Scintillating Silvers

Today was such a dreary day with some big, wet snowflakes reminding us that winter can still make an appearance in April in our area! Tomorrow also looks damp and somber. As we see spots of color out in the early spring garden like the yellows of daffodils (Narcissus), blues of Siberian squill (Scilla siberica) and much more, we should always appreciate what silver foliage brings to the landscape. A nice crispness and clean look is provided by silver and incorporating plants with significant foliage interest with solid silver or even hints of silver, can make a powerful statement and help unify a composition. All of the photos here are from plants I saw out at the California Spring Trials (CAST) two weeks ago. As much as I liked seeing all the new plants and bold colors, I’ll always appreciate the value of silver in the landscape and none of these plants would have escaped my attention.

Lavandula pedunculata ‘Ghostly Princess’ (Spanish lavender) – above
Senecio cineraria QuicksilverTM (dusty miller) – above
Senecio cineraria ‘Silverado’ (dusty miller) – above
Calocephalus brownii Whimsy™ Silver
Brunnera macrophylla ‘Queen of Hearts’ (false forget-me-not) – above
Sedum rubens ‘Lizard’ (stonecrop, z6) – above
Sedum forsterianum ‘Oracle’ (stonecrop, z3) – above
Begonia SILVER™ Lace (above)
Begonia GARDEN ANGEL™ ‘Plum’ (above)
Artemisia MAKANA™ Silver (above)
Heuchera ‘Topaz Jazz’ (coral bells) – above
Angel Wings® Senecio (above)
Angel Wings® Senecio (above)
Angel Wings® Senecio (above)
Didelta carnosa ‘Silver Strand’ (kusslaaibos) – above
Artemisia ‘Sea Salt’ (wormwood) – above
Echeveria ‘Cante’ (above)
Helichrysum ‘Silver Stitch’ (licorice plant) – above
Helichrysum Silver Ribbon (licorice plant) – above
Begonia ‘Bewitched White’ (above)
Trifolium 4 Luck® Green Glow (clover, z5) – above
Heuchera ‘Emerald Green’ (coral bells) – above
Artemisia ‘Parfum d’ Ethiopia’ (wormwood) – above