Brown...
Brown...
Brown...
It's easy enough to fixate on this colour during the depths of winter. But before we explore other winter colours lets go back to this photo:
Do you consider dead and decaying vegetation on the ground winter interest too? I do, almost as much as the Miscanthus on the second photo.
Going back to other colours there are the evergreens of course which supply the colour... green
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| Schefflera taiwaniana |
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| Mahonia eurybracteata |
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| Cornus officinalis |
Red from berries
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| Polygonatum tonkinense |
Orange from the fish
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| Yucca linearifolia |
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| Yucca desmettiana |
Then there are the metallics too, like hints of silver from
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| Rhododendron 'Viking SIlver' |
Mark :-)
This gardening blog follows our journey as we create our Tropical and Exotic themed garden. We hope you'll enjoy the journey as much as we do. We started our Exotic Garden in 2005 and this site will show its development, as well as our travels, both abroad and within the UK to gardens, nurseries and friends.
What about the purple in the last picture? is it from the same rhododendron?
ReplyDeleteHi Lisa, I forgot to focus on that one. It's R. 'Everred' :)
DeleteWe're lucky that neither of us lives in a climate where white is the predominant color all winter long! You have a lot of great color going on in your garden right now!
ReplyDeleteIndeed Peter, and the thought just makes me shudder....
DeleteFunny, I just watched a webinar that emphasized, among other things, the importance of paying attention to all the colors in a garden composition, including those contributed by paths, mulch and the like. Now, my eyes are crossing trying to figure out what colors I need to add to create harmony among the colors I already have. I'm currently looking for blue-green - too bad the Yucca linearifolia is too big for the spot I have in mind!
ReplyDeleteWith all the new areas in your garden you're developing, figuring out what colour combos to go for all sounds exciting Kris :) blue-green, some shrubby Euphorbias fit that bill
DeleteLike Lisa I'm fixated on the purple leaves in the last image. What are they?
ReplyDeleteHi Loree, it's Rhododendron 'Everred' :) it's possibly there already in your neck of the woods as Evan Bean is aware of it
DeleteHello Mark and Gaz,
ReplyDeleteThe thing about winter in the garden is that one notices so many more details. The lush distraction of spring and summer take one's attention away from many of the things you mention here. So, yes, there is colour, form and texture in the garden.....look carefully and there is much to see.
So true Jane and Lance. There's so much competition going on, vying for ones attention in the summer that it's much easier to miss details in the summer. Winter has its plus points too :)
DeleteThe second picture is very striking. Miscanthus is my favourite grass I think, mainly because it has such a long season. When will you chop it back?
ReplyDeleteWill probably chop it back late Feb or early March Jessica. Sometimes when we get a warm spell late Feb you can see new growth already pushing out :)
DeleteWe're thinking along the same lines here, guys! I popped round to Wisley recently to take a peek at their winter colour (putting together a blog post now) and had quite the thrilling day. Interestingly I was very taken with a mahonia there in the woodland which looked just like yours - Mahonia eurybracteata 'Sweet Winter'? It's cute little thing, only growing to 1m tall, I've earmarked it for my plant files. And, yes, dead foliage is fab - I took a lot of photos in the Glasshouse borders where the perennials have been left for seedheads - quite, quite beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThere's always so much to see at Wisley isn't it Caro? I'm looking forward to your blog post about it! We went there just after Christmas and planned to go back soon as we felt we still missed out on a lot of things. Glad you noticed the Mahonia 'Sweet Winter' there, it's the same one on the photo at the base of the red pergola :)
DeleteMy eyes went straight to the green in the first few photos, even the tiny bit at the top of the gunnera photo. I do appreciate dead foliage, too. I love my Hakonechloa and Molinia in winter. They add a different texture and bright color to contrast with all the deep green that surrounds my parents' house. I love Rhododendron 'Viking Silver'. I'll have to see if it's available in the U.S. I was going to say you forgot to mention 'Everred', but I see you've answered that question already. It's available in at least two places in Washington that I know of. Probably more by now.
ReplyDeleteGrasses are fantastic aren't they Evan in adding winter interest in the garden? Glad to hear my memory served me right and that you are familiar with Everred, I think Loree will appreciate your knowledge on where to find them there :)
DeleteAre pictures 1 and 4 a spot the difference competition? :)
ReplyDeleteI thought I was alone in leaving lots of dead debris on the surface as a mulch and am sometimes mildly apologetic about it. Now you elevate it into beauty!
I am afraid I have cut my many miscanthus back now (with hedge trimmers). I do find they eventually blow all over the place and do make a mess in my wind exposed garden if I don't remove them to the compost heap. Your leaves are beautifully layered!
I ought to play that game here one time Roger, spot the difference :)
DeleteThe temptation to tidy up too much is always there but left for awhile can serve to protect plants. Cutting back Miscanthus don't seem to do harm though and if it becomes unsightly in your garden it's probably for the best they are cut early on, like what you did.
What a great post! Even in Houston gardens rest in winter and I enjoy the subtle colors in your garden and here in mine. I am noticing buds on my trees and my first round of daffodils are up and so bright against the muted colors in the background. And I love dried and withered grasses. Your fish are very colorful and i love the red glass balls! Is the Cornus officinalis waiting to be planted? The little yellow flowers are precious.
ReplyDeleteThanks Laurin! The Cornus will be planted later on. An extra interesting thing in your garden are all the unique wildlife you have that you've highlighted in your blog, their winter activities are fascinating to read :)
DeleteI love driving through the winter landscape with its many shades of brown. Calvin Klein colors to the max.
ReplyDeleteThat's a god way of putting it Ricki, and it's the colour of chocolate too :)
DeleteI love the look of a natural garden and what is more natural than fallen leaves - mulch we call it. Love the various colours and I hope you don't get too much white this winter.
ReplyDeleteHopefully not much of the white stuff indeed Missy :)
DeleteYes there are plenty of other colors to accent the overwhelming brown, but brown's time is limited. Spring is coming!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely Debs, a big reason to be cheerful about :)
DeleteLots of lovely colour indeed, from plants, animals, and objects. I see more green in winter here and brown in summer, sort of opposite to you!
ReplyDelete