Four Seasons of Enjoyment from Foliage and Texture

This palette of plants can be used to create a fantastic four-season garden in a part sun setting. Plenty of evergreen plants are included to ensure it has year-round structure. While not evergreen, the Fox Valley dwarf river birch is attractive all year, but especially so in winter when its exfoliating bark steals the show.

To implement this palette, use the dwarf river birch as your anchor; most likely using just one. Depending upon the size of the garden you are making, you may use one or several of the other evergreen, structure-making plants: Ilex crenata 'Convexa', Nandina 'Burgundy Wine', and Choisya x 'Gold Fingers'. While the actual quantity will be based on the size of garden you're creating, you will want to plant multiple plants to create drifts of Hakonechloa m. 'Aureola', Brunnera 'Jack Frost', Astrantia, and the dwarf mondo grass.

The oakleaf hydrangea provides beauty over three seasons; its large foliage is showy and handsome, panicles of ivory blooms appear in summer and take on deeper tones as the season unfolds, in fall its display of colorful is a striking finale.

The remaining flowering perennials, the Alstroemeria and Martagon lilies, should be repeated multiple times between these drifts and in the spaces between the larger, anchoring plants.


Growing Conditions

Zone: 7, 8, 9
Exposure: Filtered Sun, Full Sun, Morning Sun, Part Sun
Water Needs: Average, Regular / Even

Design Considerations

Style: City and Courtyard, Naturalistic, Northwest Eclectic, Woodland
Features: Four Season Appeal, Low Maintenance, Varied Foliage, Texture, and Form, Winter Interest
Focus: Curb Appeal, Efficient Use of Space, Mixed Border, Pleasing Seasonal Flow, Year-round Interest
Seasons of Interest: Pleasing Seasonal Changes, Three Seasons of Interest, Winter, Year-round Interest

Care and Maintenance


Maintenance Level: low



Plants In this Combo