Need to add a pop of color to your garden? Flowers aren't the be-all, end-all option

When most people hear the phrase “a colorful garden,” their thoughts and imaginations go straight to flowers. Flowers certainly do provide most of the color in our gardens, but they don’t have to provide all of the color. This is because there are all kinds of plants that will add vibrant colors to the landscape with their foliage.

One of my favorite groups of plants are shrubs known as Dwarf Spireas. These plants are great for areas that get a lot of sun and there are several varieties to choose from. Most will grow 2 to 3 feet tall and wide. They never become overgrown or take over a space.

There are varieties with bright yellow foliage. One variety is called Candy Corn because the foliage is yellow, orange, and red like the popular Halloween candy. Ironically, nobody ever claims to like the actual candy, but everyone loves this shrub. The radiant foliage is colorful through the growing season. In the fall, it turns deep red, adding yet another hue to your landscape. Spireas can also bloom with clusters of pink and red flowers.

Another reason I love these shrubs is because they bloom more than once. When they finish blooming, you can shear off the spent flowers, which will stimulate more new growth. Then, the new growth will produce more beautiful flowers.

There is also a family of perennials I like to recommend for colorful foliage. These are the Heucheras, which are more commonly known as Coral Bells. I have seen several families of plants produce new varieties at a record pace over the last several years. This would be true of the Coral Bells.

Coral Bells are perennials that generally grow 18 inches tall and wide. There are many varieties to choose from, though I don't know the exact number. However, looking at plant lists from growers, the number for just our growing zone is between 20 and 30.

The foliage colors of Coral Bells range from deep purple to chartreuse, green. In between, there are many varieties of orange, red, bronze, pink and green. These plants also bloom, producing long stems with clusters of pink or red flowers. The blooms are pretty but, the pop of color in the garden comes from the foliage itself.

Another benefit of these Coral Bells is the foliage remains through the winter. The plant goes dormant, but the leaves hold their color. They are especially pretty among a light dusting of snow.

Coral Bells will grow best in moderate shade; they do not like hot, direct, sunlight nor do they like heavy, dry shade. Since plant selections are somewhat limited in shade gardens, Coral bells could be a great option for adding some color variants.

There are also a few trees with colorful foliage that you can add to your landscape to add some contrast to all of the green. My favorites are all in the Redbud family.

There is a variety called Rising Sun that has bright yellow foliage. If you're looking to add a pop of purple, here are two really popular varieties. A taller variety called Forest Pansy and a shorter one, a Merlot. My favorite new Redbud, the Flamethrower, is one that is a combination of yellow and red.

All of these Redbuds produce purple flowers in the spring before the leaves open up. They vary in size from mature heights of 12 to 20 feet depending upon variety. Like the native varieties, these cultivars prefer growing under larger mature trees.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Flowers aren't the only way to add a pop of color to your garden