Do you ever notice appealing (and sometimes surprising) vignettes, plant combinations, and pleasing views? It's been happening to me a lot lately.
By the time I've gotten around to photographing them, however, several examples have passed...I tried to capture a few others. With some, I stepped back to get a broader view, and then photographed single blooms or smaller groupings.
The play of the light on the Alliums and Fiddlehead Ferns (Matteuccia struthiopteris) was fun the other day:
With morning indirect light, they were warm and glowing.
Same plants and roughly the same angle--but with more cloud cover and more overhead light, the colors are totally different. And the shadows and variations in exposure are lessened.
The Alliums currently blooming in this particular bed are 'Ambassador' and...
'Globemaster,' which starts blooming earlier and is a bit shorter. I love them both, and the rabbits don't eat them. Yay.
We've had plenty of warm weather and plenty of rain, so most of the plants seem happy. The potted arrangements are coming into their own. Soon they'll be lush and full and spilling over the edges for the rest of the growing season.
The Calla Lilies (Zantedeschia spp.) are full and bright. They're from a mixed grouping, so I'm not sure which species/varieties they are. They overwintered in the sunroom, so they had a head start when I started watering them in March.
Many of the pots have various Impatiens and Coleus combinations.
The Mock Orange (Philadelphus coronarius) is full of bright blooms and framed by the Staghorn Sumacs (Rhus typhina).
The blooms are so graceful and gentle.
In addition to the potted Oxalis (O. vulcanicola 'Zinfandel') in the first photo of this post, I noticed several more "happy" plants. This Bigleaf Hydrangea (H. macrophylla) is full of blooms--more than I can remember from the past. Perhaps it's not surprising with all the rain and mild weather we've had this spring.
With morning indirect light, they were warm and glowing.
Same plants and roughly the same angle--but with more cloud cover and more overhead light, the colors are totally different. And the shadows and variations in exposure are lessened.
The Alliums currently blooming in this particular bed are 'Ambassador' and...
'Globemaster,' which starts blooming earlier and is a bit shorter. I love them both, and the rabbits don't eat them. Yay.
We've had plenty of warm weather and plenty of rain, so most of the plants seem happy. The potted arrangements are coming into their own. Soon they'll be lush and full and spilling over the edges for the rest of the growing season.
The Calla Lilies (Zantedeschia spp.) are full and bright. They're from a mixed grouping, so I'm not sure which species/varieties they are. They overwintered in the sunroom, so they had a head start when I started watering them in March.
Many of the pots have various Impatiens and Coleus combinations.
The Mock Orange (Philadelphus coronarius) is full of bright blooms and framed by the Staghorn Sumacs (Rhus typhina).
The blooms are so graceful and gentle.
In addition to the potted Oxalis (O. vulcanicola 'Zinfandel') in the first photo of this post, I noticed several more "happy" plants. This Bigleaf Hydrangea (H. macrophylla) is full of blooms--more than I can remember from the past. Perhaps it's not surprising with all the rain and mild weather we've had this spring.
Another quick vignette--a graceful red admiral butterfly on American Garlic (Allium unifolium).
It's a beautiful season! What scenes are catching your eyes these days?
Because I've included six basic "areas" of the garden, I'm linking in with "Six on Saturday" at Garden Ruminations. Head on over to view scenes and amazing plants from around the world.
I love those alliums; you really have an eye for good plant groupings and fabulous photos.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Chloris. :) I didn't think I could grow Alliums here in my partial/mostly shade garden. But they begin to grow/form flower heads before the Oak trees leaf out, so they perform pretty well. I have so many species/varieties now.
DeleteYour Alliums are gorgeous, such superb globes of purple! Your philadelphus is covered in so many flowers, it must smell wonderful! Love all your pots.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Pauline. I'm so thrilled that the Alliums are happy here. They add pops of color that the rabbits don't eat. ;-) The Mock Orange was here when we moved in, and I love it. It has a slight scent, but it's not as aromatic as some Philadelphus species/varieties. So beautiful, though.
DeleteWonderful photographs. The colours in the oxalis are amazing. Sorry to hear you have a rabbit problem. They are a right menace.
ReplyDeleteThank you. :) Yes, the Oxalis is with me year-round now, as I bring it inside during the winter. You said it about the rabbits!
DeleteLovely one and all, Beth. I adore the Alliums and the ferns make a perfect backdrop for them. Your Philadelphus is a beauty too. I have a Philadelphus mexicanus but it isn't as pretty or as vigrous.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kris. I'm so glad I attended the Toronto Fling, because that's when I really decided to try more Alliums. They grow pretty well here, even in partial shade, because they form buds before the Oak trees leaf out. And the rabbit-repelling feature is a huge benefit!
DeleteBeautiful photo of your red admiral. The alliums are gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Susie. The garden is happy, which makes me happy. :)
DeleteI love these little bits in the garden, each telling their own charming chapter in the larger story of the garden. Those alliums--stunning! Nicely done, Beth! Tina
ReplyDeleteThanks, Tina. So much is going on, it's hard to decide what to highlight. It's the opposite, of course, from January when everything is dormant.
DeleteYes, I often see little cameo shots in the borders, but then something happens to delay the shot (usually poor light or bad weather) and the moment is lost. Your photos of the Alliums are really good, along with your observations about the different colours of light and how it affects the resulting image. The pot arrangements look terrific - I can imagine them in a few weeks time, growing tall and spilling over the edges. Philadelphus is a favourite of mine, the perfume is outstanding.
ReplyDeleteThanks. I was so frustrated when I realized several lovely and "surprising" vignettes were gone by the time I got back a few days later. I wish I could just blink and take a photo. ;-) Yes, the potted plants are always fun to watch and compare from May through early October. This variety of Mock Orange has a slight scent, but the blooms are so enchanting.
DeleteI too love walking around in nature or in the garden finding vignettes I see and try to capture. You have captured so many wonderful ones here.
ReplyDeleteSometimes the combinations and the health of the plants and the light and other conditions combine to really catch the eye. Thanks, Donna. I only wish the scenes, vignettes, and blooms weren't so fleeting. <3
DeleteI love your colourful potted flower arrangements! AND the Cala Lily is one of my favourites. I painted a picture of an arrangement of cream Calas which hangs on my wall.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I absolutely love Calla Lilies. I've been overwintering the tubers in the pot for several years now--very easy. I think I'm going to try to divide the tubers this fall, which hopefully will result in more blooms! They're such great cut flowers, too.
DeleteBeautiful alliums! They are such a big bold statement -color & shape.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I love them, and I'm so glad I started growing them--even in the shade. :)
DeletePurple and green is hard to beat! (your alliums) ... personal opinion of course :)
ReplyDeleteOh, I definitely agree. Although I love so many colors and color combinations in the garden. :)
DeleteAmazing what the light change does to the photography as in your aliums! Nice photos.
ReplyDeleteThanks, and yes, it's fascinating and fun to play with light and other conditions when observing/photographing the garden. :)
DeleteMuch beauty in your garden now. I like the photo with the morning indirect light--one can see details more clearly everywhere.
ReplyDeleteThe Philidelphus and Rhus make a wonderful duet of foliage and flower.
Your summer containers will soon be lavish--here comes summer!
Thank you. Yes, the Sumac and Mock Oranges seemed especially lovely together this year. Great weather conditions, and they're both doing well. Yay, summer!
DeleteHello, our Alliums were the show stoppers this season. I loved the combo they made with the green of the other plants coming up.
ReplyDeleteI've always had some Alliums in my garden, but I've added so many varieties during the past decade or so. Previously, I thought I could only grow them in full sun, but they do well in partial deciduous shade because the flowers form before the trees leaf out. So, I think I have about 10 varieties growing here now, and the various types bloom from spring to first frost. Love them!
DeleteThe Alliums are a personal favorite. I remember seeing a large patch of them in the setting sun under a large oak tree in Uppsala, Sweden many years ago. There are certain vignettes that capture our imagine and will stay with us for years to come.
ReplyDeleteYes, I love the Alliums, too. The ones in this post are finished blooming, but others will bloom in the months ahead. Love them all! So true about the memories of special vignettes!
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