Color Coordination Help Requested

I don't know what on earth has happened and this is truly an accident but I have become the purple and yellow lady. I am in desperate need of a new color splash in MANY areas and some interesting plants to boot.

Here's a duranta that I hope to grow into a tree, surrounded by ruellia. I need something to plant in between the two that's NOT PURPLE or YELLOW (I promise I do not follow football at all and am no fan of any team, unless they're from Texas, and even then I never watch 'em).

I would like something perennial that will grow taller than the ruellia and compliment the duranta once it achieves it's tree status. Fragrance is a plus but not absolutely necessary.

Suggestions my friends, please!

Kristi

kristi, I cant give you plant names but my personal choice would be something white, assuming it won't clash with the house. A safer option a pale pink. a wilder option: a hot pink or orange.

This message was edited Jun 19, 2006 10:11 PM

I thought about orange lantana but I'm so tired of seeing it planted all over the place. I definitely like the idea of hot pink or orange.....I want to go for humongous color!

the is a lantana that is multi-colored: cherry pink and orange, very happy little lantana. easy to get at houston plants and gardenworld. I see if I can find a pic. My first thought was lilies, but they bloom for just a while, where lantana offer more blooming time.

lantana camara Miss Huff, is the one I was thinking about.

you also have roses, Pink knockout would be cheerful and relatively low maint.
daylilies would be like lilies, not enough blooming time.

Great minds think alike. I have another bed....see pic.....that I already have 2 knockout roses in. Please, look at the bed and tell me what you think about my idea. I want to plant 6 more "Knockout Roses", all in the center and surrounding the bird bath. Around the pines, plant Agapanthus, completely surrounding them. Surrounding the entire bed, including the roses, the multi-colored lantana, and then, surrounding all of that, more ruellia ( to tie the various beds in together).

But, keep in mind, this bed also has multi colored freesia bulbs, amaryllis, a few iris' and some daylillies (that I'm not happy with) that blooms every spring, it's very established and will fill in any gaping holes. The bulbs that come up when I plant the new plants will be put in other beds. I love my freesia for the color but am not fond of the browning after the bloom. Thus, I want to hide with the roses and agapanthus.

Looking at the picture now, I realize you cannot see the entirety of the bed. It surrounds 2 pines. In the very CENTER of the bed, I have planted a Duranta that I am shaping into tree form, it will be the focal point.

Thoughts?

I see what I believe is a blush knockout in front of birdbath. Is the duranta standard behind the birdbath, closer to the fence? I see one pine tree, I guess the other one is not in view but I will assume birdbath is between both pines.

as close as we are from each other, I should go see. but right now busy with stepson visiting til thursday.

another thing that would be an interestinc contrast (going back to your first pic) would be variegated soc. garlic. It would have the same blue color flower, but the variegation in the leaves would be a nice break between the two existing plants. But maybe too monochromatic

i saw blue and white agapanthus at houston plant and garden world for $2 each. Marvelous plant. When planting ruellia are you going plant all 3 colors (purple, pink, white) or what?

Agapanthus for $2 each! Where's that nursery?

Actually, the bird bath is not centered in between the pines. It is closer to the one north and the Duranta is planted smack dab in the middle of both. You can't see it in the picture, really.

I have thought about Society Garlic....just wish it grew in pink or orange or red. The foliage would be perfect for the area, just not the flower color....you hit it on the money.....too monochromatic.

re: ruellia....I've planted all 3 colors but the PURPLE takes over. When first planted, I mixed all 3. That was 6-7 years ago. I occassionally get a pink one but it is soon overpowered by purple.

I think the PURPLE gods are out to take over my yard.

Sorry didn't read all the way thur but if it's full sun Bulbine Tangerine is good, orange and yellow, very bright and cheery.

A pink knock-out rose would be pretty and they're so easy. What about purple coneflowers?

Not that my vote counts, but ORANGE would be my choice. Much better on the eye. Tropicana rose would be nice.

Why not yellow? It would contrast with the purple, I was thinking of Yellow Bells.

Great suggestions everyone! It needs color splash in a desperate way!

Do you have enough shade for impatiens? I've seen all color of impatiens this year. Red, Corals, Pinks, Whites, etc. I have a lot of the white, purple, and pink.

Don't be ashamed of purple & yellow - it's a fantastic color combo! Purple/yellow are opposing on the color wheel - opposing color combos should be used when you're looking for high drama/impact... if you're looking to add a bit more yellow to oppose the heavy amount of purple you've got, I really like this coreopsis variety (zagreb, I think?)... I just put together a container (including mostly purples & yellows, in fact) with this guy, and the contrast is great!
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/48881/index.html

If you're looking for something else besides purple/yellow, I'd go for a couple of the analogous colors (those NEXT to purple/yellow on the wheel) to maintain the rhythm... next to purple, fushia/magentas would be a good choice - you could even do a bat-faced cuphea, since it has those dark purplish tips; next to the yellow you might try some yellow-greens, like a margarita potato vine... if you want color impact, those leaves are pretty loud! Good luck!

Esperanza - in orange. I love purple and orange together! Well, I love purple and pink together too, and purple and yellow, and blue.. Y'know, purple goes with anything! Another thought I had was plumbago - that would keep it soft though. But I love blue and purple together. (I think I may have already said that...) A rose that would look great there is Lafter. Hard to describe the color. Sort of peach fading into yellow...Very disease free. BTW, Society garlic comes in a variegated leaf, with pink flowers. I have it...

Oh - just had a thought...I think something spiky would look good between the ruellia and duranta. Add yellow and you've got: Dietes bicolor. It adds color and texture
CJ

CJ, I have the var. society garlic, I would describe it more as a bluish lavender, or are there more colors. I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to have one with a pink flower.

Well, let me look at it again. I thought it was pink. I'll get back to you on that...
CJ

CJ, what is Dietes bicolor? I like the spiky idea. I had no idea esperanza came in orange. Where can I get it? I love esperanza! I have lots in the front yard.....but it's yellow. And I'm leaning towards an orange splash. I think this bed will be really pretty when it's finished. I want it full!

That society garlic sounds lovely too.

Krist

April,

What is bulbine tangerine? Is that a society garlic or another pant altogether?

KC... I do really like that coreopsis too! that would also be pretty around it. I love purple and yellow together....that's probably how I ended up with so much of it. I just don't want my yard to look like the Minnesota Vikings and, trust me, it's on it's way. Nothing wrong wth Minnesota...it's my paternal heritage....I just need new color additions.

I have the ruellia, purple passion flower, durantas, plumbagos,, lots of purple freesia and amaryllis and iris' (in spring), Vitex and Mountain Laurel and Texas Sage, and now liatris all in the front yard. And that's a lot of purple! On the yellow side I have 6 esperanzas (yellow bells) and a stapelia that has giant yellow blooms with purple centers. I recently planted 2 hot pink bougainvellas in between the yellow bells so that will break up the yellow a bit and I have blue plumbago and pink lantana and four o'clocks (does anyone know how to get rid of them?). Up one side of the trellis I have mandevilla, red and pink and on another trellis I have a soft pink bower vine (oh, how I have fallen in love!). I also recently planted a moon vine. I'm getting there, one bed at a time and on a very small dime.

Dietes bicolor - African Iris, Peacock Iris. Spiky narrow leaves in a big clump, with scapes that produce flat soft yellow flowers all over, repeatedly. Evergreen. http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/1882/index.html

That is beautiful. Have you seen them at any Houston area nurseries?

Oh yes, they are all around. Got mine at The Arbor Gate in Tomball, but have seen them in many places. It shouldn't be hard to find. I'll take a photo of my clump so you can get an idea how the whole plant looks....I like it even when it isn't blooming - for the narrow spiky leaves that fountain over...

I went out a bought coreopsis today and I'm not sure I like the foliage with the other plants. See pic. Thoughts? I'm thinking I like the spike idea better (if I can find the African Iris). But I have another spot for the coreopsis....in front of the bower vine.

What do ya'll think?

Kristi

....or society garlic.....I really like that stuff.

Knolan, since the ruellia is kind of spiky, and then the dietes is really spiky, maybe too much spikiness? What about a fountain grass where one of the corepsis is and then something else beside it?

that's an idea......

btw....used to have impatiens here but the sun just beats them down. Not enough shade. Maybe one day when the duranta is larger.

And then again....I'm thinking in the long run.....picture the Duranta 8-10' tall (treeform) with the small Ruellia surrounding it. The ruellia looks like a curly pompom to me....leaves are spiky but they curl downward. The Duranta, a tree. I'm thinking an upright, spiky 2-3' plant in the center might complement the whole look. Guess I just won't know until I put a sample down. Yeesh. I've become obsessed with this little bed. I also placed some multi-colored lantana around it that I have in pots and decided that's not the answer. I can't figure out where to plant those little things. Or even if I want to.

Does everyone here start to get really picky like this? Or am I just "growing"? I used to stick things just any old place. And now, I'm on here when I should be out pulling weeds!

Kristi

Too dark to pull weeds now! LOL

I'm getting bad. I've already loaded the coreopsis back in my truck and plan to take it back tomorrow. Put it in front of the bower vine and didn't like the "look" there either. I love the plant, don't get me wrong, just isn't "jiving" with what I had in mind.

Again, am I crazy?????

Yup.

Bulbine is low growing likes sun but does ok w/ some sun

http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/108608/index.html

Just remember that Dietes bicolor - African Iris, gets really large, it spreads so if you use it you may want to divide it every few years- it is very pretty and it is trouble free but I had several that I forgot to divide and when I went back to it oh man what a job!

This coming from a person whose sanity you just recently saved. LOL

Have you tried to find a place where you can put them all together in a nice patch? I love them...and I don't think they look all that bad where you put them, either. Maybe a little busy, but I like the color..

You actually take plants back? Wow! I always end up finding a spot for them, I wish I had more discipline.

And when you finally have to divide your Dietes, think RoundUp - not the chemical.....

Yeah good point ceejay!

Cute...Roundup...not the chemical.

Fly-Girl, no, I've never taken plants back. But this time I'm going to. I've wasted too much money not planning things out and just throwing something here and there that ended up not working in the various spots that I've put them in. For once, I'm really trying to plan the yard and see it for the long term design that it will become. Years ago, I didn't pinch a penny but I'd bet that in the last 13 years at this house I've spent over ten grand (at least that's what my Quicken categories tell me) just throwing my $$ away with my haphazard plantings. I want a plan. And I want a place that I can sit out at night and just completely enjoy my solitude. My "haphazards" are really something to laugh about.

You're right, it's easy to spend alot. I chalk up my 'haphazardness' to getting used to this Texas climate. And, moving things around. Sometimes I think the poor plants just give up, they can't bear to be moved again. I should try to plan more. That's my plan....to plan.