Pacific Northwest Gardening: Plant Combinations, 1 by

wrote:
Here's my very favorite 'vignette' photo from one of the perennial beds. I love using the bright colors of coleus and the incredible textures and shapes of rex begonias in the summer garden.

I have to admit, though, that like most other avid, or maybe 'rabid' , gardeners, some of my most successful combinations have been accidental. It's easy to plan when you are inserting things like coleus or rex begonia that are not hardy so have to be placed each year wherever you choose to place them. Getting the perennials to bloom together when you want them to is another story. Year before last I had the most glorious combination of Saponaria 'bouncing bet', Allium 'globemaster', Campanula latifolia, lily 'black beauty' and Baptisia australis. Talk about jaw dropping. I was out there staring at it in a most embarassing way. I was so disappointed this year when I got hardly any blooms! The baptisa bloomed poorly, I got one allium bloom, not at all with the baptisia, the campanula was dreary, and the lilies had disappeared altogether. The soapwort bounced along, but was all alone. In the fall I dug out the entire bed and turned in a yard and a half of compost. I'm hopeful things will go better this year.


Hiya, murmur! It's the middle of January. Can March be far behind???? and how about that sunshine??

Estreya, I do love that house in the photo you posted. It's marvelous!!


This message was edited Jan 14, 2007 10:03 PM