Fab foliage plants to flaunt in gardens and containers

It's natural to be drawn to the pretty flowers vying for attention at the garden centre this time of year. But as you plan out your garden or containers, don't stroll past the foliage. It has an important role to play too.

In the garden, foliage can be planted as a backdrop to some of those eye-catching flowers. Everything from a two-foot shrub to ground cover can highlight other plants. For example, I have a Lemony Lace elderberry with vibrant lime green foliage in my front garden. When my deep purple irises are in bloom, the contrast between the two is on point. Another foliage favourite of mine is my Tiny Wine ninebark. With its mass of deep burgundy leaves — which are almost black — light pink and white flowers absolutely pop against it. And it has its own spray of blooms to show off a couple of times throughout the season as well.

Foliage plants can be used as ground cover. (Ajuga is a favourite, but beware: it really spreads.) For borders, I will often include herbs. Not only is their foliage edible, but they also have interesting textures and fragrances. The tiny yellow-green leaves of lemon thyme are a yummy standout in one of my gardens. And in pots, I love to include pineapple sage, curly parsley, creeping rosemary and Pesto Perpetuo basil, with its variegated leaves (more than one tone or colour).

In shade gardens, foliage plants can be strategically placed to light up a dark area. Look for the different varieties of brunnera, which are predominantly white with green veins. And sometimes a foliage plant, like a coleus or even a hosta, can rock a container all on its own.

Here is a rainbow of new and notable foliage plants you may want to add to your cart — alongside the new flowering varieties — at the garden centre.

A caramel green mounding plant for part shade

Dolce Toffee Tart heuchera is a versatile perennial which will shine when paired with chartreuse grasses or placed among pale yellow flowers. Even though they're perennial, I often use heucheras for my ornamental arrangements. If you do plant one in a pot, simply transplant it to the garden at the end of the season, so you can enjoy it again next year. Pay close attention to the plant tag and place your heuchera in the right conditions. This one needs a bit of shade.

A lime green and cherry red easy-care shrub

Usually you have to wait until fall for leaves to change colour, but this Cherry On Top sorbaria is a vibrant mix of green and red. Hardy down to zone 2, place this low-maintenance shrub with its feathery foliage in a garden that gets four to six hours of sun. Its mature size is 4½ feet tall by 4½ feet wide, so make sure it has the space to grow into. Then, plant your shorter contrasting plants accordingly.

A waterfall of unusual orange leaves

Monkey Puzzle coleus produces a vivid cascade of long, narrow bright orangey-peach foliage with burgundy accents and stems. This is an annual that will jazz up an area of the garden that is part to full shade — or demand attention in a container. If orange isn't your jam, there's also a variety called Mad Medusa, which has slender lime green leaves.

A container-worthy burgundy-green specimen

The Sol Collection of foliage celosia plants includes the cabbage-like filler called Lizzard Leaf, which can grow to be 14 inches high and equally wide. This striking plant will look interesting on its own in a pot or complement a combo of other ornamental plants. Choose burgundy hues for flowers (maybe a dahlia?) to pair with this reddish-green plant, which is not susceptible to downy mildew.

A silvery-green bush that's practical too

With foliage that looks like eucalyptus leaves tinged with silver, and pineapple-flavoured blueberries, Silver Dollar is a conversation starter. While a blueberry bush may seem like an odd choice for a foliage plant, for those with limited space, sometimes having that extra promise of a harvest is a smart choice. Reaching only two to three feet high, this is perfect for a small-space garden or a container. And it's self-pollinating, so you can choose to have just one.

Yellow-green leaves that look hand-painted

While it may not be new to market, being named the 2021 Hosta of the Year may garner renewed interest in Rainbow's End, a lovely variegated hosta. This medium-sized variety has green and yellow foliage, with the yellow fading to a cream colour over the summer. This plant will draw attention in a partly shady to full-shade area of the garden.

Tara Nolan is the author of Gardening Your Front Yard and Raised Bed Revolution. She is also one-third of the popular gardening website Savvy Gardening.