Pots of Leaves

Foliage plants simplify container design and care

- MEGHAN SHINN

Whether it's offering a welcome at the front door, punctuating the edge of the patio or filling a sudden hole within the border, a well-placed pot can make an impact. But for all they accomplish visually, containers' best function is perhaps the opportunity they present: the chance to experiment with plants and design.

Flowering annuals have always been a staple for pots, planters and hanging baskets, but foliage perennials deserve consideration here. Plants grown for their leaves offer some advantages when it comes time to plan containers and in terms of ongoing care, too.

Joined by companions in a large pot or allowed to fly solo, leafy perennials provide consistent interest throughout the growing season (and beyond, in the case of evergreen types in mild climates).

Their leaves can contribute eye-catching color, be they solid or variegated, as well as texture, whether they're broad or narrow. These attributes can be employed to complement or contrast with other kinds of foliage as well as flowers. In short, foliage perennials are the ingredients that boost our creativity in containers.

While the large, lush leaves of shadeloving plants may spring to mind first, sun-loving options exist for pots, too.

Chuck Pavlich, director of new product development for grower Terra Nova Nurseries, recommends stonecrops, sedums and dark-leaved coral bells (Heuchera), like Forever 'Purple', for sunny planters.

In shade, he suggests lighter heucheras, like 'Lime Marmalade', as well as Tiarella, hybrid Heucherella and many other shadegarden favorites, including Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra), lungworts (Pulmonaria) and even larger plants like bugbane (Actaea 'Black Negligee'), Rodgersia 'Bronze Peacock' and the shrubby Fatsia 'Spider's Web'.