Fashion flip flops – we all know that – and gardens go through the same cycles. Go to a garden show and you’ll see that last year’s geometric pavers have been overshadowed by this year’s natural gravel and stepping stones. Planting schemes shift in the same way: wild and blowsy to tight and clipped; cool flowering blues and whites through to tropical hot pinks and oranges. Some trends are longer-lasting simply because they do a job well – like using small-leaved plants to make boundaries seem further away to therefore make a garden space seem bigger. But like any trend, there’s a moment when it’s pushed the other way. Look around and you’ll see large-leaved plants being flaunted, for some big foliage fashion. They’re all about celebrating nature, marvelling at the architecture of the leaf and in some cases, the riot of colour on show. So let’s meet some of these big leafed beauties for some great foliage plant ideas…

1. Canna Tropicanna® is the first plant anyone thinks of for foliage that’s big, bold and seriously fun. We all know the classic version with its clown-pants striped rainbow colouring on those pennant leaves – a gorgeous sight in the sunlight. And there are two other versions: one with more stripes but in lime greens and gold, and then a mysterious dark one where the stripes are just discernible as licks of purple on black. These are brilliant planted anywhere because they look wonderful.

2. Monstera – the plant with a cool name is also super easy to grow. It’s a great solution to areas where there’s not much light and the space to grow is more vertical than along the ground. A narrow sideway can be transformed by a planting of these with subtle lighting at night to accentuate the wild foliage shapes.

3. Agaves are funky and regal in the same package. They are fleshy but crisp, large plants in that great grey-green that makes your garden look professionally planted. Drop three into any existing bed and the look will instantly look designer. And when they flower, you’ll find out why they’re called swan-necked: they put up massive arching flower spikes for several months. Very “wow!”

4. Elephant Ears (Calladium) have a serious following because they are big, beautiful and, if you pick the right variety, colourful. They’re also an indoor option for gardeners where winters are real. Fill your glassed-in space with these and you’ll feel like you’re on holiday in Rio.