We continue to get acquainted with the decorative-deciduous species. In the previous article Silver Leafy Herbaceous Plants: Gourmet Flower Beds we appreciated the beauty of edible, today I offer you a review of decorative.
Admire, look closely, choose the best of the best to decorate their cottages.
Veronica spicata, silver varieties
Despite the fact that the species Veronica spicata grayish leaves, I will introduce you to its more spectacular, improved “copies”.
- The cultivar ‘Heidekind’ reaches a height of 30 cm, the leaves are silver gray, the inflorescence short spicate, raspberry pink;
- parameters and characteristics of the form subsp. incana (V. incana): height 30 cm, leaves silver-pubescent, purple-blue flowers;
- variety subsp. incana ‘Saraband’ has leaves silvery-gray, pubescent, violet-blue flowers;
- beauty subsp. incana ‘Wendy’ with a height of 45 cm, the leaves are gray, flowers are blue.
“Gray” varieties and forms of Veronica better grow in Sunny and semi-shaded areas of cottages on alkaline soils; drought-resistant. Cold beauty Veronica miraculously approaches the gray rockery stone. Well linked with yellow, white daisies, Anthemis, Grindelia and others.
Carnations, silver species
This is one of my favorite plants. Nice their derninki of glaucous leaves. The flowers are usually inferior in size garden varieties, fragrant, bloom long and abundant.
Dianthus plumarius and D. grantianopolitanus, syn. D. caesius-the best appearance is achieved in Sunny places with well-drained soils.
Silver carnations are good not only in flower beds, rockeries, but also in garden vases, containers. Undemanding, but it is better to rejuvenate them after 3-4 years by dividing or cuttings.
Artemisia, silver species, varieties
The genus is simply saturated with discreet beauties in gray-green and gray-blue outfits. The most interesting are the following perennial species with pubescent silvery-white, bluish-gray leaves:
Low-growing types
- Artemisia caucasica-leafy perennial height of 15 cm Leaves 2-3-peristoraceae, almost filamentous;
- A. stelleriana ‘Boughton Silver’ – up to 15 cm and a width of 30-45 cm;
- A. schmidtiana-spectacular wormwood height of 30 cm and a width of 45 cm; dwarf variety ‘Nana’, respectively, 8 cm and 30 cm; both are good for rockeries.
Tall species
- Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’ 60 cm high and 90 cm wide;
- A. balchanorum-fragrant plant up to 80 cm in height, with a Bush diameter of 40 cm; complex leaves are gray, bluish-gray;
- A. ludoviciana Silver Queen-1.2 m high and 60 cm wide; decorative variety: ‘Silver Queen’ – up to 75 cm and others.
Artemisia loves open Sunny places with well-drained soils. They will find their place in multifaceted mixborders, rockeries and (especially small species), and the curb along the tracks.
Santolina cypress
As if from silver beads, strung on invisible threads, nature made a sheet of this santolina, breathing life into it.
If in the first 2-3 years santolina cut, then it is a long time retains a predetermined shape.
It makes almost perfect silvery balls that can not only fill the space, but also to place accents, especially during the flowering period, when the whole plant is covered with small bright yellow baskets of inflorescences.
Santoline give solar dry places with well-drained soils. It feels good in the southern regions, in the middle zone it is better to bring in the non-freezing room, cut from February. Ideal in rockeries, good microderm.
Achillea clypeolata
Achillea clypeolata is a very interesting silver-gray perennial from the Mediterranean.
Its parameters: height-45-60 cm, width-30 cm Basal pinnately dissected leaves form a rosette, which is decorative throughout the growing season. The flowers are bright yellow, collected in small baskets, form complex corymbose; bloom in may-June.
Likes open Sunny locations with well-drained soil. It will be interesting in the flower beds of rural style, in rockeries.
The plant is medicinal, it is used as an antibacterial agent.
Senecio cineraria
Despite the fact that not everyone shares the love for this silver beauty, I found it necessary to tell about it.
Senecio cineraria behaves as shortlived secondary-wood shrub. It grows for a long time in the same place, but it can not be left without attention: it is necessary to constantly rejuvenate, rooting and planting young specimens.
Senecio cineraria has varieties that differ in the shape of dissected leaves, and they have recently become increasingly common.
- The ‘New Look’ — tall and 30 cm wide, the leaves are shallowly-cut, silver-white;
- ‘Cirrus’ – height and width 30 cm, elliptic leaves, finely toothed, silvery-gray;
- ‘Silver Dust’ – height and width 30 cm, leaves deeply pinnately dissected, Lacy, almost white;
- ‘White Diamond’ is a height of 30-40 cm and width of 30 cm, leaves deeply lobed, like oak, gray-white.
Cineraria seaside prefers open Sunny location with fertile but well-drained soil. This is a great seasonal plant for flower beds (including carpets), where it brilliantly emphasizes and outlines the lines.
And in conclusion – “exit” Cerastium biebersteinii.
And of course, Stachys Byzantine.
It is luxurious in compositions with other plants.
Interestingly, its combination with a blue Festuca and Eremurus.
There are a lot of gray grass grasses, and this is a topic for a separate post in the future.