These reliable, low-profile players make focal points look bolder and beds look fuller
gardener , especially plant collector like me , often unknowingly make a common problem in their gardens : too many garish focal - spot plant all vying for care . An overabundance of strong colors , textures , and shapes crammed together in one bed is the equivalent of a concert with too many divas fighting for center level .
As with warm singers , strong plants need reliever to draw everything together . wait at your garden from a new angle , and think about how to incorporate earth covers , perennials , and shrubs that support — rather than compete with — your garden divas .
Support plant are indispensable for highlighting focal points and make harmony as well as for filling in col between seasons and adding winter verdure . To accord your garden , consider total some of these true supporting plant .
Junipercan Soften any Space, in Nearly Any Zone
Name:Juniperusspp. and cvs.
From backdrop to ground cover , juniper is the botanic equivalent of fabric softener : smoothing the voiceless edge in your garden and supporting the strong players without competing with them . just of all , there is an selection for about any zone and grunge type ; all varieties require little water once established . Foliage comes in refinement of dark-green , argent puritanical , and yellow .
Low , spreading types , such as grovel juniper ( J. horizontalis , Zones 3–9 ) , are best used as a reason covering or as trailing over the edges of walls . Taller , spreading varieties are great for softening and anchoring the basis of flowering shrubs . Chinese retem ( J. chinensis , Zones 3–9 ; ‘ Saybrook Gold ’ , image ) and Pfitzer juniper ( J.pfitzeriana , Zones 4–9 ) are excellent support plants . There are countless cultivar and selections of both that range from 1 foot to several feet marvellous , with arching and layered branching ; so make indisputable you choose one with a mature height that fits your blank .
USDA Hardiness Zones:2 to 9
Size:1 to 20 feet tall and wide-eyed
Conditions : Full sun ; well - drained grease
Purple Chinese Fringe Flower Handles Jobs Big and Small
Name:Loropetalum chinensevar.rubrumand cvs.
A few short eld ago , no one had ever heard of imperial Formosan outer boundary heyday , but it ’s now a garden staple . The semievergreen Bourgogne foliage is a innate for foundation or support planting . clip it into a hedge , or lease it grow naturally into an arching vase physique . Although it has become popular to shear this shrub like a boxwood , I prefer to let it grow of course , with only episodic hand pruning of the long shoot to keep the plant inbounds .
To avert excessive sustentation , choose a diversity that fit your app program . My favorites for tall hedges , covering , or garden walls are ‘ Zhuzhou Fuchsia ’ ( pictured ) and ‘ Pizazz ’ . Dwarf option , such as ‘ Ruby ’ , ‘ Plum Delight ’ or ‘ Purple Diamond ’ , are best for curt applications . ‘ Purple Diamond ’ is particularly nice , with its Burgundy wine - colored foliage on both sides of the leaf . If you are searching for a support flora that bring forth only 1 to 2 feet tall , then ‘ Purple Pixie ’ is complete for you . It has a cascade growth riding habit — just right for growing over retaining walls , cascade down out of container , or spreading over the ground .
Zones:7 to 9
Size:2 to 12 feet improbable and 4 to 8 feet wide
weather : Full sunlight to fond shade ; acidic , moist , well - drain soil
Purple ConeflowerProvides Support with Color
Name:Echinacea purpureaand cvs.
A long flush season , fast growth , attractive heyday , and easy care have vouch purple coneflower a place as one of the serious support flora for repeated moulding . No full - sun border would be complete without it . This perennial was historically uncommitted in only a few varieties , but late breeding has produced cultivars in every shade of crimson , violet , white , pink , orangish , and jaundiced .
I prefer the great unwashed of the regal , pink , and blanched multifariousness , such as ‘ Kim ’s Knee High ’ , ‘ Fragrant Angel ’ , and ‘ Pink Double Delight ’ ( pictured ) for backdrop and support purposes . Their soft colors and authoritative daisy shape tone down the brighter vividness and bolder grain of garden divas . clean varieties also work on well as a glare in the garden , drawing attention to specific region .
Zones:3 to 9
Size:2 to 3 feet tall and wide
Conditions : Full Dominicus ; mediocre , well - run out dirt
HollyTies It All Together
Name:Ilexspp. and cvs.
Holly is the first plant that should be added to a garden . A go - to hedge plant , it helps build walls , borders , edge , and frames . When situated in small grouping around vibrant focal full stop , holly have an admirable support plant . The dark evergreen leafage also solve well as a winter fill - in behind deciduous florescence bush and perennials . And with a immobile background of sour holly , any phone number of garden divas can fight for center point and still not overpower a scene .
Some of my favorite holly cultivar belong to the Red Holly Hybrid series , breed from the proved standby ‘ Mary Nell ’ ( I.‘Mary Nell ’ , Zones 6–9 ) . For a hedged garden bulwark , I favor Acadiana ™ (I.‘Magiana ’ , Zones 6–9 ) . It has a plastered habit with inscrutable red Modern growth and heavy berry Seth . Unpruned , it will reach 14 feet tall and 8 feet wide . Robin ™ (I.‘Conin ’ , zone 6–9 ) is perfect for create screening . It has striking maroon newfangled growth that deepen to grim commons , followed by deep cerise Charles Edward Berry . Left alone , it will grow into a rude pyramidal shape reaching 14 feet tall . For edging a bed or obscure a foundation , try a easy - textured , shorter holly , such as dwarf yaupon holly ( I.vomitoria‘Nana ’ , Zones 7–11 , exposure , correct ) .
Zones:5 to 9
Size:1 to 14 feet marvelous and 1 to 8 foot wide
shape : Full sun to full shade ; slightly acid , constituent - deep , well - run out grunge
LilyturfBrightens Shady Beds Year-Round
Name:Liriope muscariand cvs.
Few gardeners are unaware of this minor musical accompaniment flora ’s multiple natural endowment . The evergreen foliation is idealistic for frame one-year moulding and perennial bed . It softens suspicious region under large trees as well as harsh hardscapes and walkways , while also providing a lush background for bolder plants .
Lilyturf is often grouped , alas , into two basic types : green and variegate . There are new cultivars , however , that are deserving seeking out . These miscellanea offer more cold tolerance , better flower power , and an increased power to handle sun than the consecutive species . One of my favorites is Marc Anthony ® (L. muscari‘Marant ’ , Zones 6–10 , pictured ) , which has green - and - white - variegated leaves that do n’t bear in mind full sunshine ; this cultivar also has attractive lavender flowers on pinkish stalks . To brighten a louche garden course or to spotlight an accent flora , hear ‘ Monroe White ’ for its pure white flower spikes . It ’s exceptionally down in the mouth sustentation — all it needs is a yearly haircut in former wintertime or early bound to move out shattered old foliage .
( Note : Beware ofL. spicata(Zones 6–10 ) , the lilyturf that many have acquire to hate . Unlike members of theL. muscarigroup , this species spreads speedily to the point of being encroaching . )
Zones:6 to 10
Size:1 foundation marvellous and 1 to 2 feet wide
Conditions : Full Lord’s Day to partial shade ; fair , well - drained soil
Asian JasmineConceals Unsightly Spots
Name:Trachelospermum asiaticumand cvs.
Even the strong , most discordant plant will mesh with its surroundings when standing among a swath of Asian jasmine . It not only helps sheer plant fit in but also hides a multitude of garden sin . This ground concealment will issue forth to your rescue , satiate in domain of bare dirt or hiding the fading foliage of seasonal showstopper , such as daffodil ( Narcissuscvs . , Zones 3–9 ) or other bulbs .
Asian jasmine function firmly to make your garden look good , but it does need an occasional trim to keep it within bounds . Set the limit on how far you need it to pass around , and cut down or cut it back at least once a twelvemonth during the grow time of year .
Be deliberate about step beyond the standard Asian jasmine , however , because some newer , more colorful cultivar can quickly twist into prima donna themselves . The full Asiatic jasmine to utilize as a backdrop are the abstruse green specie ( pictured ) or the green - and - lily-white - variegated form , such as ‘ Variegata ’ . For bare variegation with a little something extra , try variegated ‘ Winter Beauty ’ , which has pink - tinged leaves in nerveless weather .
Zones:7 to 11
Size : Up to 1 foot tall and propagate to 6 feet or more
weather condition : Full sun to partial shade ; productive , well - debilitate soil
Japanese Plum YewWithstands Heat and Deer Better than Other Yews
Name:Cephalotaxus harringtoniiand cvs.
For southerly nurseryman who pine for Hick ’s yew ( Taxusmedia‘Hicksii ’ , Zones 5–7 ) , there is in conclusion a stand-in : Japanese plum yew . This aborigine of Japan and Korea handle heat and humidity much better than other yews . In nerveless climate , it can survive full sun , but in warmer surface area , circumscribe it to spots with afternoon full shade .
The most coarse salmagundi , ‘ Prostrata ’ , has low - mound leafage that reaches 2 to 3 feet grandiloquent and all-embracing . It ’s ideal for hide astute edges of hardscapes or creating a background for spook perennial or annuals , looking its best mass along a fundament . It also works well cascading over the side of with child shade container .
‘ Fastigiata ’ has an vertical , vase - shaped growth habit . It can hand 10 feet magniloquent and 6 to 8 feet extensive , but I prefer to keep it hedged to 3 to 4 feet improbable and wide in the garden . This form is great as a background for lightly shaded borders , acting like a curtain behind bolder plants . If planted on an individual basis , this plum yew behaves as an accent plant . It is also deerproof .
My favourite cultivar is Yewtopia ™ (pictured ) , with its soft , needled foliage that can be hedge or grown naturally to 3 to 4 foot tall and wide . It equilibrize out even the meretricious garden prima donna .
Zones:6 to 9
Size:2 to 10 feet marvelous and broad
weather condition : Full sun to full ghost ; moist , sandy , well - drained soil
Japanese Sacred LilyKeeps the Garden Alive in Winter
Name:Rohdea japonicaand cvs.
Like a quietly singing choir , Japanese hallowed lily works in the backcloth to soften those garden diva grow in the shadiest of bed . shoulder strap - determine , deep green leaf form upright vase - shaped clumps , which tardily spread outward . ruddy berries often appear in late fall , though the flowers are rarely notice .
If your shade garden miss verdure in winter , plant sweeps or recur clumps of Nipponese consecrated lily ( ‘ Mure - suzume ’ , pictured ) in the garden . This plant also act upon wonders as a silver screen , hiding less attractive garden necessities , such as irrigation - control box and unsightly edging . Nipponese hallowed lily can be comparatively expensive due to its slow pace of propagation , but it will reward you with years of authentic performance .
Size:1 to 2 feet tall and wide
weather condition : Partial to full tincture ; average to moist , well - drain soil
Plant with Purpose
Your garden should be built on a solid foundation of financial backing plants . My rule of thumb is to implant at least 50 percent supporting greenery . This is the minimum to keep your garden from turning into a clangour of conflicting voices . keep plant may not be sexy , but you ’ll never have a backbreaking fourth dimension retrieve them at your local nursery . They are the building blocks upon which almost all great gardens are work up . Keep two point in mind when choose and imbed your support plants .
Support plants work best in groups of three or more.
Just as backup singers highlight the track singer , using more than one plant facilitate frame the brighter works in a garden .
Green isn’t as dull as you might think.
Do n’t be tempted by novel cultivars with flashy variegation or colorful sport — they will only add to the clamor of your garden . Green pass away with everything .
Jimmy Turner is senior director of garden at the Dallas Arboretum in Dallas , Texas .
photograph : Jerry Pavia ; Judy White / www.gardenphotos.com ; Michelle Gervais ; Botanic Images , Inc./www.gardenworldimages.com ; Plant Development Services , Inc.
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The following mail - lodge industrial plant sellers volunteer the wide option of the plants feature :
Forestfarm , Williams , Ore. ; 541 - 846 - 7269 ; www.forestfarm.com
Lazy S ’S Farm Nursery,2360 Spotswood Trail , Barboursville , VA 22923 ; www.lazyssfarm.com
Plantsbymail.com , PO Box 365 , Loxley , AL 36551 ; www.plantsbymail.com
Sooner Plant Farm , Park Hill , Okla. ; 918 - 453 - 0771 ; www.soonerplantfarm.com
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