Black plants are coming out of the shadows.
Black or dark flowers and foliage impart a deep and sophisticated note of drama to a gay garden scene of colorful daylilies, daisies and dahlias. The contrasts are striking and effective. Dramatic ornamental grasses, cannas and trailing black sweet potato vines make familiar garden colors look even brighter.
“I love it. I use black as a backdrop, to guide your eye, to accentuate other colors,” says Duane Hoover, horticulturist at the Ewing and Muriel Kauffman Memorial Garden on Rockhill Road, where the palette is romantic but the accents are decidedly bold. Don’t let the concept of black flowers make you uncomfortable, Hoover says. There is nothing sinister about the results.
“You have to talk about what black really is,” he says. “Black plants aren’t always black: They’re a mix of purple, burgundy and red shades.” In fact, he says, “you could do a whole foliage garden and omit flowers — there are so many fun shades of black.”
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