neon icon of the landscape. It doesn’t flower, but it holds its vivid, lemon-yellow color year-round in full sun.
I like to use this as a “focal point” plant. If you place one of these at the corner of a bed, it acts like a permanent spotlight, drawing the eye to inspect the contrasting colors and makes every other green plant around it look richer and more intentional.
- Crimson Fire Loropetalum
Crimson Fire Loropetalum is the burgundy bush that is tough as nails. While many “purple” plants tend to fade to a muddy green in the summer heat, this variety holds its deep burgundy-bronze color all year long.
It stays compact (usually around 2-3 feet tall), making it a fantastic alternative to the overused, sprawling varieties of the past. Pair it with the yellow of the Sunshine Ligustrum for a high-contrast look that will make your neighbors think you hired a professional designer.
The Bottom Line
When you’re planning your next garden project, try the “Black and White” test. If you took a black-and-white photo of your garden, would it still look interesting? If the answer is “no,” you’re relying too much on flowers.
Focus on these foliage “all-stars,” and you’ll find that your garden doesn’t just “bloom” with the weather but performs in every season.