Give your Muskoka garden purple power

When you think of purple in your garden what comes to mind first? I think of my purple phlox that takes over my garden in August. Our instinctive reaction to colour in the garden is to think in terms of the flowers. Recent developments by plant breeders are working hard to change that.

There is a big trend for foliage plants; I would even call it a craze. By foliage plants I mean plants that have been developed to have attractive or colourful leaves often at the expense of blooms. The idea is that they have appeal regardless of whether or not they are in bloom.

Purple is one of the colours that is being targeted for foliage interest. I should explain that purple foliage is not the bright purple you would see in the flower of a violet. Purple foliage tends to be described as coppery red, mahogany red, bronze red, burgundy red, burgundy purple, maroon purple, purple-red or deep purple that is almost black.

Even if you are a traditional gardener who resists the trends that seem to come and go it may be worth taking a second look at purple foliage plants. Foliage plants look showy before and after flowering so they’re attractive all season long. Purple foliage has the added advantage of being neutral. It’s like that little black dress for the garden; it goes everywhere.

Add purple leaves to a pastel garden to take away that too sweet look without adding any harsh colours. It adds refinement without changing the feel of the composition. A jarring collection of bright colours like reds, yellows and oranges get grounded and saved from being gaudy. And just like the effect of adding white to the “little black dress”, combining purple leaves with white flowers can do nothing but add class to your garden.

Purple works well with greens too. When you consider that red (purple) and green are complementary colours it’s no wonder that they complement each other in the garden. Try some purple around your hostas and watch the interaction.

Purple leaved plants are not really new to our gardens. I’m sure many of you are familiar with purple leaved sandcherry, crimson king maple, and purple crab apples. There is a red leaved rose that is a species shrub rose and it has been used for years to develop new hybrids. Mother Nature had the idea for purple leaves a long time ago but it’s just recently that we caught on to what a good idea it was to exploit this exciting colour.

For those who are wary of jumping into this trend there are annual varieties to try that will give you a seasonal introduction into the world of purple leaves. Coleus has cultivars such as Black Dragon to try in your garden as well as in your containers. Purple fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum rubrum) lasts well into October and is especially attractive in containers. The popular sweet potato vine Ipomea batatas blackie is mostly used in containers but you could give it a try in your garden to see what the almost black leaves will do for your plants. Dark leaved canna lilies have been around a long time but new varieties like Black Knight are very striking.

It’s no surprise that there are purple leaved varieties of heuchera or coral bells. They’ve been the object of much breeding resulting in many leaf colours. Tiarella is a close cousin to heuchera and is now also being targeted for leaf development. Look for one variety called Stargazer. Bugbane (Cimicifuga racemosa atropurpurea) is very tall with white flower spikes. Euphorbia has a burgundy leaved variety called Chameleon. Sedum varieties Morchen and Very Jameson have dark leaves.

My favourite shrubs are Weigela florida Wine and Roses and Physocarpus Summer Wine. I’ve had very good results from both of them. This year I want to try the elderberry Sambucus Black Beauty. It has been called the northern alternative to the Japanese maple. It may be hard to find yet in the north, and when you do find it expect to pay dearly for it.

There are so many more purple plants to explore. When you’re out plant shopping remember that your garden should have at least some “purple power.” But beware that like any form of power it should be used but not abused. A little goes a long way.

Elaine Vida is a horticulturist and a landscape designer with an Ontario Diploma of Horticulture from the University of Guelph. She can be reached at evdesign@vianet.ca.