Focal Plants for all Season Gardens
Choose Plants to Give Garden Focal Points All Year Round
Aug 27, 2008
A focal plant is best placed where it can be enjoyed from inside and outside the house – perhaps from a sitting-room window or looked down upon from an upstairs position. An ideal place for a focal plant is to have it in line of view of an open doorway. There are many plants suitable for this purpose which is to catch the eye and to give a pleasing effect to the view.
Focal Plants for Every Season
If it is possible it is best to be able to change the focal plant with the seasons. Of course four containers will be required and the lighter the better. An alternative to moving the main container each season is to use a lightweight container inside the main one. This could be lifted out with ease and the next plant positioned with little or no hard labor involved. Then as the seasons move along the plants can be changed to suit.
Summer Focal Plants
A Photinia Red Robin is a very good choice for summer color and it does very well in temperatures as found in U.S. zones 7-9. Prune the plant in late spring and position it. A few weeks after pruning the new, bright red shoots will start to grow and as the growth can be quite vigorous they will cover the plant very quickly. To encourage fresh bursts of red prune the outer leaves at intervals of 3-4 weeks during the summer months. This will ensure a constant, seemingly endless flush of vibrant color. Other suitable summer focal plants are Buddleia, Fuschia or Mophead Hydrangea.
Autumn Focal Plants
Autumn is a more subdued season and the Japanese Maple is an ideal shrub to infuse color into the view. For a focal container plant select Acer Palmatum Atropurpureum. This is a vigorous shrub with fine burgundy leaves and it keeps its color all season. Trim the shrub to keep it in check but it looks best if left to grow a little wayward. Other shrubs for autumn are Dwarf Fothergilla and Euonymus Burning Bush. Acers will grow in many areas ranging from zones 3-9 but this particular Acer is best suited to U.S. zones 6-8.
Winter Focal Plant
The Camellia is an ideal plant for winter color. There are more than 3000 varieties available so the only problem is deciding which one to buy. The abundant flowers are 5” across in an array of colors ranging from red, deep pink, light pink and white all enhanced by dark green foliage. Camellias bloom all winter and into early spring. Camillias are for winter but they will not grow north of zone 5. Temperatures found in zones 6-9 are just fine. Another ideal shrub for winter is Pyracantha.
Spring Focal Plant
Spring is probably the easiest season with its abundance of flowering shrubs but pride of place can go to Forsythia. This shrub bursts into bloom even before the leaves appear. It is eager to please and its splashing yellow flowers welcomes spring with great enthusiasm. Plant some daffodils with it for added effect. For more spring focal planting, use bulbs such as lily-flowered "Burgundy" tulips. They are tall, elegant and eye catching. Forsythia is found in gardens all over the world but the perfect conditions are similar to U. S. zones 4-8.
All Seasons Focal Plant
If a focal plant has to remain all year round in the same position it is best to chose a small tree, which can be pruned to suit the view. Or choose from a selection of Yucca or Cordyline plants. Yucca is not totally hardy but it will do well in zones from 4 upwards. Something architectural often fits the bill perfectly or some Box and Yew topiary can be useful.
Focal Plant Containers
Equally as important as the plant is the container. Luckily there are numerous types and styles available, such as ornate re-constituted stone urns and vases, terracotta pots and troughs, wooden boxes, old copper containers, wheelbarrows etc. and the list can go on and on. Using the right container can make all the difference so make the selection with care.
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