The Foliage Garden

It's been a two year process for this garden bed to come into its own. I call it 'the foliage garden' and yes, there are flowers in my 'foliage garden' ...at least these Jacobina pink flamingo shown below. They add a touch of pink to this area in summer. As you can see it's impossible for me to go totally flowerless, but this area is made up of predominantly foliage textures, shapes and colors of different types.

Lately I've had a fascination with strappy-leaved plants like these two cordylines below. I just love the look of their upright spiky foliage.

The colors in this garden are predominantly burgundy and varying shades of green foliage. I think it gives the garden a very relaxed and calming feeling.

The pink flamingos look pretty against the variegated foliage of the Chinese privet.

 I love looking through the strappy-leaved foliage. This 'red sensation' cordyline has a new pup emerging to the left of it.

There's that new pup alongside the variegated cast-iron...a must-have plant for a shady garden.

Here it is up close. It definitely adds a spark of brightness in the shade.

Leaves of all shapes and pretty colors.

Ferns are another must-have plant in the shade. This soft foliage of this native Florida tree fern...which readily seeds itself in my garden...looks wonderful next to the spiky leaves of red sensation cordyline.

Another softer variety of red cordyline (don't know the name) has a rich deep burgundy color and looks pretty next to the tri-color stromanthe.

The spotted leopard plant was an impulse buy that turned out in my favor. Don't you just love it when that happens? She really loves this shady...somewhat damp area and I love the shape of her leaves and of course, the yellow spots.

And, guess what? She even blooms! 

It's so much fun to play around with different leaf textures and varying shades of foliage...don't you think?