Silver in the Landscape

There may be gold in “them thar hills”, but there’s silver in my garden. Discovering the beauty and usefulness of silver plants is like finding buried treasure.

Beyond dusty miller there are thousands of plants that claim the color silver. They range from pure white to gray to glaucous blue-green.

Some are variegated green on white but appear silver when massed together. Some are covered with tiny white hairs that give a frosted appearance. Some gleam with the white waxy bloom of a grape. Others wear a silver lining.

Silver in the garden is reflective, luminous, elegant. It is a cooling respite to hot colors, while punching up oranges and reds. It is a painterly transition between pastels, blending pinks, blues and purples. It literally glows in the moonlight.

Silver plants generally hale from Mediterranean climates, a tip-off to their ability to withstand heat and cold, wind and drought. Lavender, artemisia and sage come to mind.

Yet silver appears in every plant category. Silver annuals include helichrysum “Icicles” licorice and gazanias. Perennials like yarrow “Moonshine” and nepeta “Walker’s Low” feature prominently in a xeriscape area of my garden. Their silver foliage adds depth to that border even after blooming.

Shrubs like buddleia and bluebeard, both butterfly magnets, have a flip-side of soft silver that often goes unappreciated.

There are even silvers for shade. Huechera “Silver Scrolls” is a ruffled variety bearing silver leaves with plum color veining. Talk about drama. Lamium “White Nancy”, a silvery groundcover, throws light on the landscape.

They say that a gardener’s favorite plant is whatever is blooming right now. While I don’t play favorites, lamb’s ears never fail to make me smile. It is the first plant that I show to any child that visits. The plump, plush gray leaves are the friendliest in the garden. But it doesn’t end there; growing in sun or shade, spreading politely, dividing and transplanting faithfully are all counted among its many charms.

I could go on, but its ears are probably burning.