Color Riot
The garden blogs and magazines are full of photographs of spring flowers as much of the country says farewell to a brutal winter. It's no coincidence that many of these are macro shots, as the flowers are often a small part of the overall landscape this early in the season. If you're a foliage gardener, however, you can get out your wide-angle lens and snap away, almost indiscriminately. The colors assail you from every part of the spectrum: yellows, blues, maroon, orange, red, bronze and of course, green. In the photo above, the Spirea does look like it is on fire, giving credence to its name of 'Goldflame'.
At this time of year, texture and form take a back seat, as the colors are bright enough to leave afterimages on the retina. The fiery yellows and oranges are complemented by the richness of the greens and reds, while blue strikes a soothing note.
Coprosma repens 'Plum Hussey', Abelia 'Kaleidoscope' and Arctostaphylus densiflora
The spring colors are also borne by evergreen shrubs, which perk up and shine with the stronger sunlight and longer days. The trio in the photo above are all evergreen; they carried the garden interest through the winter and now aren't about to be outshined by their deciduous neighbors.
Cupressus cashmeriana, Viburnum nudum 'Winterthur' and Pinus ponderosa 'Big Boomer', with Berberis thunbergii 'Orange Rocket' and Quercus robur
Some of the evergreens seem to spring to life as the deciduous shrubs and trees nearby leaf out. The soft, deep green conifers provide the perfect backdrop for the red and yellow of the barberry and oak.
Pinus mugo 'Ambergold', Leptospermum 'Dark Shadows', Coprosma 'County Park Red', Juniperus x-media 'Daub's Frosted', Cordyline 'Design a Line Burgundy', Libertia peregrins and Cupressus glabra
Even the dark foliage has a richness in spring, especially when repeated throughout the border. The Leptospermum, Coprosma and Cordyline are drenched in the same deep burgundy, which provides the perfect anchor for the yellow, blue and orange. Green, as always, is the unifying theme.
Acer palmatum 'Mizuho Beni', Juniperus communis 'Kalebab' and Loropetalum chinensis
The burgundy of the Loropetalum in the photo above provides the same contrast to the greens and yellows and the orange of the maple (Acer palmatum 'Villa Taranto) just leafing out on the right.
Even the seed pods of the Cercis chinensis
In the photo above we see the Spirea, Physocarpus and Acer 'Iijima Sunago' again from another angle. The oranges and reds are made even brighter when contrasted with the blue of the cedars over the door and the seed pods of the redbud in the foreground pay homage to the maples' fiery tones.
Ginkgo biloba 'Mariken' and Berberis thunbergii
Green and red are color wheel opposites and make dramatic combinations. This pair of deciduous hardwoods slumbered through the winter unnoticed until they burst into attention-grabbing foliage in spring.
The same Berberis,
The 'Admiration' barberry has evergreen neighbors on its other side, and when it leafs out in its red glory it brings out the crimson stems of the Drimys lanceolata on the right and the bronze tones of the Thuja plicata 'Whipcord' and Cryptomeria japonica 'Elegans Compacta behind.
Yellows, like all light colors, draw the eye and liven the landscape. Yellows are represented above by Abelia 'Kaleidoscope', Euonymus 'Emerald 'n Gold', Yucca 'Walbristar, Acer palmatum 'Mizuho Beni' and even the light green foliage of the Banksia in the foreground. A softer blue note is provided by Cedrus deodara 'Prostrate Beauty'.
The other side of the path has a similar theme, but the Euonymus is joined by Phormium 'Golden Ray' and the blue is provided by Picea pungens 'Lucretia' and Agave 'Blue Glow'.
From the other angle, burgundy plays a much more significant role, and the blue of the plants is echoed in the ceramic pots around the folly.
The brighter colors draw the eye, but there is also beauty in the softness of groupings of colors that are next to each other on the color wheel, termed analogous combinations. The Cedrus, Arctostaphylos and Banksia provide repose from the incendiary foliage around them.
Even though we are overwhelmed with the spring colors, we can't ignore structure and form completely. A trio of young Agave vilmoriniana, aptly named 'octopus', anchor a corner and provide textural as well as color contrast. We're using more and more succulents in the foliage garden, interplanting among the conifers, maples and other woody plants. Stay tuned...