Favourite foliage plant

I love lavender because you can do so much with it. I use it in cakes, cookies, had salves, soap and I make heating pads and add some to them as well Thanks for asking. I hope it counts I love it as a hedg it smells great and looks good all year long.

globe artichoke as its like a massive thistle ,it is related.what i realy like is that when it flowers its a stunning blue.almost looks like the flower doesnt belong on the plant.i got pictures on here of mine.the other thing is the beez love it and seam to almost get drunk in the flower often staying in it overnight.nice structural plant

Mine would have to be Nandina domestica I just love the way it moves in the wind

One of my favourite shrubs for colour is Cornus variegated, after leaf fall the red or orange wood looks lovely, especially in frost or snow throughout the winter. Branches cut off have many uses.

I like the feel of Stachys.
I like the smell of Ceanothus leaves.
I like the look of Acers.

Melianthus Major for colour and architectural form.

It USED to be my Coprosmas - but I lost all but two in the frost. I intend to collect them again and sink their pots into the ground to be over-wintered in the greenhouse. There are so many lovely coloured ones.

It's not just the colours, it's the glossy foliage.

Like Rydeboyz, I'm going to pick three different ones.
Heucheras - for the range of different ones
Pseudowintera colorata - cracking little New Zealand shrub for a shady corner
Euonymus fortunei 'Silver Queen' - grows anywhere and always looks good

I would have to recommend the Euonymus Pierrolino for its foliage, its absolutley stunning, its mature leaves are dark green with its new growth being pure white and turning a marbled effect then to its mature colour, i have placed a photo in my album for you to see it. Well worth considering.

Paul

Might I suggest a Fern or two. There is a great variety of foliage even our native Male Fern is worth a place. Cut back in July it gives a double display.

beech leaves as they start to come into leaf, all fresh and semi translucent a beautiful green.
dicentra spectabils with its purple hues and the red tips of paeony rubra to name but a few.

sounds good

Peedee reminded me of Salix 'Hakuro Nishiki' which is also a lovely looking plant.

Thanks Guys. What a varied collection including some I have had to look up.

I have never come across Melianthus Major before and having looked it up, I have a spot that it would look lovely in.

I had forgotten about Coprosmas. I used to have a stunning one but lost it. Now that you have reminded me of it, I shall keep my eyes open and then do as you suggested about giving it protection in the winter.

Some of your other favourites are lovely too.Thanks for sharing.

Lujean.

I love lavender and have loads in the garden but have never used it in cooking. I would like to try. Do you make an essence and then add some drops to cake mixture or do you actually use flowers?

Hi
Re lavender in cooking: we had a recipe for cubed beef with veg, bit of a sort of stir fry thing, and that had a bit of chopped lavender leaf in it - really delicious, took me by surprise.
Re foliage - I still love lady's mantle, though you see it everywhere, a big fave with the children. Also lupin leaves. And, a bit unorthodox, common (non-cultivated, non-pink) hawthorn. If you plant these and DON'T prune them back they are the loveliest shape, both in flower and in leaf. Oh, and our beech hedge is great too, nice bright green, though it's keeping us on tenterhooks this year, leaves not properly out yet.
And another variegated thingy I don't have a clue what it's called (useless, sorry!) And "New Zealand privet" which Spritz educated me about. Other name is ...

Griselinia, sounds like a wicked witch!

lol weeding