{"id":209,"date":"2015-05-20T22:20:20","date_gmt":"2015-05-20T22:20:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/?p=209"},"modified":"2018-11-13T21:57:59","modified_gmt":"2018-11-13T21:57:59","slug":"the-beautiful-leaf","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/?p=209","title":{"rendered":"The Beautiful Leaf"},"content":{"rendered":"

This time of year we are all so enamored by flowers that it’s easy to overlook the value of colorful foliage in the garden.\u00a0\u00a0 Colored leaves come in many hues, from shades of purple-reds to bright chartreuse greens to shades of orange.\u00a0 I’m not talking about fall color, here.\u00a0 These colorful leaves can be enjoyed all summer in their bright hues.\u00a0 Colorful foliage makes container gardens stand out from the crowd.\u00a0 In perennial beds, colorful leaves can provide beauty when plants are between bloom cycles.\u00a0 Colorful trees and shrubs stand out against the customary hues of green, becoming focal points of the garden.<\/p>\n

\"Under<\/a>
Under the Sea Coleus “Bonefish” is a striking plant with bright chartreuse, serrated edges that add both texture and color.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Under the Sea Coleus, from Hort Couture Plants,\u00a0 is a favorite for container gardens.\u00a0 They come in several color combinations and sizes from tall to small.\u00a0 Each is unique in the world of coleus.\u00a0 All perform well in sun to part sun, in our Colorado climate.\u00a0 Small leaved varieties sail through the heat of summer.\u00a0 Large leaved cultivars, like “King Crab”\u00a0 will benefit from some shade in the afternoon.<\/p>\n

Most people don’t think about trees being colorful unless it’s fall.\u00a0 There are, however, quite a few that shouldn’t be overlooked.<\/p>\n

\"Best<\/a>
Japanese Maple “Shiraz”. Best grown in a semi shaded area, protected from arid winter winds.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Royal<\/a>
Royal Red Norway Maples have large,richly colored, dark burgundy\/mahogany leaves. These trees can reach 35′-40′ tall, providing ample shade. They tolerate pollution well, making them a great choice where there is high traffic.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Tricolor<\/a>
Tricolor Beech have a decidedly pyramid shape while young. Like many of us, they round out a bit with age. They reach 25′-35′ tall. They will do best in an eastern or north eastern exposure, in a partial sun area.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If landscapes had a sense of fashion, then dark leaved plants would be the “little black dress”.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 They are always in style and every garden should have at least one in the wardrobe.\u00a0\u00a0 Japanese maples provide interesting structural form and many have colorful leaves that will turn a shady area into a mystical garden.<\/p>\n

\"Heuchera<\/a>
Heuchera Blackberry Ice is a staff favorite. The dark berry colored leaves dress up shady borders. Try using them in shady container gardens too.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Heuchera is the coleus of perennials.\u00a0 Every year, more new cultivars are introduced.\u00a0 Most are relatively compact, making it easy to add them to existing garden beds or container gardens.<\/p>\n

\"Heuchera<\/a>
Heuchera Amber Lady shows off it’s luscious leaves. Grow them in shady gardens.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Barberry are among the most versatile, sun-loving shrubs for Colorado.\u00a0 They come in multiple sizes and shapes.\u00a0 Most have colorful leaves, ranging from bright red\/orange to lemony greens.\u00a0 Tiny or tall, there’s so many shapes and sizes, it’s difficult to choose.\u00a0\u00a0 Their thorns make them less suitable for areas where people may brush against them.\u00a0 That said, those thorn make them a great choice as a deterrent when planted around a home’s foundation, under windows.\u00a0 Their berries provide food for birds and their density provides shelter.<\/p>\n

\"Barberry<\/a>
Barberry Orange Rocket is a columnar shrub, ideal for creating a hedge in a narrow space. They can also be used as a centerpiece in container gardens. Just be sure to plant it in the ground in fall.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Barberry<\/a>
Barberry comes in many colors and sizes. They dress up sunny garden areas and can be used in borders, as hedges or as accent shrubs. Few shrubs are as versatile.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Evergreens, in both tree and shrub forms, are hardy additions to Colorado gardens.\u00a0 They thrive in full sun and manage to look fabulous despite our arid late summer conditions.\u00a0 They take wild temperature swings in stride, making them ideal in a climate with more than 40 freeze\/thaw cycles each year.<\/p>\n

\"Juniper<\/a>
Juniper “Sea of Gold” is a dramatic shrub that provides garden color year round.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Say the word “juniper” and some people\u00a0 cringe, thinking of prickly shrubs filled with spider webs.\u00a0 Today’s junipers come in many textures and sizes.\u00a0 Some are great for use as low growing shrubs.\u00a0 Others, like the one pictured, are drama queens, with soft needles and dense branching.<\/p>\n

There’s more than one way to enjoy a colorful garden.\u00a0 So try some colorful leaves in your garden and see how dramatically they change the look of your landscape.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This time of year we are all so enamored by flowers that it’s easy to overlook the value of colorful foliage in the garden.\u00a0\u00a0 Colored leaves come in many hues, from shades of purple-reds to bright chartreuse greens to shades of orange.\u00a0 I’m not talking about fall color, here.\u00a0 These colorful leaves can be enjoyed … Continue reading The Beautiful Leaf<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-209","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-perennials","category-trees-shrubs"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/209","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=209"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/209\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":241,"href":"https:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/209\/revisions\/241"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=209"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=209"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=209"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}