It's the current prevailing wisdom of many gardening fiends that foliage is the backbone of the garden. Flowers are great, but they don't last long, and it's folly to base your entire garden around them, rather than the wonderful contrast of texture, color and form that leaves offer. It's what drives the intrepid plant explorer to rappel down a cliff in the misty
mountains of China, gathering seeds of the rare Folia magnifica, which is then freed from chaff by rubbing them on the thighs of Vestal Virgins. Blah blah blah blah blah. Blah blah.
Oh, bugger that!
Sometimes, there is no substitute for looking at some pretty flowers.
"Last Chance Garden," The Garden of Suzy Blair and David Servick
The Garden of George Shriver and Omar Watson
Are you basing your entire garden on foliage? You might be barking up the wrong tree.
That gorgeous Arbutus trunk was in
The Garden of Pam and Karl Hillsenberg.
From the
Federal Way Symphony Tour of Gardens.
