Somewhere in my daily blog reading, a Blog That Shall Not Be Named stated that as far as combining colors in the garden, pink and yellow are, well, gross. It got me to tweet about it on Twitter, which started an interesting conversation about Mother Nature’s color savvy. Personally, I scoff at anything being “in” or “out” in the garden–certainly there are trends, but I don’t plan my garden or those of my clients’ to be botanical accessories. If it’s found in nature, it’s right and “in.” Need some examples? Check out these crazy Couldn’t-have-come-up-with-that-myself plants:
bio.brandeis.edu
Purple coneflower with its screaming purply-pink and orange color scheme defies all sense of good taste, yet I can’t stay away from it. I keep trying this in an outfit, but alas, it doesn’t work.
worx.com/ LewPhotos/
Ah, and then there’s the passion flower! Fashion equivalent of wearing a 5-tiered skirt with a ruffly blouse and floppy hat. We’d be laughed at even in polite company, but there you have it. Unapologetic and in your face.
photo by wikimedia.org
Coleus is sort of like the color-blind kid who doesn’t know that lime green and purple or pink or orangey-red doesn’t go, and whose hippy parents don’t give a rat’s butt if it looks funny because it’s all about self-expression. Not content to hide in the corner, coleus is all about being seen, but it’s so cheerful you don’t mind.
ecoterralandscape.com
There’s something about the peachy/coral and yellow combo that’s like fingernails on the botanical chalkboard to me. Plus, the sheer amount of bloom is so….unseemly for a well-bred vine! It’s making me blush, actually, so let’s move on to:
baconsrebellion.com
Gaudy is one thing, tacky and fake is quite another! I had a new client once who gave me directions to her house by saying, “Honey, it’s the one with the plastic flowers by the door. You cain’t miss it.” She had a sense of humor about it, and while I would never suggest using fake flowers anywhere (it just ain’t fittin’), when you use plants that have seemingly garish colors or wild forms, you have to do it with some attitude. And certainly, no apology. After all, if it’s dreamed up by Mother Nature, who are we to nay-say?
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Fun post, Jenny. I love bold color in my own garden, though I can appreciate calm, restful combos as well.
Thanks, Pam! On my balcony, I actually don’t have any color at all right now, for the first time ever! It’s all succulents. I’m enjoying the contrast in texture and greens rather than the boldness of flowers. I’m sure I’ll mix it up again in the spring.
I had vines of passion flowers covering an unsightly fence when I lived in South Austin. What an amazing flower! I used up so much film (yes, film, it was long ago) practicing my macro photo skills on the blooms. I love flowers that don’t match. I believe they validate my decor choices
Whaddya mean you can’t work that into an outfit? Lady Gaga could pull it off.
I LOVE pink and yellow lantana, daylilies, what else can I get my hands on in those colors? I’m pretty much an “anything but red” girl, and even red works sometimes, too.
Robin, there’s something about the pink and yellow combo that reminds me of Easter, which I love because it’s in the spring around my birthday! It’s just so darn cheerful. Thanks for your comment!