This photo is from 2020, but it is fun for me to reflect on what the garden looked like just a year ago even. I absolutely love the color combination of my spiderwort (see website page) and my Azalea blooming together. What is gone this year is the chartruese-colored bush because hubby hated how prickly it was when I trimmed it back several times a year, the hosta because we took out about 25 of them last year as I was weary of caring for them especially when they were in the sun and the leaves died, and the Columbine. The Columbine is peaking out from underneath and hubby must have weeded it or it just did not survive.
I am happy with today’s clean feel today of the Spiderwort and Azalea together blooming at the same time. I like that I have empty space to be creative and am considering what else I can pair with the duo. I really like the yellow-green added in the mix, but there is something new waiting to happen.
Here is the YouTube video. I share on the website how last year in 2023 my Azalea did not bloom at all. This year it is blooming from underneath and not on top because it blooms on old wood. It’s kind of messed up this year, but I am happy it is at least blooming. It was almost dead last year from a late frost and I am glad it is surviving.
The big take-away for me with this study is that the Azalea is actually a Rhododendron! I thought they were two separate things! All azaleas are Rhododendrons but not all Rhododendrons are azaleas.
The website has photos of an old Azalea we owned that died and how it bloomed with the Iris which was lovely.
I watched a video this morning that talked about “color echoes” in the garden. I love that phrase! It talked about how we tend to have one-plant-itis when we should be planting three or five of the same plant spread about. But the cost so much money! I have that problem. I plan on doing some dividing of some of my plants in the coming year to help with that.
She talked about how different plants with the same color (i.e. different shades of purple) still give the same effect and carry the eye about the garden. I do have a lot of that naturally as I have been removing red blooming plants and focusing mainly on pink, purple, and yellow when I buy plants. Orange sneaks in sometimes.
However, she talked about how you can also consider the colors of the leaves, the stems, and the yard decorations to give balance and still have single plants here and there. I already have been doing that too! I had some yellow (chartruise) bushes that helped carry the eye, but we took those out and I am pondering how I will replace that color need with something different. But we do paint our garden decorations either white or teal, and even our furniture, and I do place things strategically to carry those two colors through the garden. These things do not rely on blooms and are always there working for the balance and flow of the eye artistically.
So sweet! As I sit here and type this drinking tea, my neighbor just brought over warm blueberry coffee cake for us! She wanted us to have it while it was warm. That’s so sweet! The rain is currently light and I have the window opening listening to it. I am choosing to find joy in the sound and smell of the rain rather than being frustrated that my long list of garden to-do’s cannot be done on this opportunistic Saturday.
Wishing you a joy filled Saturday,
Cheryl
P.S. I took a bite. Amazing! So perfectly light and fluffy and not too sweet. I need this recipe!
P.S.S. I hope my Wisteria did not die. It was about to bloom and looks like the frost got it and I see no life to it at all. Being as it covers the entire pergola, and took us years to get there, that would not be good at all. Watching for signs of life.
Oh, I hope your wisteria didn't die too!
There's a rhododendron garden over on Whidbey Island that I want to go to. And also a chocolate flower farm.
https://www.meerkerkgardens.org/2023-bloom-report-copy