If our garden wore a dress, it would be made of white linen, accessorised with a flowing pastel silk scarf. Saucy Orange 'Ballerina' Tulip lipstick would glaze her lips in spring; in summer, they would shine red with Scarlet Monarda. "But I'm getting tired of this dress" she pouted, just the other day. "All this white"! So we came to a compromise, the garden and I, that we would try a new stain on the back lattice and see if that might give us a lift.
Daringly, I thought of a passionate purple, or a hot fushia...but flowers could give me that extra punch. "Too drastic" the Captain said. Yellow...red...Black! I would have loved black. But the wall would have disappeared totally. So we played it safe and well, what do you think?
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| Solid Stain Grenadier Pond, Benjamin Moore CC-650 |
I'm not going to say I love it..but I do like it. In my heart though, I miss the white. It might grow on me...you never know. The thing is, it also disappears a little bit, and so there's a different "feel" to the garden and we did want a change, the garden and I. She's alright with it for now. "Still rather pastelly greeny blue" she said. I expect next year she will want to go all out and dress in purple passion but I will have to put my foot down. "White just looks better on you dear", I will say. "Really, it does!"
I think, in fact, a good jolt of orange is what we need, so along with orange cushions for the outside furniture, there's now a bit of glass decorating one corner bed, framing Verbascum 'Clemintine'. She's a beauty I must say, and I have high hopes a long and productive life is ahead.
Walking up the side of the house, towards the back garden, Azalea Gibralter is absolutely glowing...
And to try to prove my point about why orange gives a tremendous zing to "any outfit", look what this salad is wearing! Imagine it without the orange peppers.
So don't be shy, there's more out there than orange daylilies and pumpkins in autumn. Add some zing to your garden, your salads or your outfit. "Orange" is, the color of the year you know!
The new trellis colour is very Farrow & Ball, I think it merges well with both the picket fence and the trees in the background, an intermediate colour if you will. Do you have plans to grow anyting up it?
ReplyDeletePaul, thanks so much for commenting. It is very Farrow & Ball isn't it))) White is so much safer! Thank you for feeling it does merge well, and for that reason, I am not too unhappy with it. Yes, I am certainly thinking of some orange back there...Scarlet Runner bean perhaps, Painted Lady almost looks orange from far away. I have planted tomatoes there to trellis as that worked last year fairly well.
DeleteEnjoy your Jubilee!
Beautiful Brenda and I do like the new colour on your fence. Wait until you see the planters on my deck. They look exactly like your salad. Very dark canna, orange cosmos, yellow sweet potato vine,a dark leafed oxalis with yellow flowers and a few yellow orange and red marigold tucked in. Great minds think alike but I didn't know orange was the in colour. I shall send you a photo when they are in their glory.
ReplyDeleteDonna
PS. The primula japonica are blooming and there is a blue poppy alert! Twelve buds this year!!
Donna, thanks for commenting. Your planters must look fantastic. Will visit soon. Please do send a photo!
DeleteWell, what a treat. I don't have to wait until fall to see what Ballerina tulips looks like. (on the tags!) isn't this time of year wonderful. It's so fun to get out and see things exploding into flower.
ReplyDeleteYes Erin, this spring is really winding ahead...bursting with bloom. Thanks for your loyal comments.
DeleteI am an orange fan and my favourite combination is orange purple and red together. Loved the description "If my garden was wearing a dress" I will be wondering what sort of fabric my garden is wearing all day now. Beautiful garden photos.
ReplyDeleteThank you JB for your kind comments. What fabric is your garden? I love that combination of orange, purple and red as well..more and more each year as well as some acid or lime green.
DeleteIt looks lovely gives depth to the canvas. How daring having glass outdoors. I just know that it would end up in pieces in our garden.
ReplyDeleteThank you Sue. I wouldn't have thought of glass in the garden but we are seeing more garden art/craft in the shops now, made of glass. That piece is very heavy and seems quite strong. We'll see.....
DeleteI just love your garden! It is so beautiful.
ReplyDeleteAngela..thank you so much. I am enjoying your blog, especially the wise advice.
DeleteI guess I am in the minority as I love the white! But then since we have white I guess I am partial to it. No matter, your gardens are beautiful! Nancy at Cozy Thyme Cottage
ReplyDeleteI like the white too...I miss it. But what is it they say..a change is as good as a rest?
DeleteThank you Nancy, for you kind comments.
Despite my love of orange on my clothes and inside the house (I painted the bathroom orange, Jody says we can open up an ING branch in there) I steer away in the garden. Isn't that silly? I see your photos and think how utterly stunning those tulips are. Don't know why I have that mental block in the garden. I like the new colour on the trellis, it differentiates it from the fence and gives it some dimension making the garden look larger.
ReplyDeleteThank you Marguerite...so glad you like orange too. I don't know when I realized the pop it gave to the garden..unlike red..which shone like a beacon..orange was a compliment..a bright compliment. Not all over..just grouped together in height and texture here..or over there. I like it a lot. Thank you for your loyal comments and kind remarks, always honest and appreciated.
DeleteThe thing I like about the new color is the fact that it helps visually distinguish the lattice from the picket fence. Not sure about grey though. (I hope you will forgive me for saying so.) I am not sure what color I would have chosen in your shoes. Maybe a color that relates to the potting shed, the house or house's trim so there is a continuity.
ReplyDeleteI do love orange and wish that I had more of it in the garden.
Thanks Jennifer. I admire your design sense so much, always clearly communicated on your beautiful blog. It was a hard decision but it's a change and that's good. The color is Grenadier Pond cc-650 which I really should have noted on the blog post. (a sort of greeny blue but more to the green) Will do that now. Thank you.
DeleteWow .... your garden is looking even more beautiful! I love orange ... it's been my favorite color forever ... I remember wanting an orange room as a child, but my Mom was not one to try bold colors ... so she said light yellow walls with orange accents! Ah, it worked ... every one was happy! Orange is a happy color ... I'm glad to see it get so much attention this year! :-)
ReplyDelete~Michele
Thanks Michele. An orange room! wow, that would have been pretty stunning! Yes, it is a happy color, and I am very pleased with adding more.
DeleteThe garden looks stunning Brenda! Its nice to have some change as it gives a little challenge in the garden
ReplyDeleteThe back lattice colour will give a nice contrast to whatever you plant there. The structures you and the captain have designed are just the stage for the drama and beauty your garden creates.
Love the plate and salad! Susan :)
Thanks Suz for your encouragement and kind comments. More orange makes me feel happy.
DeleteI love orange and your choices are wonderful Brenda. Fun dialogue and yummy salad greens . . . I am sure they are from your garden too. Great photos . . . especially the first!
ReplyDeleteThank you Carol for your kind comments. Yes the salad is from the garden except for the four thousand mile orange pepper ;-(
DeleteOn one of my walking routes through Oak Bay there's a house with black/green lattice. I watched the lattice go up and was very doubtful about it, but now, surrounded by/covered by plants it is perfect. I get it!
ReplyDeleteSo pleased you are back in the blogsphere! Interesting to read about the black/green lattice as it was one of my fav colors once. This lattice is more a mid green tone...sort of the color of the garlic leaves right now...bluey green. Thanks for your comment!
DeleteJust found your blog and am so please that you are in the same zone!! I'm over near Peggy's Cove and am a novice veggie gardener. I love your picket fence and think I will need something like this or higher this year. We went away last summer and took our dogs and in 3 days the deer knocked down my chicken wire implement and ate my whole garden (right at my largest harvest time). So sad, but determined to try again.
ReplyDeleteLiz..hi!! Thank you for commenting. Yes, we are close to the same zone but our back garden has a bit of a micro climate as it is protected. Are you in full wind or protected as well?
ReplyDeleteThe deer can be such a nuisance and they sure have a taste for beans I find!! Do try again... Having dogs around does make a difference for certain.