Colorful foliage

Acer palmatum 'Shigure Bato', green foliage Japanese maple tree with purple foliage Acer palmatum ' Tamukeyama'

Acer palmatum ‘Shigure Bato’ Japanese maple tree next to purple foliage Acer palmatum ‘ Tamukeyama’

Any gardener who plans for year round interest depends on plants with great foliage. Leaves have remarkable diversity, both in shape and color. A big part of the art of gardening is learning how different plants look when planted next to each other.

Dark purple foliage Aeonium arboreum ‘Zwartkop’ against hedge of variegated foliage Pittosporum tenuifolium

I have always loved gray foliage and silver variegation, but recently have become excited by some very showy plants introduced by the folks at Sunset.

Cordyline ‘Design-A-Line’, red foliage perennial in garden border with Astelia ‘Silver Shadow’, Rosemary Chef’s Choice, Digitalis Digiplexis® ‘Apricot’, and Cistus ‘Little Miss Sunshine’

These glowing beauties grab your attention no matter where they are placed, but I loved photographing this colorful border where the leaves play off of each other.