Burgundy Maple

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To create harmony in your garden it is important to match the colours of your plants with those of the surrounding hard structures such as the walls of your house, paving and the like. Plant colour comes mainly from the colour of the leaves (which may vary throughout the year) and the flowers (which may only be seasonal). To achieve a designed look, choose colours which are harmonious, as you would indoors when matching the tones in the walls, floor and furnishings.

The colour example that was shown on ‘Burke’s Backyard’ was the use of burgundy foliage and flower colour as a highlight against a pale grey house. The feature plant was a Japanese maple, Acer palmatum ‘Bloodgood’, which has burgundy coloured leaves from spring to autumn. This is an excellent red maple for a cool to mild climate (such as the mountain districts and milder parts of southern Australia). It should be readily available from nurseries in cooler climates or ask your nursery to order the variety for you.

Accent plant

In front of this tree was growing a large clump of the perennial known as the oyster plant, Acanthus mollis. This plant has large green leaves but produces spires of white flowers, each individual flower capped with a burgundy coloured shield. The burgundy tone in the flower spire picked up and accentuated the foliage colour in the maple. Acanthus will grow in most parts of Australia and is widely available at nurseries.