June 2012 / July 2012 | Fantastic Foliage: Bring color back to your outdoor landscape

- For the Virtual Magazine Click Here | June 2012 / July 2012 article in Home Magazine.

- For the PDF Click Here | June 2012 / July 2012 article in Home Magazine.

- Jon George shares seasonal portraits of garden design tailored for our North Florida climate in each issue of the Landscape Calendar written for local magazine Home - Living in the Heart of Florida.  Check out each issue to learn secrets of how he and his staff create colorful landscapes any month of the year. You may contact his staff for questions at cottagegardensinc@yahoo.com.

June 2012 / July 2012

Tired of green lawns and boring hedges? It’s time to inject some summer color into your north Florida landscape. Abundant rains and plenty of sunshine make this a great season of growth for our area. The fantastic colors and forms of foliage can provide immediate gratification rather than waiting months for the blooms to appear.

Create a colorful container for the front doorway with two or three contrasting foliage textures. This urn at a residence in Haile Plantation (left) features ‘Ebony’ begonias, ‘Henna’ coleus and a variety of ornamental corn used for background height. Dark foliage stands out in full sun and makes bright colors brighter.

Try elephant ears for glowing color in the shade. Nothing beats these elephant ears, (below, right) known as caladiums, for summer color that comes back year after year. Plant these bulbs now.

Texture, texture, texture. Egyptian papyrus or a frame of clipped boxwoods (top, right) are both examples of how interesting textures can anchor a space without the need for flowering plants.

Jon George is the owner of Cottage Gardens Inc., a Gainesville based landscape design and installation firm. Jon has been gardening in North Central Florida for more than thirty years. You may contact his staff at www.TheCottageGardener.com or at cottagegardensinc@yahoo.com.