Not so Basic Black Adds Sophistication to Any Garden

ZEELAND, Mich., May 3, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- When you want to turn up the elegance, nothing beats black. Think tuxedos, limos and every woman's little black dress and you get the idea.  Now, basic black has become the latest craze in adding drama and visual texture to home landscapes and containers.

"This season's most popular plants are the new black varieties of petunias, 'Black Velvet', 'Phantom', 'Pinstripe' and the superbells variety, 'Blackberry Punch'," said Heidi Grasman, Garden Crossings co-owner. "Our customers can't seem to get enough!"

Rod Grasman, Garden Crossings owner, agrees. "Our customers are savvy about design and have embraced these new black varieties.  Nothing compares with black for adding impact.  And, while we love the new black petunia varieties, I'm particularly fond of foliage plants with dark tones. Colocasiaesculenta 'Illustris' is a large-leafed elephant ear. It is stunning in containers or in moist, shady landscapes. Its purple-black leaves are enhanced with green veins and violet leaf stalks."

Dark-toned plants are perfect to accentuate jewel-toned flowers and foliage.  Hot pink, bright yellow and lime green really pop when positioned near the black beauties.  Mid-tones seem to work better than a complete contrast like white, or tonal variation such as gray or silver.  These can seem drab or somber in comparison.

The nursery helps customers grow their confidence for combining any plants with an outstanding website, www.GardenCrossings.com. The website's 'Plant Search' feature helps gardeners find the perfect plant for their landscape as they can search by many characteristics including size, color, moisture and light needs and wildlife value.  Use it to find the right plants to enhance your black selections.  

Garden Crossings also provides customers with landscape planning services.  The assistance can be extensive, or simply a review service.  Once people have a plan to follow, they make informed purchases that fit their budget and their lifestyle.

More than 80% of Garden Crossings loyal customers order plants by mail or online.  Garden Crossings' customer service, attention to detail, and quality consistently earn rave reviews.  George, from Washington, is a loyal customer.  He recently wrote, "My plants arrived in great condition, excellent packing, and I received the best flowers.  The size is fantastic as well as the health of the plants." 

See some of our favorites at www.GardenCrossings.com/BlackIsBack or contact Rod or Heidi Grasman at [email protected] for more information.

SOURCE Garden Crossings