Grey adds contrast to dark greens of Cedar tree and rhodies

 Silver and grey-leaved plants are needed in almost any garden because they add a touch of soothing coolness to the bright summer colors. The intense yellow, scarlet and magenta found in summer gardens are strong colors that look best when tempered with silver and grey. At the same time, the colors of blue and purple are enhanced and appear brighter in the presence of silver and grey.  A close look at any mixed baskets at  your favorite local nursery and you likely find a touch of silver or grey.

 This pale color of silver and grey comes from the dense covering of tiny white hairs.  This down protects plants from the sun and drying summer temperatures. This protection allows these plants to grow naturally, and, quite well in exposed sites.  The silver and grey coloring is actually enhanced in these tough conditions.  Most of these  silver and grey plants originate in Mediterranean type climates.  These plants are easy to grow for gardeners here in the South Sound.  Their tolerance for dry conditions will help us conserve water and save a few bucks on our water bill too!

 I have listed a few of my favorite silver and grey-leafed plants for you to consider for your garden:

 Artemisia ‘Power Castle,’there are many varieties of artemisia. In fact the common kitchen herb French Tarragon is a variety of artemisia. I admire artemisias for their foliage and interesting texture. The variety ‘Power Castle’ has perhaps the most feathery foliage of this group.  The finely dissected leaves remind me of carrot leaves. It will grow up to three feet wide but grows only eighteen inches tall.

 Snow in Summer (Cerastium tomentosa), is an excellent and fast-growing groundcover if you have a big area you want to fill up fast. When in full bloom Snow in Summer is a carpet of white flowers as its name suggests.  It is a ground hugging plant that grows only six inches tall. But beware, it is not a good neighbor.  By this I mean it does not blend well with other perennials because of its aggressive fast-growing nature.  For this reason it works best if planted with shrubs and trees.

 Wooly Yarrow (Achillea tomentosa) plants don’t get much tougher than yarrow.  They like full sun in a hot dry location and will naturalize quickly. Yarrows have flower clusters that are wonderful in fresh cut bouquets and for drying as well. I like the Wooly Yarrow because of its short compact stature. Most yarrows tend to get floppy and require staking when in flower.  The stalk of the wooly yarrow flower is shorter and remains upright without staking.

 Senecio greyi (no common name) is a small evergreen shrub that grows up to four feet tall and wide. This compact plant has dense leaves that are small with  a wonderful grey-green color.  The undersides of the leaf are nearly white as are the tips of the stems.  A little difficult to find at local retail nurseries, it is well worth the search.  This is a great plant for the south side of a wall that reflects a lot of heat in the summer. In spring this plant needs pruning to removed leaves damaged branches and older wood to stimulate new growth.  This plants looks good mixed in a tree and shrub border.

 A few of my other favorite silver and grey-leafed plants that I have mentioned in other articles include: Helianthemum ‘Wisely Pink’, Curry plant (Helichrysum italicum), Lambs Ears (Stachy byzantina) Sedum ‘Cape Blanca’, Common Sage (Salvia officinalis) and Heather ‘Silver Knight’ (Calluna vulgaris)