This week's plant of the week is a beautiful hardy fern. Dryopteris
'Brilliance', as the name suggests, is one of the showiest ferns on the
market. The color-changing properties of the foliage are what gives
'Brilliance' its unique appeal; the shiny leaves transition from a
bright copper color in early spring, through a soft green in the
summer, and finally into a vibrant autumn orange. This fern is the
perfect little spark of color to pop against the darker foliage of most
shade gardens.

This plant is not only exceptional aesthetically. Adaptable and hardy,
this particular cultivar of Dryopteris erythrosora makes gardening
easy, pushing the limits of most average ferns. It tolerates dryer
soils, resists pests, resists diseases, and is not prone to predation
by deer.

For fern lovers, this is a must-have item, and for those new to growing
ferns, this may be one of the prettiest and easiest ways to fall in
love with them.

 

Looking for some great foliage interest in your shade or filtered sun that isn't hostas or painted ferns?  How about Lamium 'Purple Dragon?'  It's a real survivor, thriving across six zones (3-8), and it produces big, beautiful clusters of purple flowers for many weeks.  The eye-catching silvery-white leaves shade quickly to dark green around the interesting toothed edges.  This groundcover perennial is drought-resistant and evergreen, too, so you'll have this beautiful foliage year-round.

For a different look, try Kolkwitzia amabilis 'Dream Catcher'.  This Beauty Bush does well in filtered sun or part shade in zones 4-9 and is deer-resistant, so it's a great choice for many different gardens.  It's rich coppery color seasons to bright yellow in Spring and Summer, and by fall it turns a rich golden-orange with interesting dark tips.  It's amazing as a specimen, but even better in mass plantings for a really eye-drawing effect unlike any other.

This week's Plant of the Week is a real crowd pleaser and a plant that
I have personal experience with — it's been growing beautifully next
to my patio for almost three years. The foliage is what seals the deal
on Weigela My Monet™. The dense bright tuft of pretty pink,
green, and white leaves jiggles and dances in a light breeze. My Monet™
is a very pretty and graceful shrub that makes a perfect stand-alone
specimen or complement to plants with darker foliage. The cute purple-pink
blossoms make for a fun showy spring, and they attract hummingbirds
and butterflies. 
 
My Monet^TM is very reliable and perfect for formal landscaping
plans. It is a tough shrub — its strong, short branches stand up well
to rough and windy weather that might damage a lesser shrubbery. Short
and dense, this Weigela is never more than 18 inches tall and is perfect
for container and patio gardens. 
 

Cities are packed with millions of people, and civil engineers have long-solved the problem of housing for such a dense population — build up, not out. Save ground space by creating taller structures, with higher capacities. If you are one of these teeming millions and you happen to have some interest in gardening, you know how difficult it can be to garden in the cramped conditions that urban life demands.

Take a hint from the engineers who designed your living space — build up, not out, and save ground space. On a small patio, balcony, or rooftop you can increase your harvest exponentially by using containers, trellises, arbors, and innovative growing techniques to maximize the space you have.

There are plenty of new plant varieties that lend themselves to small areas: climbing plants and dwarf varieties of popular fruit trees and flowering shrubs. I found a few people online who are benefiting from the new vertical gardening trend that is becoming a necessary adaptation for urban gardeners.

Hostas are tough perennials — the staple for any shade garden — and mostly known for their varied, colorful, and textured foliage. They often have beautiful flowers, too. Many produce bright, colorful blooms in the spring, adding a splash of color to the shadows in your garden, but the foliage is what draws most  gardeners to hostas.

Hosta 'Stiletto', with its smooth rippled foliage and creamy variegation, makes an excellent addition to shade gardens. The long, thin leaves look exotic and delicate, but the plant is very hardy. This hosta also produces wonderfully interesting purple-striped blooms in the spring.

H. 'Harpoon', another variegated hosta with rippled foliage — the thick spade-shaped leaves deter predation from snails and slugs — also produces an interesting purple bloom that perfectly complements the exceptional foliage.