Greener gardens: channel 50 shades of green this summer

Envision an inviting, calm and contemporary garden. Now, picture it in only shades of green. Meet monochromatic natural spaces. We’re excited to share this styling idea and inspire your next garden experiment. Read why greener gardens are more than a passing trend this season.

Get keen on greener gardens

While you start tending to your garden for spring, have a go at creating greener gardens. Does the one-colour-for-all approach sound strange? Our team is here to show you how to spin a surprisingly refreshing monochromatic garden. We’ve seen it done in all white (no painting the roses red here) and every shade you can think of. But green is humble, yet harmonious and dare we say it – happening.

Why go green:

• A monochromatic palette makes for a put-together contemporary garden look
• It is a low-maintenance approach to simple gardening landscaping
• It creates a calming space associated with vibrance and stability  
• Neutral coloured plants allow the eye to wander to hard landscaping features, buildings and pathways. This garden styling method is great for showcasing a stunning structure like a statue, mural, tilework or fountain

Creating an all-green foliage garden

Work through these three main points to achieve stunning greener gardens.

1. Vary your plant tones – Start by choosing a variety of greens. So many available from the darkest of greens to bright lime and dusty greys in between.
2. Explore a spectrum of textures – Think matte textures, glossy finishes, rugged shapes large, bold or more feathery leaves with clipped structures.
3. Showcase different shapes and sizes – Consider tufted grasses, sculptural topiaries, tall trees, slender vines, sweeping stems and more.

Plant swatches

Our Lifestyle team hand-picked some new green goodies. We organised these outdoor picks by colour, but look out for some fun patterns, textures and forms.

Light green

• An evergreen, dwarf variety easily pruned into an attractive hedge, which grows in pots or which can be trained into a bonsai and is excellent for coastal gardens. (Searsia crenata ‘Alex’/ Dwarf Dune Crowberry)

Lime green

• A delightfully bright lime green fern (Selaginella pallescens/Pale Moss Fern)
• Coleus Varieties (Solenostemon scuttellariodes) with many incredible leaf variegations

Yellow greens

• A tufting yellow-green grass (Liriope ‘Pure Blonde’/ Pure Blonde Lily Turf)
• Lush and compact evergreen shrub with small, dark green leaves that acquire a bronze tinge in winter (Buxus ‘Green Beauty’/ Japanese Boxwood)
• Small evergreen shrubbery with yellow-green foliage that shimmers golden in the sunlight (Duranta ‘Sheena’s Gold’)

Jungle greens

• Bright green, spiky leaf blades that grow in compact mound-forming grass (Festuca ovina ‘Glauca’/ Green Fescue)
• A succulent with small trailing, green bubble-bead ‘leaves’ along a slender stem. (Senecio rowleyanus/ String-of-beads)
• Large serrated leaves, deep green in nature thrive in protected spots in your garden (Philodendron ‘Hope’)

Sage green/ grey green

• Spiky-shaped, silvery-green leaves with orange and red tubular flowers that develop in late winter (Cotyledon orbiculata ‘Grey Finger’/ Grey Fingers / Chalk Fingers)
• Velvety-soft leaves that glisten and cascade down dramatically (Dichondra ‘Silver Falls’)
• A soft, aromatic and shrubby plant with silver hairs on its rounded leaves (Helichrysum petiolare)
• Grey-green needle-like leaves create lovely textured visuals in the garden (Westringia ‘Blue Haze’)

Dark green

• Evergreen, vertical clumps that accent, add texture and move beautifully in the garden (Elegia tectorum)
• Leafy rosettes in deep green that resemble giant open flowers (Agave attenuatta)

Patterned greens

• Sculptural and patterned sword-like leaves, with creamy-yellow margins (Sansevieria trifasciata ‘Laurentii’)

Variegated greens

• Portulacaria (Portulacaria afra ‘Variegata’ spekboom)
• A tender, evergreen fern with interesting variegations that adds lively colour and contrast to the garden (Pteris albolineata/ Ribbon Fern)

Planning and creating greener gardens

Explore these three fun ideas direct from our very own Lifestyle Garden Design Show, which you can try in your garden. Get artsy, ‘scaped or resourceful with whatever space and budget you have.

Idea 1 – A garden with focal points

This striking space was achieved by using minimal foliage and an emphasis on rockery and water features. We combined beige gravel from our pebbles and crush range, paired with mondo grass tufts. The light gravel and terracotta statues contrast with the darker water features and shade of grass, creating a well-balanced presentation and celebrating the rule of three. We recommend if you don’t go for a symmetrical space with groupings of twos, go for items in threes. Plus, it requires minimum maintenance and less watering with the gravel acting as a ground cover and weed suppressant.

Idea 2 – Landscaped garden

Understated yet effective, this garden showcases greenery on various heights. Your eye meets the aloes and trees and then travels to the ornamental grasses and the mounds of raised mondo grass tuftsfinally swooping over the structural cement feature. You’ll be establishing a calming space with an atmosphere like this. We suggest using plants with tall, medium and ground-level heights for a visually pleasing presentation.

Idea 3 – Vertical gardening

When in doubt (and lack of space), go up! In addition to our vertical garden wall options, get creative with garden box structures. We love how this garden team stacked the crates for a playful approach, but also placed the herbs at heights that are easy to reach for a tasty addition to any meal. This could also be applied to stacking succulents, ornamental grasses and cascading vining plants.

Caring for your green garden

To achieve the ultimate garden health for your monochromatic green garden, work by your garden zones and plant types.

For grass and lawns

Use Wonder Deep Green and Wonder Lawn Pest & Green 4:1:1 + Insecticide for a combined effort to achieve greener, pest-free grasses and lawns. Or try Atlantic Bio Ganic Lawns for an organic approach.

Refresh your lawns in time for spring and summer. You’ll enjoy the results – just be sure to give your garden enough time to process the treatment.

For succulents

Plant your succulents in Bark Unlimited Succulent Mix and then use Pokon Cacti and Succulent Food to nourish your cacti and succulents.

For trees and shrubs

Apply Wonder Vitaliser Lawn & Leaf for a slow release of nitrogen, developed for lawns, all evergreen plants, trees and shrubs.

Don’t forget

Also, add worm castings and compost for added nutrition and soil health. Explore our earthworm castings for rich growing grounds. Enjoy premium compost from 3Sixty.

Ace your spring fertilising routine with our simple guide.

Go green, go serene

For more recommendations on plants for greener gardens by shade, form or texture, contact us.