I’ve talked about blooming flowers in your landscape, but my favorite is using foliage to give me color and texture.

Researching your plant selection allows for different growing conditions, with plant breeders developing varieties of former shade plants that can tolerate some sun.

My all-time favorite foliage plant is the Heuchera (coral bell). It comes with multicolored ruffled foliage from lime green to caramel to burgundy, with many veined-colored leaves that hold their color all season.

Japanese painted fern’s blue-gray foliage with the burgundy stems brighten up a dark corner of your garden.

Lamb’s-ear may seem like a common plant, but underplanted with any dark flower, its gray color will allow it to stand out. It’s also a fun fuzzy plant that kids love to “pet,” then learn how to make a bow with them. I’ve even made first place ribbons for our master gardener flower show.

Another silver-colored addition would be the dusty miller with its fernlike leaves to add some background sparkle.

Hostas are an excellent foliage filler in your landscape. They come in multiple shapes, sizes and colors, like miniature mouse ears, pandora box and silver threads and golden needles that can fill your containers or fairy gardens.

Then there’s the enormous leaves of “Sum and Substance” and “Empress Wu.” I like the lime green varieties against my burgundy coral bells or with the pinks of my astilbe. Many color variations and leaf shapes round out this plant.

Amaranthus tri-colored Joseph’s coat is grown for its bright foliage. It’s often called summer poinsettia for the bi-colored red and yellow leaves. This plant looks great if grown in masses.

Rex Begonia grows from rhizomes that must be dug up and stored in our zone but are well worth the effort. The multicolored unusual swirls on their leaves look like painted masterpieces.

Caladiums are another one that needs to be lifted and stored at the end of season in our zone. There are two varieties, the fancy-leaved, which have large heart-shaped leaves, and the strap or lance-leaved that are shorted narrow ruffled-edge leaves. They range in color from cream, pink to dark red. You can look for new sun-resistant varieties to expand your placement.

Canna lily also needs lifted end of season, but another one that’s worth the effort. New varieties have showy flowers with variegated leaves in multiple colors. There is also a dramatic black-leaved foliage with gold flowers. Another large-leaf bulb option is the elephant ear with its large lance -shaped leaves that give you a jungle vibe.

Ornamental grasses add texture, movement, and sound to the garden. They need extra care, though, by removing the foliage properly by very early spring (down to about 4 inches). Then, plants should be renovated or divided every few years to keep them full and lush.

Adding any of these will give your landscape drama, color and texture that will last all season.

For photos, a plant directory, guidelines for colors and more, go to http://go.osu.edu/foliage .

Baytos is a Master Gardener Volunteer for The Ohio State University Extension in Mahoning County.