I went to Garden Fever and they don't carry that hydrangea but I did find a Golden Angel Japanese shrub mint (Leucosceptrum japonicum 'Golden Angel'). I had read in Fine Gardening that if you suffer from one-of-each-itis you can mass plants of a similar color together and achieve the same effect as massing 3 or five of one plant. In my mind the shrub mint was the same color as the hydrangea.
Turns out it's not, really.
Right now I definitely prefer the hydrangea but I'm going to wait and see what the shrub mint does. I moved a lady fern behind the hydrangea where I'd eventually put a third small shrub. The shrub mint will get 2-3 feet high and wide, about the same as the hydrangea.
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| The hydrangea is still a little sulky from being moved |
Here's a crappy photo of the beds before.
And now. Behind the chairs I'm smothering more grass so I can increase the beds there as well.
Proving that my brain has issues with color, I bought those chairs thinking they were chartreuse. I swear they were, under the fluorescent light of the Home Depot. I got them home and they are . . . pea green?
But I'm not really even looking over there because these guys are blooming on the other side of the yard. Yowsa.
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| Farewell to Spring Clarkia amoena 'Aurora' |
I love how you are expanding your garden more and more...and I TOTALLY agree with that advice...you don't necessarily need multiples of the same plant...sometimes just a plant with similar characteristics. Lately, I've been experimenting more with scattering the same plant around an area...instead of creating a larger "clump" it gives a nice feeling of repetition :-) Oh...and that fluorescent lighting is TERRIBLE...I know your pain..
ReplyDeleteIf you keep expanding the beds, can't you have three oakleaf hydrangeas AND three shrub mints.
ReplyDeleteLOL! I like how you think!
ReplyDeleteThat hit of yellowy-green is beautiful. I'm sure given time Little Honey will mature into a matronly size and do the space proud - and bright.
ReplyDeleteI sure hope so! It has really struggled in its other spot, so I'm hoping it does better here.
ReplyDeleteAt least you do experiment with color. Every seating area in my garden is tan or brown. My umbrella is brown. My pots are brown or terracotta or gray. I bough outdoor chair cushions and they were linen color, so then I got creative and swapped them for black cushions. The chairs themselves are tan. I used tree stumps for little tables, and they are .... stump colored. My patio set is bronze. I need your pea green faux chartreuse chairs!
ReplyDeleteThese chairs would probably disappear in the lush sea of green in your backyard. I should have gone for the blue or the red chairs, at least!
ReplyDeleteWhatever you are doing, it's working! By the way, I think I'm going to incorporate a lot of the garden blueprint you sent me for the other side of my front yard, under the dogwood. Thank you again!
ReplyDeleteAh, it looks so amazing back there. The grass is so green & lush looking. As for the color mishap, I do that ALL THE DAMN TIME! I thought only guys could have color-blind issues,sigh. and guess what, I have a real garden! I'm going to post it tonight, hopefully.
ReplyDeleteOh that's awesome! I can't wait to read/see it!
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