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Wed, Apr 16, 14 at 1:30
| They're right about colors that are opposite on the color wheel going well together. Down in the shade garden, the initially not-much-planned color arrangements have gradually morphed into an early-mid spring scheme of yellow and purple. I have a planting of lilacs down there which set the tone, and a yellow-variegated Japanese euonymus that is, so to speak, never out of bloom...that strong almost-gold looks surprisingly good with a variety of color companions throughout the year. There's magenta money plant, a single-flowered kerria, a yellow-foliaged thuja, and the laburnum is starting to get going, and the numerous dandelions are surprisingly effective, if inelegant. I need more yellow. There's a wild shade-loving herbaceous plant that blooms in the woods this time of year that I want to go with the lilacs and money plant: we need to dig some up. And I have a yellow-leaved Coronilla emerus (I read that the common name for this scorpion senna) that should spread some light with its acid foliage with yellow blooms. The various white flowers that bloom at this time are chromatically innocuous and pleasant in themselves. But now the peonies are starting to flower. Many of these are pink, and that's a problem. Mostly I try to keep them somewhat apart from the violets and lavenders (take my word for it: with the particular shades in question, they don't work together), and fortunately I like pink and yellow, though I admit it's a sugary combination. The scorpion senna is going to mediate between cool pink Paeonia mollis and the two lilacs it's sandwiched between. There's one red tree peony in vivid proximity to the lilacs and the euonumus, and it looks horrible. At times I'm tempted to think red doesn't go with anything. This fall, if I can get up the energy and the nerve, we're going to dig up the red peony and carry it far, far away, down into the big garden where it can be its handsome self unchecked and even loved for its color, which is deeply unwelcome where it is. Once the roses take over the color scheme will shift over to mostly pink, and it will be satisfactory still. There's not much bloom in fall, but the crape myrtle, which rarely flowers, colors a handsome red and orange, and there are 'Louise Odier's showy hips and a bit of late color from the clematis and the thuja's color changes from acid green to bronze. A wall of yews provides a dark green background to all this. The shade garden is agreeable at all seasons and through all changes. Let me hear about your color schemes. Melissa |
This post was edited by melissa_thefarm on Wed, Apr 16, 14 at 2:38
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by PortlandMysteryRose 8 (My Page) on Wed, Apr 16, 14 at 2:10
| Melissa, a wonderful kaleidescope of seasonal changes in your Eden and a point which highlights the ease of interior design (my sister's profession) over garden design. Sofas do not slip into new upholstery like so many chameleons, suddenly clashing with the wing chairs and draperies. I am in the process of rearranging most of my garden for all sorts of reasons, one of which is the jarring seasonal shift of blooms. Somehow, tiger lilies were thrown into a bed with deep red velvet roses and Crocosmia 'Lucifer.' I cringe every July. There's a Camellia sasanqua 'Yuletide' parked in the middle of a lavender pink muddle. Ish. And so on. I'm working through the chain reaction of "moving this entails moving that, but then this is displaced...." Like you with your peony, I will be isolating 'Yuletide.' I hope that all my maneuvering works in the end. The plant collector in me is in constant conflict with my designer persona, and I've cornered myself into somewhat creative and experimental positions. I'll post some pics when things begin to bloom. I hope my purple and orange converse as smoothly as your purple and gold. I don't garden with the tropical touches that usually accompany my mini color scheme. I'm tucking the exotic boldness in between cottage garden types. I'm also a fan of variegation just to complicate matters. Wish me luck and may I acquire your eye for seasonal composition! Carol |
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