The Color Purple
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- Kirk_Johnson
- Cottage_Garden
- Renie_Burghardt
- Carol Wallace
- bindweed
- Carol Wallace
- max_read
- bindweed
- bindweed
- Carol Wallace
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» Kirk_Johnson - Burple
My mother always called purple "burple", so it took a bit of courage for me to plant it in my garden. I am not very fond of purple foliage, I prefer green foliage. I have become very fond of the purple leaved plum in my garden. It was the only tree in the garden area when I moved here. I wouldn't have planted it, but because it is so dominent, it has become a visual "anchor". If something happened to it, I might feel the need to replace it with another purple leaved tree. It is the only purple leaved tree or shrub in my garden. I had to get my green leaved smoke tree from a mail order nursery, all of the local nurserys just carried purple smoke trees. I do have lots of "redskin" dahlias and I have 3 purple New Zealand flax. I have resisted all other purple leaved plants.I do like purple flowers. I especially like the combination of purple, orange and hot pink dahlias.
-- posted by Kirk_Johnson
» Cottage_Garden - Purple? WHO said purple?
I had to laugh -- guess I've been waaaaaay out of style all these years! But I'm ready for next year, big time if purple's what's in. Here's why.-- posted by Cottage_Garden
» Renie_Burghardt - Loved this article, Carol
I don't have a formal flower garden, but do have wildflowers. Right at the moment the purple wild asters mixed with goldenrod and white asters look wonderful. Mother Nature loves purple too, and does a great job with blending it with other colors for a wonderful effect.-- posted by Renie_Burghardt
» Carol Wallace - Golden plants
Thanks, Renie. Actually it was all the purple in my own garden that got me to give up a lifelong ban on the color gold and install rudbeckias in the garden. It woke the whole bed up incredibly well!Mine didn't start out to be a wild garden, but somehow the natives keep creeping into it in ever-increasing numbers.
-- posted by Carol Wallace
» bindweed - On the color of purple
Purple reigns supreme, I especially like adding purple to the the green-impaired garden, be in berberis, purple smoke trees or the KING of garish Ligularia Othello. Purple also looks great with silver. Best of all using these lipstick hues of violet plum or and wine just proves than Nature sometimes has a sense of humor. So run with it, "plant that harlequin Houttynia under Othello's steroidal majestic purpleing. A Bigleaf compositely blessed with indelicate orange florescences. I call this my Bordello design. I never ever shy away from "vulgar comgination's"I view this as serving two purposes: Their should always be sackcloths left in your garden, revelling in tastelessnes and providing the necessary "take home idea" when the unexpected garden gawker comes to finger pinch your precious garden revelations.
Aside from that theraputic curmudgeony, you will find that by lying under those combinations, that they encourage you to re-enter the more pleasant world all the more quickly. As my friend Dumpster said, "It's good sometimes to wear something we don't really like." The Zen moment of the Vulgar Garden Bed." -- this was from something I wrote a long time ago -- My Dear Penelope Rue Column.
By the way planting False Solomon's seal is a wonderful and tasteful partner to the purple honesty plant.
Herb Senft
-- posted by bindweed
» Carol Wallace - Houttynia
No thanks, Herb! I planted that once and then dug it out for the next five years. Never again!But cotinus! I do love that purple smoke tree - especially since my Grouse rose has decided to climb it and let its flowers acscade down throught the branches - and now it has bright red hips glowing against the red edges of the purple leaves - I like that very much!
I really enjoy purple foliage - and gold, and blue and silver - because it allows me to create a garden that has color even if nothing flowers.
-- posted by Carol Wallace
» bindweed - Your Feng Shui garden
Dear Max,I have been waiting for someone like you. Have your written anything about Feng Shui in the garden. If not you should! I did a tongue in cheek one at my Nursery site. Might even post it on my forum. Please take a look at it and give me an edit or suggestion or two. Will be visiting your site after I post this!
Visit the friendly Pacific Northwest <img src="http://www.olympus.net/personal/skyline/madcow/ditch.gif"> Herbert Senft
Manager Director - Pacific Northwest Gardening
Pacific Northwest
The Mad Cow Recipe Archives
Skyline Nursery/fengshui.htm
-- posted by bindweed
» bindweed - Houytinnia
Carol,I totally agree with you on the plant. The best descriptive I ever read about this plant came from the late British plantsman Geof Hamilton. "Planting it in a moist border is like inviting the Hell's Angels to a choir outing."
Amen and Hallucination!
My own first exposure was in the 80's were I saw it introduced at an Oregon Exhibition. Hundreds of the beasties were potted in orange pots. I felt that potting verged on being considered assault with a deadly weapon.
Herbert Senft
Manager Director - Pacific Northwest Gardening
Pacific Northwest
The Mad Cow Recipe Archives
Skyline Nursery
-- posted by bindweed
» Carol Wallace - I THINK my garden has pretty good feng shui
I read the books one winter and tried to work it out. It would bemuch easier if our house didn't sit at somer really weird direction like South/southwest. I do know we have to relay the front walk so it isn't such a straight shot.-- posted by Carol Wallace
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