Luscious leaves
For an exotic-looking plant with big leaves and
architectural habit, a must-have is Fatsia japonica.
Bamboos are useful too. But if you’ve got a small
garden, choose the dwarf, variegated variety
Pleioblastus viridistriatus, which reaches a maximum
height of just 90cm and forms
a clump 60cm or so in diameter.
The palm-like leaves of Cordyline
australis also work well. Look
out for ‘Purpurea’, which has
bronze sword-like foliage,
and ‘Torbay Dazzler’ with
green leaves edged in white.
Fatsia japonica
Cordyline
‘Purpurea’Dahlia