Ten Silver-garden Plants
That Will Add Glamour and Drama to Your Borders Whatever the Situation Andy, who works at House and Scampston Hall, now a private estate in Wiltshire, has always been a big fan of using metallic tones in the garden: “From a planting perspective, silver plants bring a lightness to a palette,” he says. “White can be a bit too hard on the eye, but silver can add sharpness to a border. Silver and grey-leafed plants generally work well in drier conditions. They don’t need much moisture, but they do best in well-draining soil, and they can like it to be warm.” Metallic plants are naturally suited to full sun locations, but Andy has added several woodlands to his list of ten favorites
1. Eryngium giganteum
“The height and pointed shape of the flowers on Miss Wilmot’s Ghost are really pretty.” It grows quite tall – usually up to a metre – which makes it great in a dry garden, as some dry garden plants can be a bit tall,” Andy notes. “It’s also good because it comes from seeds.”
2. Salvia discolor
“It’s a high-maintenance plant and not very hardy, but its white stems, slightly drooping silvery leaves and deep purple flowers that look almost black from a distance make it really special,” Andy says. “I grow it in a frost-free greenhouse away from the winter rains, and it usually does well.”
3. Perovskia ‘Blue Spire’
“If you want the flowers to continue growing into autumn, this is a good choice,” Andy notes. “Even after flowering, it keeps standing, adding a silvery-grey, transparent quality to a border – or an accent on a Christmas wreath.” If ‘Blue Spire’ is too big for your garden, try ‘Little Spire’, which is half the size.
4. Prunella macrophylla 'Looking Glass'
In contrast to the silver veining of the more popular 'Jack Frost', 'Looking Glass' has a full silver leaf, explains Andy. When grown in partial or full shade, it blooms more profusely than 'Jack Frost'. Use as a ground cover in moist soil
5. Atrium 'Ghost'
This beautiful silver fern is a hybrid of Atrium niponicum var. pictum and A. felix-femina. "It's a bit slow to grow and not always easy to find, but it's my favorite fern - I had three of them in my last garden," says Andy. It needs full or partial shade to thrive and reach its final height of about 90cm.
6. Pulmonaria 'Silver Bouquet'
'Silver Bouquet' has the classic blue and pink flowers you'd expect," says Andy. "You don't often see those colours in the shade, so it's a really interesting plant. Instead of silver veins, it also has mostly silver leaves." 'Silver Bouquet' dies back every year, but blooms again from March to May.
7. Buthlegum 'Silver Anniversary'
"It's a common species, but 'Silver Anniversary' is a bit different," says Andy. "It's very short at 1.5m and has silver leaves with fragrant white flowers. It's somewhat delicate, but it's a bit more elegant. Buthlegum colvilli has similar coloured leaves, but its leaves aren't quite as silvery."
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