Black and/or grey flowers/plants

[Dottie]

One of my projects this year is to turn my very small garden into a feng shui garden. But I'm finding it difficult to get hold of a range of cheap black and/or grey seeds/plants flowers. Different sections have different colours and elements, so there will be a red section etc.

I had a few black hollyhock and blacknight sweetpeas left over from a swap, these I sowed direct yesterday, as I don't have the space to start them off indoors, so I'll hopefully the snails and slugs won't get them all. I also got hold of some "black out" lilies from Poundland, although the picture looks more a maroon coloure, hopefully plant these this weekend.

In the seed sale last autumn I bought some Dahlia black beauty and Antirrhinum bronze dragon, both look lovely but I have to sow them indoors. Unless someone knows/has had success of growing them direct?

As far as grey I've put in some campion (lychnis coronaria) pink and white flowers I know, but the leaves are grey/green and I already had them in the garden growing. The area is too small for a lavendar bush, as I have a arch and hopefully get hold of a metal bench to go under the arch at some point. Something to go up the arch would be good and if it was a perennial it would be just wonderful.

So if anyone has any ideas or seeds they are happy to swap, I'd be very interested.

[Two_Sheds]

Black elder?
ophiopogon? (that's really black)
black scabious? (I have seeds, PM me)

[vicky]

Aquilgea Magpie is black and white
very dark purple Irises
Leaves of Stachys are grey (ish!) but you'd have to cut the flowers off (mauve)
Festuca glauca grass

[Two_Sheds]

Aquilgea Magpie is black and white

I'm trying to germinate that at the moment

Festuca glauca grass

That's more of a steely blue, would you say?

[Dottie]

Black elder?
ophiopogon? (that's really black)
black scabious? (I have seeds, PM me)

Black elder, at the moment I'm trying not to add fruit, as I grow so much of it at the lottie. However I'll see how I get on this year and if my arch is left wanting, I might bring a blackberry or 2 from the lottie.

Ophiopogon, just checked this on google and yes I'm interested in getting hold of some black grass, but I didn't know what it was called. It would be good if I can grow it from seed, so I'll have to look into that.

Black scabious seeds, yes please I'll be happy to PM you. I might be trying out some scabious Fire King for Which member trails, it's look like a dark claret or maroon colour. If they send me some seed to trail, I'd be happy to send you half, if you fancy trying a different variety? However by the name Fire King I would have thought it would be a bright red, difficult to say sometimes from a magazine photo.

Thanks for the ideas.

[Glutton4...]

I was going to suggest Ophiopogon too. I had some almost black tulips in my previous garden, they were lovely. Sorry, but I can't remember what they were called.

[Jeanied]

T+M do a white edged black Nemophila - quite easy from seed - and a pure white one as well - I once saw a display of them alternating black and white -very effective it was too.
My ophiopogon sends up pale pink flower spikes and then forms black seed berries on the stalk - so I reckon you could grow them from seed. Or buy a pot and divide them.

[Two_Sheds]

T+M do a white edged black Nemophila

Oh yeah! It's called Penny Black. I had it a few years ago, I must get some more

[Dottie]

I was going to suggest Ophiopogon too. I had some almost black tulips in my previous garden, they were lovely. Sorry, but I can't remember what they were called.

Yes I hope to get hold of some black tulips at the end of the season, as I think I'm a bit late now. In fact because I'll have different sections with different colours, I'm looking forward to having tulips in each section and colour.

[Two_Sheds]

Queen of the Night is a black tulip. It's a late one, flowers May if I remember right.

[Dottie]

Aquilgea Magpie is black and white
very dark purple Irises
Leaves of Stachys are grey (ish!) but you'd have to cut the flowers off (mauve)
Festuca glauca grass

I looked up Aquilgea magpie and it looks lovely, I'm thinking it could go along the strip next to the white section.

I'm a great fan of irises, so once I've got the main plants in I'll gradually add selected bulbs.

[TonyF]

There is also a black bamboo but it needs to be contained, very nice plant tho.

[Dottie]

Black bamboo sounds good, and I could contain it in a pot.

[Fernw]

Hi Dottie, there's a Morning Glory called 'Kniola's Black Knight which grows to 6-8 feet and the flowers are purple black with cerise throats and it's a vigorous climber but unfortunately a half hardy annual and not perennial.

Thompson and Morgan have seeds for an ornamental annual grass called Oryza sativa 'Black Madras - it's only 40cm so can go in borders or pots and there's Nasturtium 'Black Velvet which are more really dark red/black flowers which I grew last year and it was very nice. T & M also do a Coleus called 'Palisandra' which is nearly black foliage and they have the Ophiopogon that has been suggested.

I once had some very dark almost black violas called 'Bowles Black which were lovely and I think there's a pansy called ''Black Moon' or something similar.

For silver there's Salvia 'Artemis' which has soft grey tactile foliage and tall silver spikes but the flowers are pinkish-white.

It all sounds lovely so good luck with it

[Two_Sheds]

Black bamboo sounds good, and I could contain it in a pot.

I've got some in the garden. It's slow growing and not invasive, but it is dear.

I've got black viola too, but it needs planting against something white or you can't see it. If you don't mind a splash of pink, there's fuchsia Black Beauty.

And for shade, there's geranium Mourning Widow (which is more of a dark maroon).