Thursday, August 20, 2009

The power of the flower

My garden is all about the foliage and the spikes. The flowers are a nice color punch, and I do love the exotic ones, but it’s rare that I buy a plant because of the flower. The exact opposite is true of the gardener who created this garden.
I remember she once said to me “If it doesn’t flower then I don’t have room for it.” Because of this decree I have been the lucky recipient of Japanese Blood Grass (Imperata cylindrica 'Rubra'), a huge container of Hens and Chicks and some little grass called Bunny Tails (Lagurus ovatus). She didn't have "room" for them...and gave them to me!Her garden is a true riot of color. There are always multiple things blooming and she does an amazing job of keeping it all fresh and ever changing. She grows a lot of these from seed and somewhere in her garden she also found room for 34 tomato plants!

13 comments:

  1. I appreciate a gardening zealot, whatever their stripes...

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  2. This garden is lovely. I like the colour mix of the zinnias. This rose is a bicolour?

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  3. That is a wonderful riot of colour. Though of course I also love foliage and structural plants. How lucky of you toget the "rejects".

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  4. Love the cleome and the red zinnia...what a colorful garden!

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  5. Good luck with your two new plants you received :-) I love all the flowers you have snapped here. Yes what a wonderful job the gardener has done. Have a beautiful day!

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  6. Talk about colour punch! Wow. The zinnias are a favourite of mine. Beautiful!

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  7. I agree with Patricia. A gardener can't help but love the enthusiasm of another gardener, no matter the style.

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  8. It's like opposite gardener. Thinking back on all the plants that I bought for the leaves, but I took them out because the flowers ruined it for me. I don't share the style, but I love gardeners with such a strong commitment to their vision.

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  9. Lesson learned: make friends with someone with opposite taste and both will benefit.

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  10. Wow! That's a real eye-popper. It's funny how some just get really committed to an aspect of gardening - she with her floral sunbursts, you with your spikes and tropicals, others with their "only veggies" attitude. I wish I could choose something, have a vision, and stick to it - too much of a hodgepodge at my place. Cool that you got a blood grass - I have been enjoying my small clump and think I might need another one.

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  11. Patricia...I so agree...

    Autumn Belle, I am rose ignorant, so I can't say for sure. I'll try to touch base with the gardener and get back to you. As a novice I would certainly say it seems to be.

    Nicole, definitely! I couldn't believe it when she gave me 3 blood grass 4" pots!

    botanical brouhaha, I do love the Zinnia! She said this is the only issue with vandalism that has occurred, people try to pick a stem of the Zinnia and end up pulling up the whole plant.

    Mom Taxi Julie, it is!

    Stephanie, oh they are all in the ground and doing very well, thank you. It was hard to pare down the pictures to those that I shared...too many beautiful ones!

    nacybond, I too love the Zinnia, I have only tried to grow 'Envy' and failed. Perhaps I will have to try again.

    Pam, exactly, she knows what she is doing and goes to it with such vigor.

    Megan, yep...I was gonna call us Yin and Yang but that's not really right. I really liked the foliage of the 6th photo, but I guess it is also a big bloomer, just a little late. I'll try to get a shot later when it's blooming.

    Ricki, ha! Yes this is true!

    Karen, isn't 'hodgepodge' is the best of all worlds? I resisted the allure of blood grass for awhile but have really come around and love it now.

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  12. I LOVE this post!

    I'm like you, Loree - I don't ever think I'll be a 'Flower Power' gardener, but I am really enjoying the exuberance of this garden! Even though I'm all about architectural plants and spiky sharpness, I've noticed that I've been desiring a little more in the way of flowers. I even purchased some plants because of their flowers for my front yard the other day -gasp! I think it's the influence of other garden bloggers ... and anything that can attract more bees, birds, and butterflies into our gardens has to be a good thing!
    XOXO!

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