There may be no moment in the year when my friend Ken Druse and I are more grateful for the range of textures and colors of foliage we made room for in our gardens than we are right now – in the hottest stretch of summer days when spring’s nonstop flower show is just a distant memory. Ken and I spoke recently about planning, and planting, for strong visual interest even in the dog days. 

Ken is author of 20 garden books, and gardens in a mostly shady spot in New Jersey, where foliage is a major driver that makes his extensive landscape design work. Whether for herbaceous plants closer to ground level or in his tree and shrub choices, he’s always on the lookout for the unusual selection of a particular plant that has that something extra: great leaves. 

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