The usual (two day) summer heatwave arrived this week in some parts of the UK. In the southwest it reached around 22C on Wednesday, but there was coastal fog. The most irritating part of this week has been the influx of seagulls leaving their horrid white gunge all over the windows and car. Usually when they come inland in a storm they stay on the fields, but this week they have been on the roof of the barn next door, on my roof and screeching at both ends of the day. Jackdaws have also appeared to join in the melee of rooks and crows! It’s like being in Daphne du Maurier’s novel ‘The Birds’. And I don’t like it!
This week is all about the colours in the garden. I was sitting in the herb garden where I can spy on the bird feeder (watching a particularly fat sparrow chick being fed by dad) and suddenly became aware of the colour combinations that are working particularly well.
The bright golden green Himalayan honeysuckle with its dark red tinges on the new leaves and the crimson flower bracts works well next to a crimson acer and on the other side are the dark purple, almost black, stems of verbena hastata f. Rosea and thalictrum ‘Elin’.
Looking around I then noticed the pink and white foxgloves with a background of pink and white erigeron with the ‘Silent Sentry’ daylilies reintroducing the crimson and gold touches.
And finally the white foxglove which again picks up the crimson colours in its speckled throat. The same colours are repeated in the hydrangea ‘Garden House Glory’.
Do you colour coordinate the plants in your garden or is it all just a happy coincidence?
Jim of Garden Ruminations is our host now and as a former nurseryman has a lot more than the SOS happening over on his blog so well worth following. As always, if you want a peek over other people’s garden walls then please pop over to his site where you find links to many more wonderful garden enthusiasts from all over the world. See here for the participant’s guide.
Cornwall in Colours 
That is a very good question, a little of both I think. Sometimes it works, sometimes not and they get shuffled. Your garden is looking good. You made me laugh at the beginning with the (2 day). 😀
Mrs T aims for colour blends but we are living with a wilder approach to gardening these day and get many combinations which are surprises to us.
Not a bad way to go about it.
I am chaotic. There are plants I planted mostly with height in mind, and seeds I scatter to the four winds and hopefully don’t pull up when they sprout. I also don’t have the heart to pull up things that reseeded, but have found that to be a bad plan. Too much of a good thing…
I know what you mean about the plants that re-seed. I have Verbena bonariensis growing in my pathways, but I am reluctant to pull them out as they look so pretty!
You’re right, the lovely colours in your garden are truly striking! I like that it’s not colour by colour, but a medley of bright colours together … the pink, white and purple look beautiful in one shot!