re early summer blues from Cali
- Subject: re early summer blues from Cali
- From: D* W*
- Date: Sat, 30 Jun 2001 09:56:37 -0700
I've been inspired to note the blues in my garden which seem to be
concentrated in a particular area.
In the background is a stone wall covered with sky-blue plumbago, and
draped along the top with wisteria, which at this time of year has lush
fresh foliage accented with only occasional bunches of light purple-blue
flowers.
The bed is dominated by an ancient lemon-tree which bears fruit twice a
year and is now covered with dangling acid-yellow fruit. As I remember,
this was what led me towards blues in the first place when I originally
planned the bed--they go beautifully with this paticular yellow.
Below the tree are several clumps of tall Salvia uliginosa, a light but
very bright royal-blue, and some more mature clumps of Catanache--a
cornflower shade--that have strayed onto the gravel path. At two
corners of the trapezoid-shaped bed are large half-barrels splitting at
the seams with Agapanthus africanus, now in its glory. Some dark blue
larkspurs on their last legs are still evident here and there. And over
the fieldstones edging the bed Convolvulus mauretanicus is draped, past
it's dense Spring prime but still very active. Two pots of Verbena
tenuisecta, a darkish voilet blue, mark the remaining two corners of the
bed.
In other parts of the garden, besides several well-established clumps of
dark-blue Salvia 'Victoria' we have our lavenders: 'Goodwin Creek Grey,'
which has been going strong for nearly two months, is now fading; as are
the more short-lived blossoms of the angustifolias 'Hidcote' and
'Munstead.' Our Lavendins are in their first year. The 'Grosso' is in
full bloom, 'Seal' and 'Dutch' still not shooting up buds. Also in
dark, branched flower is L. christiana--a dentata included as a gift in
an order from Pepiniere Filippi--thank you Olivier!--it promises to be
spectacular when it fills out.
A new climber, just budding now and climbing up our pergola, is
Thunbergia grandiflora, from Janet, in Crete--thank you Janet! It
promises to be sky-blue, and is supposed to mingle with Podranea
ricasoliana 'Countess Sarah."
All the above get watered twice a week.
In the wild, the only blue right now comes from wild chickory.
Cheers, everyone
Cali Doxiadis
