On the big design shows, it's all about the reveal. So, too, for my garden in March. The snow has FINALLY melted, revealing a mix of old, bleached-out foliage (because I'm a spring cleaner, not a fall cleaner in the garden) and new spring growth.
Some old foliage knows how to mix in artfully, like the fine-textured Japanese maple leaves that seem to flow through the garden in delicate streams. Others, including the cane-like hollow flower stems in the pictures above and below, just seem to plop down in ugly places and look like litter.
A few plants mix old and new foliage on their own, like these red-stemmed 'Ivory Prince' hellebores:
And others, like the sage below, mix so well that it's hard to tell at first glance which branches of the sage are dead and which are not.
Last, but not least, a photo that shows three distinctly different spring foliage looks. The bergenia, top, is showing off a dark red (and a little flower stalk--do you see it?) hue that will gradually turn a deep green by summer. 'Chubby Fingers' groundhugging sedum looks as fresh and green now as it will in June. 'Toffee Twist' carex will keep its look for the rest of the year, too... but it's anything but fresh and green!
This last photo shows one more very important thing in my garden: The little blue cap belongs to my soil thermometer. I admit that I cheat, and put it there near to the sidewalk because I know that the soil warms up there soonest! And although I do factor my "cheating" into my decision-making when I get around to planting seeds... it makes me happy to see progress in ground warming at this time of the year. That tells me that true spring can't be too far behind!
To check out some more great foliage from around the world--or let people know about your Foliage Follow-Up post--check out Pam's March Foliage Follow-Up on Digging.
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