How about a little black plant to go with that little black dress? Or a bouquet of black flowers to add a sense of mystery to that Halloween table or a sinister boutonniere in the lapel of that costume?
In his first book, Black Plants: 75 Striking Choices for the Garden
Some of them -- black mondo grass, 'Queen of Night' tulip, 'Black Lace' elderberry, 'Diablo' common ninebark -- are quite familiar to most designers, but others are quite exotic and unknown (at least to me). They include 'Night Wings' daylily, the Persian fritillary, the Vampire's dracula orchid, and a 'Karma Chocolate' dahlia, just to name a few.
Each of the 75 entries in this small volume includes a full-page photograph of the plant (leaves or flowers, whichever is black) and on the opposite page a brief description of the plant, along with its hardiness zone and cultural requirements.
There's not a plant among them that doesn't have a real 'wow' factor ... and this lovely little book would not only make a gardener happy at Halloween, it would also make a great Christmas stocking stuffer.
(click on link to purchase book from Amazon)
I can't wait to see that book as I love, love, love black plants in the garden and use them mainly to contrast with other plants.
Posted by: Pam Kersting | October 24, 2009 at 09:28 AM