I really enjoy mixing foliage plants with flowering plants that carry the same colors. One of the prettiest combinations I saw last year was a purpleish million bells petunia paired with a black sweet potatoe vine. This was growing out of a tree trunk that was cut off higher than most. so it had the effect of a very large hanging plant/basket. The two together were gorgeous.
I also had a lovely pink flowered begonia paired with a coleus with ruffled pink leaves. They were so pretty together.
I still dead head some of my foliage plants to make them bushier and definitely dead head coleus if it has gone to seed and I don't want it to.
What are some of the foliage plants that you grow Amer?

Well, actually unfortunately I dont know the names of most of them, but I will be posting pics of most of them. Some that I know names of are :

Hemigraphis repanda (or colorata?)
Dieffenbakia maculata "Arctic Snow"
A very large leaved (1 ft by 1 ft) Pothos
Begonia Dragon Wing (dark brown leaved)
Philodendrons
Alocasia sp?
Alternantheras (various coloured types)
Some nice leaved coleus (3 types)

And many others whose names I dont know.

Amer

Sounds like you have some nice ones. Would love to see a picture of your Begonia Dragon Wing with the dark brown leaves. The begonias are some of my favorites. Even though the canes I have wouldn't be just for the foliage, but I love it when the foliage is beautiful between a plants blooms. The Rex begonia would be a wonderful example of foliage begonias!
Looks like you have some great stuff.

I actually like foliage plants more than flowers. There is so much variety in variegation, different shades of green, different shapes of leaves, all the textures. I think it's in the details - some people see them, some don't. Flowers are flashy, easy to see. To see the beauty of foliage, you have to stop and look closer.

I love variegated plants. Some, like my variegated Schefflera, look like its leaves have been brushed in ivory with a paintbrush. I love how my variegated Ficus robusa (rubber tree) grows pinkish leaves which mature to green, ivory, and grey. I adore my variegated Senecio articulatus (candle plant) of which most of its leaves are pure bright pink (which is why the darn thing grows so SLOW). I've been a long-time collector of Ficus benjamina variegations and cultivars, because they're fascinating and beautiful, as well as being an easy plant to keep.

I'm a huge fan of Philodendrons and Ficus. At home right now, I have Ficus religiosa (sacred bo tree) sprouting. Four so far, and hopefully more to come. After three years of trying, I guess I finally got the conditions just right. Growing along with them are some Philodendron selloum which sprouted about a month ago. Growing tropicals plants from seed is not for the faint-of-heart, but it is very rewarding.

I wish this forum was busier too. I'll try to think of some questions. I'm not very good at answers. lol

Does anyone have any pictures to post of the combinations that they have put in their gardens of foliage and blooming plants that are successful? I will try to find some of my pictures and post them (if I can)
Mary from Gainesville, GA

My daylilies here are comibined with elephant ears and some hosta. {{gwi:778991}}

I always forget about this forum....I think I'll suggest to Spike that he link it to the Houseplants forum.

As the fellow who suggested this forum in the first place, I also wish there was more traffic. My original idea was a variegated plant forum, but many felt that it might be too narrow in scope for much traffic. Seeing that foliage doesn't get much, I suppose variegation would be even quieter.

Nonetheless, I myself haven't been here for some time, and feel rather as if I've abandoned it. Perhaps more photos would help, or as someone suggested, linking this forum to related ones--such as House Plants, Tropicals, or Shade Gardening.

Or perhaps, like many of our foliage gardens, we're a quieter type of people?

I love variegated plants. I have a bad habit of collecting the same plant in all its different variegated forms. I love the differences, the patterns, the colors. I'd love to be able to talk to more people interested in variegated plants (indoor and outdoor plants).

Wow! I hadn't been on any of the garden forums since before the Christmas holidays and tonight I decided to see what was happening on the hosta forum(I'm a hosta nut) and I discovered this foliage forum and I'm delighted. I have many foliage plants and they really are my first love in the plant world so I will be adding my 2 bits from now on.

variegation rules!!!!! Try aroid forum some weird folk, not normal like me but allright.

I travel to the Aroid forum often. They're nice folks, but my collection isn't up to par with them yet. Most don't seem to like to answer questions about common Aroids. I'm a big-time variegated plant addict. Outdoors, I love coleus and other colorful foliage plants.

I have been browsing around the different forums and just discovered this one. I do not know why I never clicked here. I started with the Hosta, then perennials then container, then Junk. Trying to find something to add interest to my gardens. I think it is because like everyone else I was forever chasing the next flower. How stupid I was. I finally started to look at bloom times and a light went off. What about pretty leaves. I then remembered my mother growing coleus. I started my research and none of the forums was discussing this plant then I did a search all forums "coleus" BANG!!!! Here I am. I will visit often and be asking you good people a LOT, LOT of questions for help with this quest of colorful, bright, shapes and interesting foliage.

Thank you to the good people who recognize there is more to plant life than a fleeting flower and thought of this forum.

I have been a regular visitor for four years and have never noticed this site even though my gardens have relied more and more on foliage for year round colour. "Foliage" is too small a title for this forum and does not stand out in the long list on GW. How about, "Sassy Foliage" or "Adventures in Foliage" or"Hot and Spicey Foliage"? Anyways, nice to meet you foliage folks.

Monika.
Yes, youre right.
We need to spice up this forum. It needs to be invigourated by ppl like you. It hardly gets any traffic currently.

Amer

i come here every once in awhile. i am mostly into foliage, but the houseplant type. outside is okay, but i cant live with that year round.
kelly

hi everyone!! i am pretty new to gw period...but i did just notice this forum and was happily delighted. i too love foliage more than flowers. I love the little distinctions, slight variations in color, etc. i have over 50 houseplants and i think only three have flowers. i am a big collector of dracaenas (i love the cornplant and the marginata's), I too love ficus,, I have a beautiful "silver cloud", I have varigated ivy, mosaic plant, pink polka dot plant, and of course pothos, believe it or not, but I don't have marbled queeen pothos (any traders out there?) my most recent find is a type of pothos that has plush, felt-like beautiful dark green leaves with silver splotches on it... you can find some really great pics of foliage plants on www.exoticangel.com... I love marantas and calatheas...im a big fern collector as well. I would love to start trading some foliage plants if anyone is interested, please look at my list... I am also interested in some begonias.

Welcome kittigirl, You will be a good resource for people like myself who really like the foilage but just getting to know the real beauty of the different varieties. I have decided to do this in stages. At the moment I am doing purple and varigated pink, cream, yellows. Like you I like the dracaenas.

Looking forward to the discussions and the trading.

Kittigirl, Marquest, Kknowles.

Your are all most welcome on this forum.

Its so nice have some ardent foliage lovers posting here.

Thanks for coming over, and pleased to meet ya!

Amer

Thanks Amer. Your pictures are really nice,,you really are an enthusiast!

I just recently saw two really beautiful Earth Stars in my local grocery store... one was pink with a slightly irridescent pearl color mixed in...the other was like a mint green with the same shimmery pearl.. it was incredibly beautiful!! I really should have bought it but I have been on too much of a plant buying spree lately.. I had to nip that one in the bud!

I'm new to Garden web so I don't really understand the rules yet- Is every question a separate forum? I will assume yes.
I LOVE FERNS! I like foliage but nothing beats a fern- NOTHING!! I also have a soft spot for Rex Begonias and Cycads.
Here is a wierd thought. Flowers are the sexual parts of plants so it makes TOTAL sense that people freak over the flowers- that's why they exists right? So what does that make people like me who notice the stem color and buy a plant according to it's leaf margin??? I'm a FREAK! Well maybe not in this particular group of people- thank goodness for gardenweb!
I started collecting 2.5 years ago with a spider brake I bought and promptly killed. I didn't know how to care for it and I under watered it. Having it in a dark room with bone dry air didn't help. I live in an apartment with north exposure and central heating- in the winter I have 2 humidifiers going full steam 24 hours a day. I also have a water purifier I bought at Sears. It works by evaporation so I hope the salts are really being separated- so far it seems to work.

I too have noticed this infatuation with flowers. I will admit this- I am JEALOUS of orchid people! They are well served by the market place and here in NYC they even have several shows in places like Macy's and Madison Square Garden (a huge concert arena). I recently saw a PBS documentary or Orchid lovers in New York- one guy had a whole roof garden full of them and I nearly died green. We need a FERN documentary! Show me huge indoor gardens and native plants in rain forests! I want to see the Victorian craze well documented- with lots of America's Most Wanted style re-enactments.
But, alas, I seem to be in the minority with this desire. In order to compensate I have all the recent books and have started going to the Barnes and Noble.com used and out of print section to find old ones or books from outside the US.
But HERES an intersting topic- do you feel collector rivalry? I mean people LOVE suculents and cactus so much these plants are readily available even at the supermarket but FORGET finding a proper Pteris vittata or Doryopteris palmata- I've been looking for MONTHS!Have you ever gone to your local botanical garden and noticed they have a huge Bosai tree/ Roses/ Orchid/ Palm but they are sadly missing a varied collection of your particular favorite? Ever tried (and gotten frustrated for what seems to be no reason) finding a book on your collection in am local bookstore?
Okay- maybe I am foiled by my lack of nursery knowledge (and that being a city dweller I don't even know how to drive) but it's hard being fern green in a cactus/ orchid /rose world!
Lately I have started collecting Rex Begonias. The need to buy at least one plant a week is strong (in the summer mind you- I don't have a "Friends" style apartment) and there is simply not enough variety in the New York market place. They have tiny flowers but WHO REALLY CARES- it's the pink/grey/green leaves we love right!?
I want to say THANK YOU to whomever started this particular discussion- it's fun to read the suggestions and the reactions.

Can anyone post some photos of a foilage plant garden?

I guess the reason I haven't hung out here is that so many other forums cover the foliage plants I love- Hostas, Begonias, Aroids, Houseplants, Perennials, Ferns, Cycads, Gesneriads...there are so many overlapping Forums which cover foliage plants; there just isn't time to get to them all. I really do love differents colors, patterns, shapes and sizes of foliage, though. (Love flowers, too; plants in general are great!)

Hi all! I agree with what Ooojen is saying. I am definitely a foliage person but had never visited this forum until tonight. I have been on GardenWeb for 3 years now. I have always visited the particular plant forum such as hosta, aroid, etc... I will be visiting here from now on.

I collect foliage plant from the tropical to the native plants. I have a mixture of sun and shade. I most recently acquired a beautiful dwarf variegated gardenia. Can't wait to see how it does.

Deb

It is he same for me as it is for Debbido. I will start lurking here more.
I just discovered Hostas this year. I have become a fanatic. I have also discovered that I am drawn to foliage type plants. I love caladiums, elephant ears, sweet potato vine, artemesia, and most any ornamental grass. It is inevitable that my list will keep growing.

I just wish someone would answer the questions that are here. PLEASE.

I found you folks quite by accident - because of a thread to large leaved plants!!!!!! Oooooo la la - my plant shopping list just got very long indeed.

My need and interest has to do w/ my recent fettish for and love of making concrete leaf castings!!!!! My Gunnera have all gone to the concrete grave here at seasons end ....... and so, as I think about "next year", I am looking for other castable BIG leaves!!!!!

Of course, I do love the look they provide whilst alive and well - but when that time has come to a seasonal end, this is the next step into getting to the 4ft concrete casts:

I will come back and thank you for being here!!!!!!

Vicki

hi All,

i love foliage plants more than flowering because with the flowering plants i have to be careful cause hubby is allergic to most scents and also is allergic to bees and wasps, so in order to be able to keep my addiction to plants hobby going, i tend to veer towards the foliage plants. I also love the Varigated forms of plants, and so my want list of plants is pretty long, LOL.

Meesh

I too love foliage plants and I try to cordinate my foliage plants with the colors of blooming plants, that will complement them the best. I have been really doing alot of dark leaved(Purples and Blackish colors, and mixing them with Chartreuse. This year I did alot of dark leaved plants and used shades of Purple and magenta flowers. One of my favorite foliage plants is Persian Shield is goes so well with various Purple shades and especially Magenta. I paired Black Magic Elephants Ears, with Little Blackie Sweet Potato Vine. Purple Pentas and Royal Purple Salvia. I also like Maple Sugar Hibiscus with Alternathera Ficodea Ruby Threads.

Back2Back, here is a picture I took a few days ago of part of my garden. All pretty much foliage with plenty of color.

Here is a link that might be useful: Fall picture

Great picture,thanks for posting. I love using foliage plants in my pots along with a few bloomers. Color all summer long with no lulls, and much less time involved(no daily deadheading).

I like both flowering and foliage plant..in fact, most of my plants (400) are foliage vs flowering.
I'm going to assume, Amer, was talking tropical plants vs annuals..(annuals growing in colder climates)
To those who stated, foliage plants need not be dead-headed, do you not realize that most flowering (tropical)plants needn't be either?
Here in IL, annuals such as Zennia's, Marigolds, etc, should be dead-headed to produce more flowers, but when it comes to sub/tropicals, flowers fade and fall off, then rebloom.
Furthermore, most plants bloom, even those grown as foliage plants, including Amer's Dieff.
But, as I stated, I enjoy both..I couldn't see not have flowering and foliage plants..Toni

Foliage pictures from the yard and the patio, with a bloom or two!

{{gwi:278052}}

Leslie, are the pics of your garden? If so, all I can say is Wow..it's beautiful. So many varieites and colors..Beautiful..Toni

Toni, thanks for the compliment and yes, all the pictures are from my garden.

The last 4 pictures are of this year's patio garden with a mix of indoor houseplants and tropicals, some new and some over-wintered from previous years. They were taken in July of this year. I always pick a new color scheme each year for the patio. Last's years was pink!

The 3 yard pictures are all of my backyard shrub/grass/perennial border taken in late summer-early fall this year. The hosta picture is a few years older than the rest and is the garden I look into from my bedroom window.

Here are some spring-early summer pictures of the backyard taken in the last few years. Although I use many perennials & flowering shrubs, I really like to play with foliage colors, shapes, & textures, rather than just bloom colors.

Leslie, your yard is really beautiful..Wow, it's nicer than the Chicago Botanical Gardens here in IL>>>LOL.
All the colors and it's so neat, too. What is the white flowered plant in the last picture? It reminds me of a plant they call Snowball bush, but a possible Hydranga, also, though I think they bloom later in the yr. Toni

Thanks for the compliment Hopefulauthor. In midsummer when everything is in bloom (in every color of the rainbow) my daughter says it looks like Disney World. I've never been sure if she means that as a compliment or not. :~))

The shrub is a Viburnum opulus 'Stirilis', or European Cranberry Bush. It is also sometimes called a Guelder Rose (sterile). It does not set fruit and unfortunately the flower is not scented. It is a very fast grower and a heavy bloomer. It was planted in 02 and is now well over the fence line and quite wide. I used it to help block a very large children's play gym in the neighbor's yard.

Foliage has always been important to me. Blossoms are nice and are a large part of the garden, but foliage is what carries it through the seasons and makes a landscape garden, instead of just a cutting garden for blossoms. When I see people's gardens on the internet usually I see a collection of close-up flower pictures. That's not a garden, it's a nursery catalog. It has no sense of 'place'. The setting is just as important as the foliage or flower in my mind. Where is it located in the garden?

Also, I've noticed there seems to be just pictures of perennial foliage. That limits this Forum quite abit. What about conifers and trees I know there is a separate forum for those, but I think they should be included here too. In fact, anything without blossoms being the main part of the picture qualifies as far as I'm concerned.
"{{gwi:328828}}"

Just beautiful Botann! Nice mix of colors and textures with some wonderful tall trees. I agree with you that a forum on foliage should/would include shrubs, conifers, & trees. I just wish I had room for more of them in my tiny yard.

me too. 41 comments in 17 years. we communicate like the trees in the lord of the rings.