A FEW weeks ago I was visiting the 'Silver City' of Aberdeen in perfect, hot, spring sunshine. Imagine my surprise as I turned a corner only to be confronted by the statue of Scots legend William Wallace adorned in a bright lime green kilt and an orange shawl draped around his shoulders as part of an arts project. The vivid colours against the backdrop of the grey granite buildings glittering in the sun was simply electric. It made me smile, taking me back to a similar colour clash made only with plants in a garden in Cumbria a few years ago. Back then it was late summer and the twin borders were filled with hot reds, oranges and yellow flowers. The intensity of the late summer colour was made even more dazzling by being thrown against the shimmering silver shrubs of Salix exigua at each end of the border. The effect was breath-taking and made me realise just how important silver-leaved plants are in garden displays.

Silver-leaved plants, particularly in Great British garden design, have a secure place at the top table as a statement plant, simply because they don't play by the rules as they are not the lush green you associate with these islands. They trade on their other worldliness, being plants from hotter, sunnier climates. Silver and grey-green leaves are a natural adaptation to hot climates and arid conditions. The leaves reflect hot sunshine and so minimise water loss, making them particularly useful for windy and seaside locations. The visual side effect for the garden designer is a group of plants that can create real drama in a planting scheme: they can act as a foil, a statement, a sense of cool calm in a floral display. Some designers like to take the extreme approach by contrasting silver and grey plants with only dark-leaved ones, for example the Chelsea show garden designed in 2003 by James Dyson where green was banished completely.

Silver plants come in all shapes and sizes and here at Harlow Carr we use that variety to create floral schemes from the intricate to the magnificent. On the main borders Elaeagnus angustifolia 'Quicksilver' reaches statuesque proportions, forming a shimmering backdrop to the tall perennials and grasses, with the added bonus of sweetly-fragrant flowers in summer. A good substitute for the same scale could be the ornamental pear Pyrus salicifolia 'Pendula' or Salix exigua, the Coyote Willow. A favourite shrub of mine is Buddleja 'Lochinch'. The leaves have a silvery sheen and starting from the early spring, the stems and leaves gradually grow to fill the space up to two metres tall by late summer. Here at the Lakeside gardens it is placed in front of an orange wall with the powder-blue flower spikes being not only a great colour contrast but also a magnet for butterflies throughout the summer.

For smaller spaces and containers, the Artemisia tribe contains many valuable examples offering the truest silvers. Artemisia arborescens ‘Powys Castle’ is a woody plant with needle-like leaves commonly used in herbaceous borders. It sits well with its cousins Artemisia ludoviciana ‘Silver Queen’ or Artemisia stelleriana ‘Boughton Silver’ to bring exotic drama to hot colours.

If you like exotic smells served up on your silver, why not choose the curry plant? Helichrysum italicum 'Korma' - with needle-like foliage and yellow flowers - really does smell of curry. A great accompaniment is a gin and tonic, so you will need to choose the tender Salvia discolor from Peru: the silver leaves and stems topped with a black ‘flower’ really do smell of gin and tonic. Then simply sit back, relax and enjoy this feast for the senses.

With thanks to Malcolm Dewar, Horticulturalist at RHS Garden Harlow Carr

JOBS TO DO

• Start hardening off tender plants during the day, protecting against frost at night

• There’s still time to sow annual meadows for summer display

• Repair any worn edges of lawn next to paths and flower beds

DIARY DATES

May Half Term Fun: Superpower flowers

Sat 23 - Sun 31 May, 10am - 4pm

Harlow Carr celebrates the power of flowers this half term. Youngsters can get their hands dirty by joining in with the hidden superpower flower trail and fun craft workshops. Fans of buzzing bees will be pleased to know that the Harrogate & Ripon Beekeepers will be here on 30 and 31 May displaying their skilled craft with a range of demos. Your own busy bees can join in the activities with the annual waggle dance on the lower lawn. Normal garden admission.