Flower Power
In my last blog, ‘Any Colour Goes’, I floated the idea that there are no bad flower colour combinations. However, I do also agree that colour theming parts or even all of a garden can be worth the effort, offering a different kind of visual experience, often creating a sense of calmness and coherence. But regardless of planting strategy, for me, the flowers themselves are the stars – no matter the colour. Each one is worth waiting for and studying. I enjoy marvelling at the idea that nature and of course the brilliant plant breeders, have manage to create such exquisite beauty. So, I thought I’d post a few photos of sumptuous flowers and combinations to inspire your borders.
A typical cottage-garden combining a wide range of flowers and colours – Echinacea, Agastache, Rudbeckia, Crocosmia and others, plus lots of green stems and strap-like leaves to fill the space between flowers and soil – enjoyed by us humans while providing food and habitat for biodiversity
From riotous cottage-gardens with eclectic colour combinations to the complete opposite – the sublime beauty of the blue Himalayan Poppy seen growing below in a container at the @The_RHS
Mecanopsis flowers are all beautiful, but is there a more beautiful one than the blue Himalayan poppy? They do need a cooler, moist microclimate and will grow outdoors in Perthshire, Scotland – lucky people!
From Himalayan poppies to Californian poppies -Eschscholzia californica, which will grow happily in most areas of UK and are drought tolerant. They come in a range of colours – deep pinks, golden yellows, red and white, that will spread and mix over time.
Maroon red Knautia macedonica flowers sharing a bed with yellow / orange Kniphofia flowers together providing an exciting colour combination. The structural relationship between the erect flowering stem of the Kniphofias and the wire entanglement of the Knautia stems, dotted with smaller flowerheads, works particularly well. This plant combination is enjoyed by butterflies and bees.
Nigella damascene, planted as an understory in front of tall bamboo stems. Is there a more exquisite flower or seedhead? The flower comes in mauve shades, pink or white and will self-seed into elegant drifts, if allowed.
Helenium flowers – such showy, dazzling flowers, look at their best when grown in great clumps – as often seen @Kewgardens along the Main Avenue. But they also work well in smaller cottage gardens, bringing a touch of ‘joy’ to any flowerbed. Give them an opportunity and they are sure to reward you. A range of colours are available.
Erigeron karvinskianus - last but not least - the smallest of the flowers on display but a favourite of many a garden designer. It will form large low mounds, cascade of walls and grow in rocky cracks filling awkward spaces with its happy clusters of pink and white small daisy-like flowers.
All of the above flowers (and 100s more) are illustrated in SeeHow’s Flower Growing Guides, which show when the growing and flowering periods occur. By using the Guides, you can ensure your garden is filled with the colours of your choice, all year round.
Happy ‘Flower Power’ gardening, from SeeHow
The above Photographs and Text are copyright of Wincenty (Wicek) Sosna. Please contact SeeHow (07939 226417) for permission to reproduce in any way, in part or as the complete text.
Wicek, now semi-retired, is a multi-award-winning architect. He is also a writer, horticulturalist and keen gardener. He lives in Macduff on the dramatic north Aberdeenshire coast. He invented the unique interactive SeeHow – Growing Guides concept, which actually shows gardeners how plants and veg grow throughout the calendar-year. Because SeeHow Growing Guides work visually, anyone can use them - from school children to garden design professionals. Pictures really are worth 1,000 words!
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