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Sunshine Ligustrum shrubs planted as a trio their foliage shining bright as the sun

5 Dynamic Border Plantings

  1. Home
  2. 5 Dynamic Border Plantings
  • By Kim Toscano
  • August 6, 2019
Borders are an essential ingredient in the well-designed garden bed.

Borders are an essential ingredient in the well-designed garden bed. Edging plants serve to accentuate the lines of a garden, including pathways and bed boundaries. Borders may also be used to soften hard edges and smooth transitions. The height and mass of a border can vary considerably, so long as it is scaled to surrounding plants and hardscape. Plants with golden, chartreuse and lime-colored foliage make excellent borders, as their colors combine with just about anything. These bright hues provide emphasis and enlarge small spaces.

1. ‘Everillo’ EverColor® Carex

Purple heucherellas like ‘Twilight’ and ‘Cracked Ice’ complement the golden hues of Evercolor® ‘Everillo’ Carex. Evercolor® ‘Everillo’ Carex brightens shady corners and illuminates the understory garden. Plant ‘Everillo’ along walkways and paths to light the way. You can also create a vertical container garden with Evercolor® ‘Everillo’ Carex.

2. ‘Sunshine’ Ligustrum

Plant a warm welcome along your entry walk with a bit of ‘Sunshine’ Ligustrum. Borders come in all shapes and sizes. ‘Sunshine’ can be clipped and shaped or maintained in its natural form. For a stunning accent, plant Little Black Magic™ Dwarf Elephant Ear and purple flowering perennials alongside ‘Sunshine’. Here are more five ways to put ‘Sunshine’ Ligustrum to work in your landscape.

3. ‘Lemon-Lime’ Nandina

Line your garden with vibrant color. Here the lime green foliage provides striking contrast to a slate walkway. Try pairing ‘Lemon Lime’ with ‘Twilight’ Heucherella for drama or ‘Buttered Rum’ Heucherella for a warmer complement. ‘Lemon Lime’ Nandina is particularly striking when paired with complementary purple shades to highlight its unique, cheerful color.

4. ‘Soft Caress’ Mahonia and Evercolor® ‘Everillo’ Carex

Luxuriant texture and strong architecture make for an elegant display when ‘Soft Caress’ Mahonia and Evercolor® ‘Everillo’ Carex pair up. Use this duo to edge sharp corners, soften hardscape and brighten shady walkways. Bright yellow winter blooms on ‘Soft Caress’ provide an echo of color while ‘Lemon Lime’ Nandina carries the lighter hues upward.

5. Southern Living Loropetalums

Another stunning combination features Loropetalum under planted in golden rays of foliage supplied by gold moneywort. Purple Pixie® and Purple Daydream® are two dwarf loropetalum varieties sized right for border plantings.

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Sunshine Ligustrum is a dynamic border planting when paired with these plants

Kim Toscano

Kimberly Toscano is a freelance writer, gardening expert and traveler with an eye on design. Kimberly blends her formal training in horticulture and entomology with her passion for design to educate and inspire gardeners.
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Plants Featured In The article

Loropetalum
Purple Pixie Loropetalum planted in a stone stepped wall of a bluff

Purple Pixie® Dwarf Weeping Loropetalum

Loropetalum chinense ‘Peack’ PP18441
Ligustrum

'Sunshine' Ligustrum

Ligustrum sinense ‘Sunshine’ PP20379
Heucherella

'Cracked Ice' Heucherella

Heucherella hybrid ‘Cracked Ice’ PP24690
Heucherella

'Twilight' Heucherella

Heucherella hybrid ‘Twilight’ PP25723
Mahonia

‘Soft Caress’ Mahonia

Mahonia eurybracteata ‘Soft Caress’ PP20183
Nandina
Lemon-Lime Nandina foliage clippings in bright chartreuse green and dark green against white background

'Lemon-Lime' Nandina

Nandina domestica ‘Lemon-Lime’ PP24749
Heucherella

'Buttered Rum' Heucherella

Heucherella hybrid ‘Buttered Rum’ PP25040
Carex - EverColor® Series

Carex EverColor® 'Everillo'

Carex oshimensis PP21002

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