from The Weatherstaff PlantingPlanner – intelligent garden design software
The Thrillers are usually the tallest plants in the display, the eye-catchers and head-turners. They provide structure to the planting group.
Here are my 6 choices for plants with superb thriller qualities.
Acer palmatum
There are hundreds of varieties of Japanese maples and they are a popular choice for container plantings as well as for garden borders.
Acer palmatum ‘Bloodgood’ is a small, deciduous tree or large shrub, grown for its beautiful autumn colours. The deeply dissected, dark reddish-purple leaves turn a brilliant red in autumn.
‘Katsura’ has wonderful spring colour. The attractive foliage opens pink-orange, becoming green in summer, before taking on yellow, orange and red autumn tints.
The small, deeply lobed leaves of ‘Ukigumo’ are mottled green, white and pink
Phormium
A stunning architectural plant, with arching, strap-shaped foliage. An evergreen perennial, phormiums provide all-year round interest in the garden.
‘Evening Glow’ has bold clumps of soft sunset-pink leaves, with dusky bronze stripes and margins.
‘Pink Panther’ has coral leaves with bronzed grey-green margins.
‘Dusky Chief’ has deep burgundy foliage, which makes a great foil for chartreuse planting companions.
Pennisetum
Many grasses do well in pots, creating a fluid, tactile backdrop to the rest of the planting.
Pennisetum x avena Rubrum (Purple Fountain Grass) is a spectacular centre-piece when in flower. It has burgundy red, strappy foliage, with 30cm long, purple bottlebrush plumes from mid-summer to mid-autumn. It isn’t hardy, so be ready to move it into a greenhouse or a sheltered spot for the winter.
Pennisetum ‘Fairy Tails’ is more upright, with white to soft pink plumes, fading to buff. It is a little hardier and should survive in mild areas of the UK.
Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Hameln’ has bright green leaves and soft plumes with purplish tinges
Gaura
Long-flowering and graceful, gaura is a pretty perennial with starry flowers fluttering on long, airy stems.
Gaura ‘Whirling Butterflies’ has 75cm tall, waving stems of floating white flowers from May to September and takes on pretty autumn tints later in the year.
‘Siskiyou Pink’ (1.5m tall) has dusky pink flowers. The fabulous Gaura lindheimeri Rosyjane (‘Harrosy’) (75cm tall) has white flowers with a pink-flushed edging. ‘Crimson Butterflies’ has bright pink flowers on red stems but is shorter at only 60 cm height.
Achillea
Achilleas are upright perennials, with flat-topped flowerheads from early to late summer. Deadheading will encourage further flowering, but if you leave the flowers on the plant, you can enjoy a pleasing tapestry of muted colours as the flowers fade.
Achillea millefolium ‘Walther Funcke’ grows to 60cm. Its flowers are orange-red with yellow centres, fading with age.
‘Cassis’ (60cm) has wine-red flowers, fading with age. ‘Terracotta’ (1.1m) has pale orange flowers, which fade to creamy yellows.
Penstemon
A charming and popular summer perennial, penstemons have upright, leafy stems carrying spikes of foxglove-like flowers from mid-summer to mid-autumn. Deadhead to keep the flowers coming.
‘Schoenholzeri’ (also called ‘Firebird’ or ‘Ruby’) has crimson flowers, with white-streaked throats. ‘Raven’ (100cm) has rich dark purple, tubular flowers, with white throats streaked purple.
The white flowers of ‘White Bedder’ (70cm) open from greenish buds and become pink-tinged with age.
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