PLANT THIS:

‘Antonow’s Blue’ honey bush

 Name: Melianthus major ‘Antonow’s Blue’

USDA Hardiness Zones: 7 to 11

Size: Up to 8 feet tall and wide

Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; well-drained soil

I have a soft spot in my heart for blue foliage and for deeply textured foliage. This South African native delivers both. Its serrated, powder blue foliage grows well into winter, with new growth opening like an accordion and smelling like peanut butter. Although ‘Antonow’s Blue’ honey bush pushes spikes of burgundy flowers in late spring, the foliage—generally evergreen to 20°F—is the star. In cool portions of the Southeast, apply a 3-inch-deep layer of mulch in fall. To keep this plant looking its best, you may want to prune it back to the ground in early spring, but this will inhibit flowering.

WITH THAT:

Blue oat grass

Name: Helictotrichon sempervirens and cvs.

Zones: 4 to 9

Size: Up to 2 feet tall and wide

Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; well-drained soil

This beautiful and well-behaved evergreen grass is the perfect foil for the honey bush in this design. It pulls the color off the honey bush and carries it to ground level, then embellishes it with a clumping spiky form all its own. While not fussy, blue oat grass needs well-drained soil and a minimum of half a day of sun to live up to its potential.

Jay Sifford is a garden designer in Charlotte, North Carolina.