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Photo collage showing combination plants Baby Gem Boxwood and Emerald Snow Loropetalum

Twelve Months of Color with Southern Living® Plant Collection

  1. Home
  2. Twelve Months of Color with Southern Living® Plant Collection
  • By Kim Toscano
  • August 6, 2019
Year-round plant inspiration and garden design ideas tailored to each month.

January: Winter Color to Beat the Blues

Why settle for a dull winter landscape when you can have lively color year round? Chase away the winter blues with rich layers of evergreen foliage. Set the stage with a backdrop of Roman Candle™ Podocarpus. Next intermingle Yewtopia® Plum Yew and Mojo® Pittosporum for texture. Finish with a carpet of ‘Buttered Rum’ Heucherella for a soft color complement.

Featured Plants:

Roman Candle™ Podocarpus

Yewtopia® Plum Yew

Mojo® Pittosporum

‘Buttered Rum’ Heucherella

 

February: Texturize the Winter Landscape

The key ingredients for winter interest are structure, color, and texture. ‘Marvel’ Mahonia provides all three with a stately upright habit, whorls of dark evergreen foliage, and winter blooms. Balance the bold architecture with the rounded form of Baby Gem™ Boxwood and soft layers of Emerald Snow® Semi-dwarf Loropetalum. Tuck in clumps of Beyond Blue™ Festuca for playful texture.

Featured Plants:

‘Marvel’ Mahonia

Baby Gem™ Boxwood

Emerald Snow® Semi-dwarf Loropetalum

Beyond Blue™ Festuca

 

March: Smooth Spring Transitions

Brilliant red new growth of Obsession™ Nandina and the golden blades of Evercolor® ‘Everillo’ Carex brighten the landscape as the first flowers of spring emerge. In addition to classic bulbs like Golden Dawn’ Narcissus and ‘Lady Jane’ Tulip, the pendulous blooms of Mountain Snow™ Pieris open bright white against the dark foliage. ‘Soft Caress’ Mahonia shines with exquisite foliage and texture.

Featured Plants:

Obsession™ Nandina

Evercolor® ‘Everillo’ Carex

Mountain Snow™ Pieris

‘Soft Caress’ Mahonia

 

April: Brighten Up with Colorful Foliage

Welcome spring with vibrant hues and lush texture. Illuminate the landscape with golden waves of ‘Sunshine’ Ligustrum and brighten shady nooks with the citrusy shades of ‘Lemon Lime’ Nandina. Provide a contrast of color with the luxurious maroon foliage of Purple Daydream™ Loropetalum or soften things up with Blush Pink™ Nandina. You’ll love the soft look and feel of these resilient beauties.

Featured Plants:

‘Sunshine’ Ligustrum

‘Lemon Lime’ Nandina

Purple Daydream™ Loropetalum

Blush Pink™ Nandina

 

May: Spellbinding Flowers and Foliage

May is a month of magic in the garden – the weather is fine, butterflies bustle, and the enchanting fragrance of ScentAmazing™ Gardenia fills the air. Set these Southern beauties against a backdrop of Red Diamond™ Loropetalum and carpet the floor with Purple Pixie® Dwarf Weeping Loropetalum for an enchanting combination. The variegated foliage of Miss Lemon™ Abelia adds a graceful color complement.

Featured Plants:

Jubilation™/ ScentAmazing™ Gardenias

Red Diamond™ Midsize Loropetalum

Purple Pixie® Dwarf Weeping Loropetalum

Miss Lemon™ Abelia

 

June: Bring on the Blooms

Elegant enough for June brides, yet sturdy and upright in the garden, the oversized blooms of White Wedding™ Hydrangea will make you swoon. Plant alongside Phenomenal™ Lavender for the ultimate in garden romance, and pair in the garden or vase with Drakensberg Daisy™ Hardy Garden Gerberas. The dark foliage and papery blooms of Delta Series Crapemyrtles carry the garden skyward and make a stunning focal point.

Featured Plants:

White Wedding™ Hydrangea

Phenomenal™ Lavender

Garden Jewels™ Gerbera Daisy Series  

Delta Series Crapemyrtles

 

July: Fabulous Summer Foliage

Summer is about more than just flowers. ‘Orange Rocket’ Barberry provides a dramatic accent in the summer garden with rusty hues and upright growth. Complement the color with the bold, tropical foliage of ‘Black Ripple’ Colocasia. The sturdy, heat-tolerant Coppertop™ Sweet Viburnum glows all season long in the mixed border, while Chef’s Choice® Culinary Rosemary adds texture and fragrance.

Featured Plants:

‘Orange Rocket’ Barberry

‘Black Ripple’ Colocasia

Coppertop™ Sweet Viburnum

Chef’s Choice® Culinary Rosemary

 

August: Beat the Summer Heat

Don’t let the summer heat get your garden down. Platinum Beauty™ Lomandra may look delicate with gracefully flowing foliage, but this is one tough plant – drought-tolerant and low maintenance. Equally elegant and heat-tolerant are Juliet™ Cleyera and Twist of Pink™ Variegated Oleander, each with variegated evergreen foliage for year-round charm. Add color and flair with Design-A-Line™ Cordyline.

Featured Plants:

Platinum Beauty™ Lomandra

Juliet™ Cleyera

Twist of Pink™ Variegated Oleander

Design-A-Line™ Cordyline

 

September: Fire Up the Garden

Goodness, gracious, great balls of fire! With a globe shape and dynamic foliage, Fire Chief™ Arborvitae lights up the garden in fiery hues from bright gold to rust orange and deep red. Turn up the heat with Firestorm® Lantana and Lime Sizzler™ Firebush for dazzling season-long blooms. Add flaming gold foliage with ‘Sunshine’ Ligustrum for dazzling warmth against a cool green garden backdrop.

Featured Plants:

Fire Chief™ Arborvitae

Firestorm® Lantana 

Lime Sizzler™ Firebush

‘Sunshine’ Ligustrum

 

October: Autumn Romance

Mother Nature’s glorious finale, autumn brings a flood of color to the landscape. Camellias like Alabama Beauty™ and Pink Stella™ erupt in a profusion of petals while the grand foliage of Tara™ Hydrangea and other oakleaf varieties shift to burgundy hues. The ever-changing ‘Kaleidoscope’ Abelia dons its orange-red fall coat. All this color requires a bit of green for balance. Cue Baby Gem™ Boxwood – tidy, compact, and cute as a button.

Featured Plants:

Southern Living Camellias

Tara™ Hydrangea

‘Kaleidoscope’ Abelia

Baby Gem™ Boxwood

 

November: Berries and Blooms

Lavish with ruffles of silk-like petals, camellias are a symbol of autumn in the South. Accent the delicate blossoms with finely-textured Yewtopia® Plum Yew and dazzling berries of Robin™ Holly. Add seasonal color through autumn foliage, red berries, and the smooth winter bark of Snow Joey™ Viburnum. A diversity of forms from the vase-like Snow Joey™ to the pyramidal Robin™ Holly keeps the winter garden interesting.

Featured Plants:

October Magic® Camellias

Yewtopia® Plum Yew

Robin Holly™

Snow Joey™ Viburnum

 

December: A Warm Winter Welcome

Strong form, rich texture, and warm color make for an inviting winter landscape. Oakland™ Holly is the picture of winter with a beautiful shape and dense, bright-green foliage. The deep-cut foliage of Obsession™ Nandina and Burning Love™ Leucothoe add rosy hues and soft texture to the garden. With large leaves bordered in creamy white, ‘Angyo Star’ Fatshedera provides a bold accent and color complement.

Featured Plants:

Oakland™ Holly

Obsession™ Nandina

Burning Love™ Leucothoe

‘Angyo Star’ Fatshedera

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

Fatshedera

'Angyo Star' Fatshedera

Fatshedera hybrid ‘Angyo Star’
Leucothoe

Burning Love™ Leucothoe

Leucothoe keiskei ‘Opstal 50’ PP27132
Nandina
Red and green layered foliage of Obsession Nandina

Obsession™ Nandina

Nandina domestica ‘Seika’ PP21891
Holly

Oakland® Holly

Ilex hybrid ‘Magland’ PP14417

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