The more I garden the more I value the wonderful variety of texture and color that is possible in foliage. Unlike flowers that are here today and gone in10, foliage is around from spring until late fall. Many plants start off with vibrant iridescent spring green foliage, but by July the color has changed to a deeper, what I call, summer green. When this happens plants tend to blend together making it harder to see the individual varieties of plants – making it harder to maintain interest. One of the ways to break up some of that monotony is by interjecting plants with foliage that is inherently interesting because it is not green! Here are a few photos of some of my favorite grey foliage plants.
Salvia argentea
Macleaya cordata -plume poppy -silver back side of leaf shimmers in the breeze.
Salix elaeagnos -Rosemary willow grey foliage
Onopordum-acanthium-Scotch-thistle
Pyrus salicifolia pendula- Weeping Pear tree
Artemesia Silver Mound in moon garden
Stachys Helen Von Stein- Lambs ear with astrantia
Cerastium tomentosum- snow in summer- grey in the garden
Artemesia ludoviana behind drumstick allium
artichoke foliage
Rooting for Ideas 
So elegant.
My weakness is for blue/purple/red leaves. Seattle is gray enough, thank you very much.
I can imagine Deirdre- I lived in Scotland for several years! But you are lucky in that your winters are not so brutal and you must have a much warmer plant zone- so are able to grow lots of beautiful things. Do you grow any of those tall Euphorbias? I hate not being able to have them here in the northeast!
Do you mean the E. wulfenii? I have grown that though I don’t have it in my current garden. I love euphorbias! They have such interesting foliage and bloom early, too. I have one with dark red leaves that is seeding itself around a bit. I pull it or leave it depending on where it’s coming up. Euphorbias seem to come in clumpers and runners, like bamboo. I am currently trying to get rid of E. griffithii ‘Fireglow’ because, handsome as it is, it wants to take over an urban garden.
Deirdre- That’s a beauty! I remember these ones in England that were about 4′ feet tall- gorgeous euphorbias. I gave up most of them when I moved back to the states. We have so few that work for us in zone 4 & 5. Lucky you!
Very helpful post. Thanks!