It is that time of the year when most of the spring blooms are finished and the summer perennials have not yet come on. In recent years, I tried to collect some plants for the cottage garden that can fill in this period with some interest and activity. This spring, these plants are blooming, but I see an accident. All the plants are blue or purple. Oops.This is the result of never coordinating plant colors, other than to keep pink things (which I don't have a lot of) away from yellow things. This combination makes me nauseous.
Filling in two rear yard beds, the ajuga is blooming. These were planted as a shady ground cover last year, so their spring blooming is a welcome surprise - much taller than I expected. Leaves are green, but turn a dark maroon in the summer.
The side yard has a new blue iris, blue muscari, along with some late-late show pink tulips. I waited two years for this particular iris to bloom. The pink tulips are leftovers from last year, and looking good considering that they are repeat bloomers.
The front has blue 'May Night' salvia and magenta drumstick alliums. The salvia and allium could do a better job of coordinating their colors. Blue and magenta are too close to each other. I wish foliage on the alliums would last until after they bloom, instead of dying off as they start to bloom. This allium is supposedly 'Persian Blue,' but their color says the nursery lied.
Garden Calendar: • Blooming: azaleas, Clarence iris, ajuga, salvia, allium, macrorrhizum geranium, muscari |
My yard is mostly blue and purple now, too. I'm ok with that. I also have some white to brighten things up: Solomons Seal, white bleeding hearts, bearded iris. For other colors, may I suggest columbine? I have some lovely Aquilegia canadensis 'Little Lanterns' that is red and yellow.
ReplyDeleteI think your blues and purples are lovely. Your Alliums look like my Purple Sensations rather than Persian Blue. Sometimes bulbs get mixed up I found that out when 3 out of 6 amaryllis bulbs were not what I thought I was getting one year. LOL! Have a wonderful weekend!
ReplyDeleteI have some Ajuga in my rock garden/drainage solution. It's such a nice bit of color and spreads like wild fire.
ReplyDeleteYour plants is looking good thanks for sharing this :)
ReplyDeleteCherry,
ReplyDeleteColumbine would be great for the side yard. Great suggestion, as it would not overwhelm things. My rose columbine in the front yard got fried in the sun a few years back.
Lona,
I got what I paid for - from a cheap online nursery that could not keep its bulbs straight.
J.C.,
My ajuga is beginning to creep. Think it may belong in my 'invasives' garden (right next to my 'poison' garden?)
Blue is great isn't it?
ReplyDelete