Feel like your plantings are a little flat? Join Jared as he shows you plants that can give your landscape a boost and explains how to integrate these specimens as backgrounds to make lower showstoppers really pop.

1. Elevate
Your
Landscape
With
Great
Background
Plants
Jared
Barnes

2. Background Plants in the Garden

3. Nassella tenuissima
(Mexican feather grass)

4. Nassella tenuissima
(Mexican feather grass)

5. Background Plants in Containers

6. Background Plants in the Garden Center

7. Evergreens
& Winter
Interest

8. Juniperus ‘Grey Owl’
(eastern redcedar)

9. Juniperus ‘Grey Owl’
(eastern redcedar)

10. Juniperus ‘Grey Owl’
(eastern redcedar)

11. Juniperus ‘Grey Owl’
(eastern redcedar)

12. Juniperus ‘Grey Owl’
(eastern redcedar)

13. Cupressus arizonica ‘Carolina Sapphire’
(Arizona cypress)

14. Cupressus arizonica ‘Limelight’
(Arizona cypress)

15. Cupressus arizonica ‘Blue Ice’
(Arizona cypress)

16. Daphniphyllum macropodum
(false daphne)

17. Daphniphyllum macropodum
(false daphne)

18. Acer griseum
(paperbark maple)

19. Betula nigra
(river birch)

20. Acer palmatum ‘Bihou’
(Japanese maple)

21. Acer palmatum ‘Bihou’
(Japanese maple)

22. Salix ‘Flame’
(willow)

23. Salix ‘Flame’
(willow)

24. Salix alba 'Britzensis'
(willow)

25. Salix alba 'Britzensis'
(willow)

26. Salix alba 'Britzensis'
(willow)

27. (willow)
Salix alba 'Britzensis'

28. Styphnolobium japonicum ‘Winter Gold’
(Japanese pagoda tree)

29. Styphnolobium japonicum ‘Winter Gold’
(Japanese pagoda tree)

30. Ilex verticillata ‘Winter Red’
(common winterberry)

31. Ilex verticillata ‘Winter Red’
(common winterberry)

32. Ilex verticillata ‘Winter Red’
(common winterberry)

33. Ilex verticillata ‘Red Sprite’
(common winterberry)

34. Ilex verticillata ‘Red Sprite’
(common winterberry)

35. Hamamelis × intermedia ‘Jelena’
(witchhazel)

36. Hamamelis × intermedia ‘Jelena’
(witchhazel)

37. Genus
species
‘Cultivar’
(common name)
Hamamelis × intermedia ‘Wisley Supreme’
(Chinese witchhazel)

38. Genus
species
‘Cultivar’
(common name)
Hamamelis × intermedia ‘Wisley Supreme’
(Chinese witchhazel)

39. Genus
species
‘Cultivar’
(common name)
Hamamelis × intermedia ‘Wisley Supreme’
(Chinese witchhazel)

40. Edgeworthia chrysantha
(paperbush)

41. Edgeworthia chrysantha
(paperbush)

42. Edgeworthia chrysantha
(paperbush)

43. Edgeworthia chrysantha
(paperbush)

44. Stachyurus ‘Carolina Parakeet’
(spiketail)

45. Stachyurus ‘Carolina Parakeet’
(spiketail)

46. Deciduous
Woodies

47. (redbud)
Cercis canadensis ‘Ruby Falls’

48. (redbud)
Cercis canadensis ‘Ruby Falls’

49. (redbud)
Cercis canadensis ‘Hearts of Gold’

50. (redbud)
Cercis canadensis ‘Floating Clouds’

51. (redbud)
Cercis canadensis ‘Floating Clouds’

52. Aesculus parviflora
(bottlebrush buckeye)

53. Aesculus parviflora
(bottlebrush buckeye)

54. Aesculus parviflora
(bottlebrush buckeye)

55. Kolkwitzcia amabalis
(beauty bush)

56. Kolkwitzcia amabalis
(beauty bush)

57. Cotinus coggygria ‘Royal Purple’
(smokebush)

58. Cotinus coggygria ‘Royal Purple’
(smokebush)

59. Cotinus ‘Grace’
(smokebush)

60. Cotinus coggygria ‘Old Fashioned’
(smokebush)

61. Cotinus coggygria ‘Old Fashioned’
(smokebush)

62. Cotinus coggygria ‘Ancot’ Golden Smoke
(smokebush)

64. (oriental spicebush)
Lindera obtusiloba

65. (oriental spicebush)
Lindera obtusiloba

66. (oriental spicebush)
Lindera obtusiloba

67. Magnolia macrophylla
(bigleaf magnolia)

68. Magnolia macrophylla
(bigleaf magnolia)

69. Magnolia ashei
(Ashe magnolia)

70. Magnolia ashei
(Ashe magnolia)

71. Magnolia ashei
(Ashe magnolia)

72. Schizophragma hydrangeoides
(Japanese hydrangea vine)

73. Schizophragma hydrangeoides
(Japanese hydrangea vine)

74. Schizophragma hydrangeoides
(Japanese hydrangea vine)

75. Fothergilla × intermedia ‘Blue Shadow’
(fothergilla)

76. Fothergilla × intermedia ‘Blue Shadow’
(fothergilla)

77. Itea virginica ‘Henry’s Garnet’
(Virginia sweetspire)

78. Itea virginica ‘Henry’s Garnet’
(Virginia sweetspire)

79. Cornus elliptica
(evergreen dogwood)

80. Cornus elliptica
(evergreen dogwood)

81. Metasequoia glyptostroboides ‘Ogon’
(dawn redwood)

82. Metasequoia glyptostroboides ‘Ogon’
(dawn redwood)

83. Hydrangea arborescens ‘Abetwo’ Incrediball®
(smooth hydrangea)

84. Hydrangea arborescens ‘Abetwo’ Incrediball®
(smooth hydrangea)

85. Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Snowflake’
(oakleaf hydrangea)

86. Lagerstroemia Black Diamond™ Crimson Red
(crape myrtle)

87. Lagerstroemia Black Diamond™ Crimson Red
(crape myrtle)

88. Lagerstroemia Black Diamond™ Crimson Red
(crape myrtle)

89. Cestrum parqui
(willow-leaved jessamine)

90. Cestrum parqui
(willow-leaved jessamine)

91. Taxodium distichum
(bald cypress)

92. Herbaceous
Perennials

93. Arundo donax ‘Peppermint Stick’
(giant reed grass)

94. Arundo donax ‘Peppermint Stick’
(giant reed grass)

95. Aralia cordata ‘Sun King’
(spikenard)

96. Aralia cordata ‘Sun King’
(spikenard)

97. Clematis ‘Rooguchi’
(clematis)

98. Clematis ‘Rooguchi’
(clematis)

99. Amsonia hubrichtii
(Arkansas bluestar)

100. Amsonia hubrichtii
(Arkansas bluestar)

101. Amsonia hubrichtii
(Arkansas bluestar)

102. Actaea simplex ‘Black Negligee’
(bugbane)

103. Actaea simplex ‘Black Negligee’
(bugbane)

104. Gloriosa superba ‘Rothschildiana’
(gloriosa lily)

105. Gloriosa superba ‘Rothschildiana’
(gloriosa lily)

108. Salvia madrensis ‘Red Neck Girl’
(forsythia sage)

109. Leonotis leonurus
(lion’s tail)

110. Lespedeza thunbergii ‘White Fountain’
(bush clover)

111. Lespedeza liukiuensis ‘Little Volcano’
(bush clover)

112. Lespedeza liukiuensis ‘Little Volcano’
(bush clover)

113. Hibiscus 'Holly Springs'
(hibiscus)

114. Hibiscus 'Holly Springs'
(hibiscus)

115. Muhlenbergia capillaris
(pink muhly grass)

116. Muhlenbergia capillaris
(pink muhly grass)

117. Tropicals

118. Colocasia gigantea ‘Thailand Giant’
(elephant ear)

119. Colocasia gigantea ‘Thailand Giant’
(elephant ear)

120. Colocasia gigantea ‘Thailand Giant’
(elephant ear)

121. Colocasia gigantea ‘Thailand Giant’
(elephant ear)

122. Colocasia esculenta ‘Mojito’
(elephant ear)

123. Colocasia esculenta ‘Mojito’
(elephant ear)

124. Colocasia esculenta ‘Mojito’
(elephant ear)

125. Manihot esculenta ‘Variegata’
(tapioca)

126. Manihot esculenta ‘Variegata’
(tapioca)

127. Manihot esculenta ‘Variegata’
(tapioca)

128. Mussaenda erythrophylla
(red flag bush)

129. Mussaenda erythrophylla
(red flag bush)

130. Musa velutina
(pink velvet banana)

131. Musa velutina
(pink velvet banana)

132. Musa basjoo & Musa sikkimensis
(banana)

133. Musa acuminata ‘Rojo’
(blood banana)

134. Musa balbisiana ‘Black Thai’
(banana)

135. Musa balbisiana ‘Black Thai’
(banana)

136. Annuals

137. Gomphrena globosa ‘Fireworks’
(globe amaranth)

138. Gomphrena globosa ‘Fireworks’
(globe amaranth)

139. Gomphrena globosa ‘Fireworks’
(globe amaranth)

140. Tithonia rotundifolia
(Mexican sunflower)

141. (sulfur cosmos)
Cosmos sulphureus

142. (sulfur cosmos)
Cosmos sulphureus

143. Nicotiana alata
(flowering tobacco)

144. Do
A
Background
Check
And,
Elevate
Your
Landscape!