Garden Inspiration: Plant it Black

Among the colorful, you'll also find plenty of black, white, and neutral interiors here on Apartment Therapy. But when it comes to the garden, our plants and flowers are almost always colorful. What about changing it up with a black garden?...

FIRST ROW:

• 1 collage of a few of the following:
• 2 the black helleborus orientalis, via The Telegraph
• 3 a black iris from Ken Walker's garden
• 4 phyllostachys nigra "black bamboo", via the Grow 'Em Plant Propagation Database
• 5 Echeveria "black prince" via You Grow Girl

SECOND ROW:

• 6 black-leaf elephant ear from Premium Elephant Ears
• 7 "bowles black" flowers via Complete Garden's Weblog
• 8 black mondo grass via NZ Plant Pics
• 9 black tulips at Crocus

Comments (6)

I've seen this done, and it's gorgeous -- but in a highly stylized big-city way.

posted by Lisa (Montreal) on June 23rd 2009 at 9:21am
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Don't forget aeonium 'Zwartkop.'

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/188072/

I wouldn't plant an all-black garden, but Garden Design mag had a picture of this aeonium among lime green plants... very striking.

posted by whytephoenix on June 23rd 2009 at 9:42am
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Dark plants are even more dramatic when contrasted with light-colored, bright plants like the lime green suggested above. There are some lovely yellow-foliaged plants available and lots and lots of variegated green/white, green/yellow, or blue-green/white foliage. White flowering plants work, too.

All dark plants would be monotonous and dull. And dark.

posted by spanky on June 23rd 2009 at 10:16am
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wow.

posted by Philip_Littell on June 23rd 2009 at 12:17pm
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I used to hate any black plants because they seemed so depressing, but I'm starting to really love them.

posted by theresaclare on June 23rd 2009 at 12:59pm
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I still remember a window box I saw with black tulips in the back row and the tiny black pansies in front. I literally did a double take.

Now I want black plants indoors (since I have no outdoors.)

posted by Lisa (Montreal) on June 23rd 2009 at 6:14pm
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