I said above what I'm trying to do, but really I'm a bit of a plantaholic and when I see a plant that says "buy me" I buy it and so my beds are a bit pincushiony. But some plants survive the climate here very well and others don't and it's sometimes not what you think it would be. The experts say buy in 3s and 5s and then you think "Oh that's going to be expensive" so you only buy one. So my beds end up a bit of a mixture of colours. And it changes with the seasons.
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
I have a large garden with big borders so always buy perennials in 3s, 5s and 7s but that can be expensive so sometimes I buy just one and try and propagate it or else just go for something cheaper. generally, the cheaper ones are hardier anyway and I've lost count of how much money has frozen to death in my garden.
As for colours, I dislike acidic yellows so don't have any and I find orange and scarlet hard to work with but am trying them more and more as geums do very well here. I also get given orange marigold seedlings which I plant in the veggie patch to ward off white fly. I have a rythm of purple and golden shrubs and trees around the garden with every other colour in patches in between. Just bought a golden physocarpus which I'm hoping will be as tough as Diabolo and two rich, deep purple hellebores to go in pots with pale, streaky lilac primroses once this perishing wind dies down.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Much as everyone else really, all sorts of colours, but I also like an all green area such as here, with a touch of hot colour thrown in... of course these all flower on and off, briefly, but I find it soothing on the eye all year round...
Obelixx - like you I never liked oranges/reds or the acid green/yellows but enjoyed Christopher Lloyd's views so much that I gave it a go and I love those colours now. When they're mixed with the inky colours or different greens they are very effective. Cannas look great with those colours and it's the contrast of shapes as much as anything.
Have I sold them to you?
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Not the acids but I'm getting there with oranges and reds and have more planned this summer if we ever get warm enough to sow more seeds. Window sills crammed now and greenhouse not warm enough yet.
I've tried cannas but by the time spring warms up and they get going here it's so late the cannas only come into flower in time for the first frosts. Gave up. Got some dahlias on teh go to see if they do better.
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Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Posts
I said above what I'm trying to do, but really I'm a bit of a plantaholic and when I see a plant that says "buy me" I buy it and so my beds are a bit pincushiony. But some plants survive the climate here very well and others don't and it's sometimes not what you think it would be. The experts say buy in 3s and 5s and then you think "Oh that's going to be expensive" so you only buy one. So my beds end up a bit of a mixture of colours. And it changes with the seasons.
I have a large garden with big borders so always buy perennials in 3s, 5s and 7s but that can be expensive so sometimes I buy just one and try and propagate it or else just go for something cheaper. generally, the cheaper ones are hardier anyway and I've lost count of how much money has frozen to death in my garden.
As for colours, I dislike acidic yellows so don't have any and I find orange and scarlet hard to work with but am trying them more and more as geums do very well here. I also get given orange marigold seedlings which I plant in the veggie patch to ward off white fly. I have a rythm of purple and golden shrubs and trees around the garden with every other colour in patches in between. Just bought a golden physocarpus which I'm hoping will be as tough as Diabolo and two rich, deep purple hellebores to go in pots with pale, streaky lilac primroses once this perishing wind dies down.
Much as everyone else really, all sorts of colours, but I also like an all green area such as here, with a touch of hot colour thrown in... of course these all flower on and off, briefly, but I find it soothing on the eye all year round...
Obelixx - like you I never liked oranges/reds or the acid green/yellows but enjoyed Christopher Lloyd's views so much that I gave it a go and I love those colours now. When they're mixed with the inky colours or different greens they are very effective. Cannas look great with those colours and it's the contrast of shapes as much as anything.
Have I sold them to you?
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Not the acids but I'm getting there with oranges and reds and have more planned this summer if we ever get warm enough to sow more seeds. Window sills crammed now and greenhouse not warm enough yet.
I've tried cannas but by the time spring warms up and they get going here it's so late the cannas only come into flower in time for the first frosts. Gave up. Got some dahlias on teh go to see if they do better.
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To get maximum impact from blues and purples, plant a bright yellow amongst them for contrast. Luscious.
Group whites together with a few very pale blue and darker blues amonst them, again, maximum impact.