Friday 17 June 2011

Gardeners always say never - but never mean it

For someone who doesn't "do pink",  I seem to have quite a lot in my garden.

At the start of the year, I have assorted hellebores.  Mostly in my default colours of purple and yellow (as in shed photo), but there are a few that err on the side of rose coloured.

Hardy geraniums started off with the darkest flowered g. phaeum I could find, but now there are white and cerise as well (the latter albeit bought for its near black/purple foliage).  Above all, I have allowed Herb Robert to pop up in gaps as it sees fit.  I forgive the girly pink flowers as they are loved by insects, but equally for the red stemmed foliage.

Not all my Heucheras have white flowers.

Then there are my Hepaticas and Anenomes - mostly white, but some have a pink flush to their petal, as does my new Clematis, not to mention the Erigeron I am coaxing into nooks and crannies in the brick paved area inside the raised beds.

Barring one yellow flowered alpine, all my Sedums are pink flowered, as is the Bergenia that I rescued from the sorry display in the front garden when we moved in and replanted in a more suitable position.

Come late Summer, Echinacea purpurea will join the display, if the Cepholaria (in my more favoured buttermilk shade) hasn't smothered everything by then.

Add to that assorted Thymes, Sage, Turkish Rocket, Betony, Ragged Robin and self sown Aquilegias.

Finally, there are Foxgloves.  Granted, I have a parviflora, but in the main, they are pink.

So, for all my protestations that I won't include the colour pink in any of my planting plans, on reflection it seems to be the most prolific shade.

Maybe if I actively include it in the garden, my favoured shades of cream and purple will actually take over.

8 comments:

Mandy said...

Your garden sounds like paradise! You should post some photos of it!!

Brendan @ Merewether Life said...

I agree with not doing pink - we have two daughters and are trying to wean them away from pink saturation. Is difficult. In the garden we are happy with growth and diversity whatever the colour.

Blue Shed Thinking said...

When I was small, my favourite toys were my Britains Farm models and Matchbox cars. I had dolls, and a grandmother forever making clothes for them, but I was happiest being as aspiring showjumper.

These days girls are forced into being either trainee WAG or princess boxes. Neither of which are acceptable career paths. Things have certainly regressed on that front.

Chris said...

Your garden sounds wonderful more photos please to satisfy my senses.

{ T G L } said...

Found your blog through the 'Down to Earth' link-up. Glad to hear your garden is going well! Hubby and I just started our own little vegetable and herb garden on our balcony and it's a new and exciting project! I have heaps of admiration for people who can grow stuff! :)

All the best,
This Good Life
http://this-good-life.blogspot.com/2011/07/on-my-mind-baby-steps-to-urban.html

Kim said...

I have just popped over from Australia, after seeing your blog address at Rhonda's blog. What an inspiring place to visit. Will keep popping over I think...I like the way you think.
Kim
http://thelittleblackcowblog.blogspot.com

Jo said...

Thank you for visiting my blog and leaving a comment. I didn't think I did pink either, but when I think about the flowers in my garden I realise that I have a pink flowered heuchera, one of my hostas has pink flowers, I have a pink dianthus and a pink geranium. Then there's the fuchsia, and aquilegia. Hmmm, I bet there's more that I've forgotten about.

Blue Shed Thinking said...

Jo, now tell me there isn't a Pink Conspiracy!