By Kathy Sullivan
Sometimes it's nice to mix it up in the garden and plants exotic looking plants instead of filling in with flowering plants. Summer is the best time of year in Colorado to experiment with colorful plants for pots and to fill in the landscape.
Here are some ideas for colorful plants to try:
Caladium (shown in photo above) - looks gorgeous in containers with its bold, tropical foliage. Top pick for shady areas (some varieties like full sun) - reaches 12 - 18 inches high.
Coleus - stunning in pots, coleus come in a huge variety of colors. The deer-resistant coleus is a foliage plant -- which means it is grown for the leaves rather than the blooms -- that attracts butterflies and can grow in garden beds and houseplant containers.
Hosta - Shade loving with large blue/green leaves. Does well under trees and in the dark areas of any garden. Not deer resistant.
Heuchera (coral bells) - The stunning foliage of these fast-growing, deer- and pest-resistant perennials is so multi-colored they will stand out anywhere. Color of the leaves ranges from deep purple (almost black) to rust to chartreuse.
Ninebark - I have numerous of these, and the deer mostly leave them alone - especially once established. They are a good fast grower and the leaves are deep purple or rust-colored depending on the variety. Easy care and tough, this shrub stands up to heat, drought, cold, and has few insect or disease problems. Highly recommend!
Smokebush - Has feathery looking summer flowers, and is prized for its large blue-green or purple foliage that turn red, orange, or yellow in the fall. Can be trimmed into a shorter shrub form. Deer resistant and hardy from zones 5-8 although zone 4 hardiness is possible with some winter protection.
Sometimes it's nice to mix it up in the garden and plants exotic looking plants instead of filling in with flowering plants. Summer is the best time of year in Colorado to experiment with colorful plants for pots and to fill in the landscape.
Here are some ideas for colorful plants to try:
Caladium (shown in photo above) - looks gorgeous in containers with its bold, tropical foliage. Top pick for shady areas (some varieties like full sun) - reaches 12 - 18 inches high.
Coleus - stunning in pots, coleus come in a huge variety of colors. The deer-resistant coleus is a foliage plant -- which means it is grown for the leaves rather than the blooms -- that attracts butterflies and can grow in garden beds and houseplant containers.
Hosta - Shade loving with large blue/green leaves. Does well under trees and in the dark areas of any garden. Not deer resistant.
Heuchera (coral bells) - The stunning foliage of these fast-growing, deer- and pest-resistant perennials is so multi-colored they will stand out anywhere. Color of the leaves ranges from deep purple (almost black) to rust to chartreuse.
Ninebark - I have numerous of these, and the deer mostly leave them alone - especially once established. They are a good fast grower and the leaves are deep purple or rust-colored depending on the variety. Easy care and tough, this shrub stands up to heat, drought, cold, and has few insect or disease problems. Highly recommend!
Smokebush - Has feathery looking summer flowers, and is prized for its large blue-green or purple foliage that turn red, orange, or yellow in the fall. Can be trimmed into a shorter shrub form. Deer resistant and hardy from zones 5-8 although zone 4 hardiness is possible with some winter protection.