Garden Patterns, Textures, and Colors

Lately, I'm noticing patterns, textures, and colors in a different way. It's hard to explain, but many surprisingly pleasant views are catching my eye--like the Ostrich Ferns in the back garden, lined up to capture the morning light.

This is not a pleasant view, but definitely a pattern and texture example--the Hostas lining the driveway are now covered in Cottonwood seeds from several neighborhood trees. Everything is coated in fluff and debris, and it won't end for at least another week. (I'm trying to be patient, because I recognize the trees' and seeds' ecological value. It just makes for a very messy garden. It also illustrates why most of my photos in this post have messy fluff all over them.)



Some of the patterns, colors, and textures are intentional, like this combination of chartreuse Mexican Stonecrop (S. mexicanum) with Wave Petunia 'Carmine Velour.' Last year, a patch of overwintered Supertunia Vista Bubblegum was in the same pot with the Sedums, but the Supertunia didn't survive a second winter in the sunroom. Both combinations offer pleasant pops of color and companion textures.



While I've had this combination in my garden for several years now--'May Night' Salvia (Salvia x sylvestris) with various Lantanas and Marigolds--I happened to glance over and notice the way the purple/blue Salvia was framing the orange hues of the other flowers from this angle.



Another pot I've overwintered for several years now combines English Ivy (Hedera helix) with Purple Shamrocks (Oxalis triangularis).



Continuing the same color scheme with Threadleaf Alternanthera (A. dentata).



Together, across the back wall of the pond, they create waves of burgundy, purple, and green.



'Sonic Light Pink' New Guinea Impatien (I. hawkeri) is another good pairing with chartreuse foliage--here, with Coleus (Solenostemon) 'Colorblaze Lime Time.'



We've had plentiful precipitation this spring, so all the foliage seems extra lush. Hostas, Convallaria, Epimediums, Sedums, and Hellebores (including the little Hellebore seed pods) form a carpet in various shades of green.



This combination was a happy accident. 'Nelly Moser' Clematis is a long-standing garden staple. I added several Allium 'Globemaster' bulbs along the back wall last fall, and was pleasantly surprised to see how they mimic the lavender/pink color scheme of the Clematis.

Everywhere I turn, there are new pleasant vignettes. Are you discovering or rediscovering patterns, textures, and colors in your garden this season?

Austin's Awesome Container Plantings

Stock tank plant display area at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

At the Austin Garden Bloggers Fling last May, I learned that the soil in the Austin area varies widely, depending on the location of the garden. I also learned that Austin gardeners are incredibly creative with their container plantings--often dealing with soil challenges, but sometimes simply because they're talented folks.

Stock tanks, like those used at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center to showcase native plant species, are a common vessel for plants in Austin.



Terra cotta pots set on gravel and surrounded by beautiful rocks are a great way to showcase a little corner of Jennifer Stocker's (Rock Rose) impressive plant collection--in this case, a sampling of succulents.



Metal planting beds edged along a stepped walkway with matching caging seem elegant, and blend well with the natural surroundings at this private garden.



Designer Colleen Jamison's whimsy with pots and plantings includes this delightful stacked display leading up to the door.



A colorful ceramic pot filled with blue marbles suggests water and floating succulents.



Creative window boxes always catch my eye, and the colors in this one are dramatic, but complementary to the structure's paint colors.



Pam Penick's (Digging) stock tank pond is really something special--it fits the surroundings, and the brick pavers framing it.



A totally different style and use of potted plants awaits at the garden of designer B. Jane.





The collections are expertly arranged around the foundations of the buildings and the pool.



Traditional designs are wonderful, too, like this one at a private garden. I love the look of this old-fashioned well-surround, planted with Daylilies, Daisies, and other plants, along with the Celtic cross.



Author/designer Lucinda Hutson certainly works magic with her colorful planters. I love the bright colors of this pair.



This little courtyard on her amazing property is filled with potted fun.



Her unique use of pastel beauty really makes a statement.



Another private garden makes a nice use of echoing potted succulents on the table with a complementary arrangement on the patio. The warm earth-tone colors of the pots set off the beautiful limestone brick.



Succulents spilling over the edge of a metal pot, framed by Salvias in the courtyard--very nice.



Talk about creative--I love everything about this grouping--from the face sculpture to the metal door/trellis to the bright blue pot.



Sometimes pots are so vibrant, the best plants for them are angular and green, like this Pencil Cactus Euphorbia.



Designer Diana Kirby has some unique planters, too, like this vertical planter with succulents, reminding us of the important things in life.



This vibrant blue pot with a tasteful collection of plants spilling out all sides is simply lovely.

The Garden Bloggers Fling is always inspirational and fun. This year we're meeting in Denver, Colorado, June 13-16. To learn more about The Fling visit this link: https://bit.ly/2I7l5ao.

Playing With Colors and Vases

I'm new to growing Dahlias, and I'm pleased with final outcome. They're certainly dramatic and colorful, aren't they?



I was getting impatient because it seemed like it was taking forever for them to bloom. Now that they've shown their faces, I'm thrilled. I can't tell you what specific varieties I have, because they were labeled "decorative mixed." I'm growing them in pots, with plenty of stakes because they're tall and branching--I didn't want them to blow over in the wind.

The first two to bloom (a fuchsia and a medium yellow) seemed warm and deeply colored.



I thought they'd work as very colorful companions with the yellow and fuchsia of 'Zowie' Yellow Flame Zinnia. It's hard to see here, but Zowie has a fuchsia-colored ring near the center.

So I lined them up in bud vases and played around with the vases and the flowers. It worked until the Dahlias began to fade to pastel tones.



At that point, I clipped a Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia) as a companion for the warm Zowie.



The yellow took its time opening, as if it was shy and afraid to show its face. I liked it in all its stages.



I especially like it here, in the aqua vase, with just a "lock" of a petal draping over its "eye" or disc florets.



The fuchsia faded to a bright, vibrant pink--equally at home out on the patio...



Or in its little bud vase in the house. Do you see the lovely tinges of yellow at the bases of the petals. Dreamy, eh?

I don't know why it took me so long to grow Dahlias--I've enjoyed them as purchased or gifted cut flowers for years and years. All I know is that I will dig up these tubers after the growing season and plant them again next year. ... I'm in love.

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I'm linking this post to Cathy's In a Vase on Monday meme at Rambling in the Garden. My vases are very simple this time, but head on over to Cathy's blog to see creative cut-flower displays from around the world.

Nature's Color Palette

I've been thinking about color lately. Many of us talk about color being wiped from the landscape during the winter, and it can certainly seem that way on dark days in December, January, and early February.

But the colors are still there, aren't they? They aren't as obvious because the light is low, the colors aren't as intense, and the grays and browns dominate. On many winter days, we see a lot of this:

Or more accurately, this:

Even the snow incorporates shades of gray, metallics, and even browns and blues.

Because color pops against white, and when the sun is bright, berries and the stems of Red Osier Dogwoods add shades of dramatic burgundy and maroon and red to the landscape:

There's a certain blue-gray of a cloudy winter sky that seems to cry for brightness; while on other days, the sky sings in shades of crystal-clear, bright blues:

                 

Greens are everywhere: the dark, nearly black shades of the conifers, as well as the lighter, vibrant mossy greens:

                 

Of course, brown is always present, too, but oh so many shades of brown--from the dark browns of Oak leaves and soil, to the rusty, golden tones of moss sporophytes and the rainbows of browns on turkey tail fungi:

                 

When we pull together all the colors in our minds, a simple color mosaic begins to paint the picture, with snow as a central element ... when it's present:



But that's not enough: There are so many patterns and shadings in between. Evergreens are often blue-green, and that blue-gray sky is mixed with clouds:



It's insufficient and it's truly just the start of an endless panorama of color. But it helps to paint the picture of winter's colors. Winter, actually, is quite a colorful season if we care to look closely:

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Note: In every season, I've been noticing fun color combinations and inspiring shades of color that feed my creativity. I'm not a painter, but sometimes I think, "Gosh, that chartreuse would be lovely in a sweater over a moss green blouse," or, "I've never realized how many shades of cyan are found in nature."

Do you ever feel inspired by the colors of nature?