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The very best variegated herbaceous n perennial plants....and do you like em?
Variegated plants ....usually...are a must for me. They can add so much colour to a border Now, I know some people hate them and see them as sickly, chlorotic and problematic but not me. For example, I have a variegated hemerocallis ....it has orange flowers in summer but right now and through to late autumn it is a bright, clean-lined beacon in its partially shaded position. Variegated polemoniums too....why have them just for their flowers when the foliage is so good. Variegated lavenders, erysimums, guaras etc etc. variegated caryopteris ...with green white foliage or yellow foliage..... Could go on but what does forum think? friend or foe?
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...you've just reminded me to put an order in for my very favourite variegated plant, that I don't have currently... Griselinia 'Bantry Bay'...
http://www.plantdatabase.co.uk/Griselinia_litoralis_Bantry_Bay
it's not that hardy so I will need to protect it somewhat... I find this considerably superior in colour to the usual variegated offering of this plant... the green and cream are stronger and stand out better, in my view...
otherwise, I don't like too many variegated plants, I find they can make a garden look fussy and a bit shouty... if you know what I mean... I have just a few here and there... Phormiums are nice - 'Golden Wave' is wonderful... and I quite like the yellow bands on some Miscanthus.... other than that, not too much...
Amongst perennial plants I like variegated wallfowers, polemonom and astrantia. Amongst shrubs I have a lovely variegated rhodedendron, elegansus and pieris. Like my nom de plume I am a bit shouty!
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
It depends on plants if variegation works or not.
For impact variegated canna like Pretoria and Durban are unbeatable.
Variegated Azalea is great as is variegated Phormiums in all colours.
Fatsia spiders web is different but the variegata variety can look sick.
Variegated Palms looks ill to me - I prefer them totally green.
On the other hand, I have a variegated pittosporum 'tandara gold' which I absolutely adore.
^ yes I like variegated Pittosporums' very much, Loxhill Gold, Tresederi, to name two, but prefer the silver leafed ones, like Silver Queen and one I have now called Collaig...
however, I think this is mainly about perennials and herbaceous, perhaps little sub shrubs Verdun is interested in here... perhaps I can offer up this little one, Festuca glauca 'Golden Toupee'.... a bit brighter than the more common Elijah Blue...
I see I also have one of those variegated Euonymous getting a bit smothered on the left there...
Apart from hostas I'm not overly keen on variegated 'flowering' plants but I love foliage plants which are variegated.
I'm probably in the minority here- but then it would be a bit dull if we all liked the same stuff!
Variegated shouty trousers punkdoc-there's a trend Gok's not thought of ...
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Depends on the plant - I love variegated hollies, thymes, elaeagnus, ivies (Buttercup
) and a lot more besides, but have several plants that have reverted to boring green, such as euonymus aureomarginata, despite pruning out green shoots when I saw any, lysimachia punctata Alexander and iris pallida argentea variegata, In each case the plain green is really dull. .Some varieties are less stable than others.
I bought a Ceanothis Zanzibar once, on impulse, but never really liked it - the combination of leaf and flower jarred on the eye. I kept meaing to dig it up but a cold winter saw it off anyway. I love rhododendrons but can't stand variegated ones. But that's just a personal view - I know someone who loves her Zanzibar.
Brum-Calm down dear...it's only a plant...
Gold1locks-have to agree with you about things like Rhodies when variegated. I like plants when the flower colour matches the variegation- so if it's cream/green foliage a cream or white flower is fine. I had a variegated Jacob's Ladder with white flowers which was lovely but I know what you mean about Ceanothus , and I cut the flowers off Hostas that are lilac. Sorry!
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
In the old house I had a variegated Hibiscus, the flowers just never really showed up against the variegation
I would love the names of some though, that would look good in a white border. I have erysimum.