Anna Pavord: 'Just because they have interesting leaves, doesn't mean you should stuff your...

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There's a feeling among some gardeners that any variegated plant will necessarily be more interesting than its plain-leaved cousin. But too many variegated plants in a garden can look like a bad outbreak of a spotty rash. Some variegated plants just look sickly, gasping for a good dose of chlorophyll. I have never seen a variegated hydrangea that seemed happy with its lot and the variegated mock orange, Philadelphus coronarius 'Variegatus', is a scraggy grower, with flowers that get muddled up with its cream-margined leaves.










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