Black Lace: The 'Little Black Dress' of the Garden

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by Danielle Smith



Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Black Lace™ Elderberry (Sambucus nigra 'Eva'. Photo courtesy of www.pwcertified.com
Grand Haven, MI – Ask any woman, and she will tell you that it’s hard to go wrong with ‘the little black dress,’ suitable for any occasion and infinitely accessorize-able.

The same can be said of Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Black Lace™ Elderberry (Sambucus nigra 'Eva'). Versatile and adaptable, Black Lace adds an unexpected punch to bed and containers alike.

If you believe the color palette of gardening excludes black, think again. Many gardeners’ favorites are 'back in black.' The purplish-black fruit of Elderberries, native to the US and Europe, have added mystery and intrigue to many a garden.

But how and where should gardeners who want to dress up their gardens, plant Black Lace, or any dark-hued plant?

In a 2006 article, "Black has been denied its rightful place in the garden," Maureen Gilmer wrote, "Because it (Black Lace) is a dark value color, you need to use light value colors beside it to exploit the contrast. It is the dynamic of contrast that gives black its punch in the garden. If you pair it with more analogous colors such as burgundy and purple, you lose it entirely in a muddy mass of hues."

So what plants should accessorize Black Lace? Just like a string of pale pearls plays off the little black dress, eye-popping pink, silver, white or yellow petunias planted in the foreground and lush light- to medium-green hostas planted to the side provide the contrast needed to make Black Lace the center of attention. What’s more, petunias love water and full sun—just like Black Lace—which loves water and can survive in boggy areas, but will also tolerate dry conditions once it is well established. Gardeners who wish to pair Black Lace with water-loving perennials should consider Ornamental Grass (Acorus) and Siberian Iris. Just be certain that whatever is planted with Black Lace requires the same growing conditions.

Proven Winners® ColorChoice® introduced Black Lace in limited release last year, but the 2007 garden season will see Black Lace in most North American garden centers. To locate a garden center that carries Black Lace go to www.colorchoiceplants.com. There obtain further information and see Black Lace, as well as their over fifty, unique, colorful Proven Winners ColorChoice flowering shrubs. While you’re on-line check out ‘Limelight’ Hydrangea, Sunshine Blue® Caryopteris, Dream Catcher™ Beauty Bush, Summer Wine® Ninebark and a host of other cool, new shrubs—sure to change the way you think about flowering shrubs.

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