Color Themes in Barbara’s Garden

Choosing the right colors makes the garden

Today we ’re research color in Barbara Owen ’s garden in Wellesley , Massachusetts .

I savour starting my morning with the beautiful photography , plants , and garden design in GPOD . I ’ve shared before , but this time I was remember aboutcolor . I ’ve always loved working with people of colour , whether it was choosing narration for a sweater , material for a comforter , or flowers for the garden . My favorite colour for a long meter have been reds , oranges , and yellowness , but I ’ve been learning to include magenta , pinkish , white-hot , and a bit of sorry .

Much of my garden is work up around ordinary , sturdy , and honest perennials and annual in my favourite people of colour . I was especially happy to see these red and orange daylilies(Hemerocallishybrids , Zones 4–10 ) reappear this summer after being deplete byrabbitsfor several season .

I enjoy planning for the color scheme in unlike areas of my garden to evolve through the time of year . In spring , I like to focus on sunshiny yellow , pink , lily-white , and blue . Here , the alyssum(Aurinia saxatilis , Zones 4–9 ) and slowly appear daffodils(Narcissushybrids , Zones 3–8 ) will fill this area with hopeful yellow , to be follow by yellow / purple flag and blue woodland phlox .

This past summer , four group of daylily were link by red salvia(Salviasplendens , Zones 9–11 or as an annual)—some purchased seedling as well as some that reseed from the previous summer)—exuberant zinnias(Zinniaelegans , one-year ) from last twelvemonth ’s seeds , and red dahlias(Dahlia variabilis , zona 8–9 or as a tender medulla ) that were a gift from a champion over twenty twelvemonth ago . Thedahliasneed to be grok every fall , but when they reach 6 foot marvelous and are covered with blossoms , they are worth it ! This area is often accentuate by bumblebees ; Danaus plexippus , painted peeress , and tiger swallowtail butterfly stroke ; goldfinch piece on the zinnias ; robins splashing in the boo bathroom ; and hummingbirds enjoy the feeder as well as the flowers .

In spring , summertime , and fall , this area takes its color scheme from an anonymoushydrangea(Hydrangea macrophylla , zone 6–9 ) that was a gift many years ago . It bloom white with pink and blue , then the colors become more acute . That ’s a ‘ Lady in Red ’ hydrangea(Hydrangea macrophylla‘Lady in Red ’ , Zones 6–9 ) in the background , which I purchase after take about it inFine Gardening .

In fall , the hydrangea blossoms plough a rich rust-brown rose , complementing a nearbyJapanese maple(Acer palmatum , Zones 5–9 ) as well as its comrade here .

Farther along the mete is an area that gets high noon to late afternoon sunshine . Next to the fencing on the left are deutzia bushes(probablyDeutzia× magnifica , Zones 5–8 ) , which are cover with small white blossoms when in flush . These were all grown from cut from a neighbour .

The chief color here throughout the season is yellow . It come from ‘ Butter and Sugar ’ Siberian iris(Iris‘Butter and Sugar ’ , Zones 3–8 ) ; daylilies ‘ Irish Elf’,‘Stella de Oro ’ , ‘ Miss Amelia ’ , and another lily-livered day lily whose name I ’ve forget ; yellow-bellied primroses(Oenotheraspecies ) transplanted many years ago from my parents ’ garden ; and yellow loosestrife(Lysimachiapunctata , Zones 4–8 ) from a neighbor .

The area around the shed begin as a “ moonlight garden ” , mostly white to show up in the shade of a big sugar maple and to be visible from our nearby screen porch , where we spend every even during the summertime . I used a green - and - white hosta , a blue - and - green hosta , and ‘ crepuscle ’ and‘August Moon’hostas , as well as whiteastilbe , begonia , andimpatiens . The maple is now gone , and in the bright sunshine I ’ve adapt the livid color outline to let in yellow marigolds from redeem seeds , gentle browallia(Browalliaspeciosa , Zones 9–10 or as annual)—I buy a four pack and make lots of cuttings — and a very light-headed pinkish ‘ New Dawn ’ climbing arise . I sate the hanging basket and window box on the shed with bloodless and lily-livered annuals .

Completing the circle of our backyard , we ’re back to carmine , orange , and yellow again with more marigolds , ‘ Goldsturm ’ rudbeckia(Rudbeckiafulgidavar.sullivantii‘Goldsturm ’ , Zones 3–9 ) , orange dahlias , hoary maroon coleus , a cherry-red - orangeness New Guinea impatiens(Impatiens hawkeri , Zones 10–11 or as an one-year ) and pots of geraniums(Pelargoniumhybrids , Zones 9–11 or as yearbook ) , all reliable plant and not munched on by our prolific hare universe . I have to laugh at myself when I think of plan the people of colour combinations at the starting time of the time of year and look at all the chicken marigold I randomly popped into open spaces . But the yellow looks upbeat in the sunlight or rain and ties everything together .

Here ’s a last spirit before we leave behind the garden .

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