Ok, I like this. I really try to use more plants that not every other landscaping company in town uses so my gardens stand out. I also focus a ton on foliage color, texture and contrast so I LOVE plants that have gold or dark burgundy, brown or black foliage. Here are some of my favorites...Have I mentioned yet that I'm a plantaholic which is what got me into this career 10+ years ago?
Evergreen Trees: I like the weird and less used evergreens such as Spruce 'Compressa', Spruce 'Columnar Blue', Pine 'Columnar White', Pine 'Weeping White' (serpentine trunk form), Pine 'Contorted White', Weeping White Spruce, Weeping Norway Spruce, and I just recently added 3 Variegated Japanese Spruce to my own personal collection...can't wait to see their new growth come out in the spring!
Deciduous Trees: Weeping Red Jade Crabapple, Chanteleclair (sorry for the bad spelling) Pear and/or Cleveland Select Pear, Snowdrift Crabapple, and about any of the Japanese Maples. Oh, and I own a Walker's Siberian Peashrub (weird little weeping tree with hair-like leaves that's supposed to bloom yellow in spring. Mine hasn't bloomed yet, but it's cool anyway!).
Shrubs: ABSOLUTE FAVORITE is Chameocyparis 'Mops' (False Cypress). This one has stunning bright gold foliage year round that is fine textured and looks like a gold waterfall. Also like Viburnum 'Juddii', Chokeberry 'Glossy Black', and Dogwood 'Ivory Halo', and Flower Carpet Rose (any color, but my preference is the Red)...these shrubroses don't stop blooming as do most of the others that bloom in cycles with some downtime in between. Definately the best bloomer I've found!
Perennials: Sedum 'Black Jack' (my new favorite Sedum), Echinacea 'Sunset' or 'Sundown', Salvia 'Caradonna', Heuchera 'Obsidian', Toadlily (species), Hosta 'Sunpower', Hosta 'Halcyon', Allium 'Glaucum', Lysimachia Aurea, Ligularia 'Othello', Black Mondo Grass...
Annuals/Tropicals: Cordyline (can't remember the variety but they're huge and nearly black...you can see a picture or two of them on my website's "Favorite Plants" page in the Photo gallery section:
www.landescapesonline.com). Also love the Dragon Wing Begonia's, Wave Petunia's, Verbena bonariensis, Sweet Potato vine 'Marguarite' or Blacky (or Ace of Spades) but the Marguarite is definately the strongest performer!
I know I'll think of more but my kitten is sitting on my chest and I can't see the computer to type much more (for some strange pet-lover reason, I can't just simply move the kitten).
