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Both green foliage and dark foliage are heightened by the contrast, the green seeming greener and more lively, the dark colour seeming more mysterious. But be aware that too much dark colour can make a garden or border look sombre. Plants with brown or purple arise naturally as mutations among the general population of green plants.
Most plants produce some brown or purple colouration in their leaves and the mutants that end up dark in colour simply produce these pigments in greater quantity and are not slower in growth.
The range of dark-leaved plants covers all the main sorts – trees, shrubs and perennial flowers and even bedding plants and annuals have been produced. In the vegetable garden, there are brown lettuce varieties, radicchio and purple French beans.
The purple plum, which flowers pink in early spring, is noted for its deep red-purple leaves and often taken to be a small purple beech
The best-known dark-leaved tree is the purple beech or copper beech. There are several variations of this magnificent large tree and it makes a fine specimen in a space big enough to accommodate it. However, it is too big for most gardens, except perhaps used as part of the make-up of a beech hedge.
Planted along with green beech it is very attractive.
Most ordinary beech trees produce a small percentage of brown-leaved seedlings. Maples and birches too have brown-leaved or purple variants, notably the very common and over-used maple ‘Crimson King’.
The purple plum, which flowers pink in early spring, is noted for its deep red-purple leaves and often taken to be a small purple beech.
The purple cordyline is more often seen as a pot-grown specimen than in the open ground. The purple and bronze-coloured forms of Japanese maples are widely seen in gardens around the country.
Reddish-purple kinds are naturally produced from seed with as strong gradation of dark leaf-colour. ‘Atropurpurea’ is widely grown. ‘Bloodgood’ does not tend to fade in summer sunshine. The purple hazelnut, Corylus maxima ‘Purpurea’ is readily available.
The purple smoke bush, Cotinus ‘Royal Purple’, is well-known. There is a purple weigela and a purple grapevine that is very pretty on a brick wall. The very dark form of physocarpus called ‘Diabolo’ has become very popular in recent decades.
Among herbaceous plants, dark-leaved phormiums are common, also heuchera such as ‘Palace Purple’, the almost-black ‘Obsidian’, purple ornamental rhubarb or rheum, and Ligularia ‘Othello’. All of these are generally available.
An occasional dark-leaved plant can be very effective, but they are usually best out of the front-line, placed just a little behind green kinds
Other good non-woody plants have become popular because of their dark foliage, such as dark forms of cimicifuga, including ‘Atropurpurea’ and ‘Brunette’. There is also the lovely dark cow parsley Anthriscus sylvestris ‘Raven’s Wing, Euphorbia dulcis ‘Chamaeleon’, and several kinds of sedum, such as Sedum telephium ‘Atropurpureum’ and Sedum spurium ‘Dragon’s Blood’. Dark canna lilies are very good. There is a dark-leaved version of many plants.
Keep a look-out for some of these dark-leaved plants and see whether a few of them would add a special touch of drama and good foliage colour contrast to a bed or border, either shrubs or perennial flowers.
An occasional dark-leaved plant can be very effective, but they are usually best out of the front-line, placed just a little behind green kinds in the middle-ground or background.
Brown and purple-leaved plants associate very well with plants of green foliage but also with silver and grey foliage.
Most flower colours go well with brown and purple but sizzling effects can be created with orange, pink, dark blue, lemon yellow and deep reds.
If you want to have this effect in the coming summer, any of these plants can be planted now.
Try shallots
Shallots are not as common in home gardens as they should be. They are like onions, grown from sets, but each large set splits into several small bulbs.
The big advantage of shallots is that they are more easily digested. But they have a different flavour in any case, and have become popular with chefs.
There is also the advantage that shallots are extremely easy to grow and store very well, right through until late spring.
They are ready to harvest relatively early and the leaves can be used for salad.
Shallots are planted very early into sunny, free-draining soil. They can be planted in late winter or early spring, at the first opportunity.
Shallots are simply pushed into cultvated soil, like onion sets, about a hand span apart.
From year to year, the smaller bulbs can be kept for planting. The smallest ones are least likely to bolt but this is not usually a problem.
Shallot sets are much more widely available in recent years.
Fruit, vegetables and herbs
Prune apple and pear trees and blackcurrant and gooseberry bushes now. If the weather is not wet, dig over vegetable ground, removing old crops not already taken out. Control weeds over areas of ground that will be dug later. Plant new fruit trees and bushes.
Trees, shrubs and roses
Prune roses and late-summer shrubs, such as buddleja, and summer clematis if it needs it. The planting of all kinds of trees, shrubs and roses, especially bare-root or rootballed kinds, can go ahead during dry weather. Don’t plant during very wet or frosty weather.
Flowers
Check on stored dahlias or gladiolus that they have not dried out or have been attacked by greenflies. To raise your own bedding plants, this is the sowing time for seeds in a heated propagator. Herbaceous perennials can be lifted, divided and re-planted.
Lawn
Lawns can be mown now if there is a spell of dry weather. One or two mowings during January or February will leave the grass neat until March. Moss-killer can be used, although it is more effective in autumn. Worn patches can be raked and seeded.
Greenhouse and house plants
Keep the greenhouse dry by watering only as much as required. A grape vine can be given more water towards the end of the month to encourage early growth. Check all plants for pests such as greenflies, mealy bug, scale, red spider mites or white flies.
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