Berry Beautiful

The Autumn season is certainly my favourite season, as I love the changes that the season brings. I have always been drawn to berried plants, as they provide colour during the gloomy Winter, as well as food for the birds. The Autumn hues in the foliage colours are also particularly attractive and certainly brings a whole new dimension to the garden in the Autumn. As the season ends, the last of the leaves fall to the ground in almost a surrender to the colder and dormant period.
A few of my favourite plants that form the basis of the Autumn/Winter colour in the form of berries, are:

Callicarpa bodinieri

Hypericum inodorum

Nandina domestica

Gaultheria procumbens

Pyracantha

Skimmia japonica

Skimmia ‘Pabella’

Viburnum tinus

The legend of the Poinsettia

The beauty of the red star-shaped Poinsettia cannot be missed during the Christmas season. Also known as the Christmas flower, it has a legendary story which comes from Mexico . It started with two poor children, Maria and her little brother Pablo, who wished they could give something to the church for the Baby Jesus in the manger scene. As they had no money, they picked some weeds along the roadside, while setting out for church on Christmas eve. This was their gift for Jesus in the manger scene and they were teased by many children when they arrived with their gift. Maria and Pablo placed the green plants around the manger and over time, they miraculously turned red and soon the manger was surrounded by beautiful star-like flowers. The Mexicans named the plant ‘Flor de la Noche Buena’ or ‘Flower of the Holy Night’.

These striking blooms caught the attention of Dr Joel Roberts Poinsett, America’s first ambassador to Mexico, who brought the plant back to America and raised it in his greenhouse in Charleston, South Carolina.
It was named in his honour in 1836.
This stunning plant’s beauty is celebrated at Christmas with colourful displays of the traditional red, pink, cream, white and other colourful combinations.

They are now available from most Garden Centres, so get yours soon to bring a festive feel to the indoors of your home around the Christmas season. Position them where they will receive alot of light but no direct sun and make sure they are kept away from cold or warm drafts to ensure the best results.

Autumn shades that transform your garden

Autumn just happens to be my favourite season, as it brings on a massive transformation in the colour spectrum within your garden. The Autumn hues range from yellow, orange, brown, red and gold and when these colours are all present at one stage of the season, the look can be breathtaking…until the leaves fall off!

Some of my favourite plants that represent the best colours of Autumn in these collection of images:

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When considering options of planting schemes when designing a garden, you want a combination of evergreens and deciduous shrubs and trees, so that the evergreens will give the all year round structure, with the deciduous plants providing a transformation of colours and structure.

Try combining some of these beautiful deciduous shrubs and trees in your structural planting scheme to bring some interest in your garden during the Autumn and Winter months.

Happy gardening!

Berry Beautiful

The Autumn season is certainly my favourite season, as I love the changes that the season brings. I have always been drawn to berried plants, as they provide colour during the gloomy Winter, as well as food for the birds. The Autumn hues in the foliage colours are also particularly attractive and certainly brings a whole new dimension to the garden in the Autumn. As the season ends, the last of the leaves fall to the ground in almost a surrender to the colder and dormant period.
A few of my favourite plants that form the basis of the Autumn/Winter colour in the form of berries, are:

Callicarpa bodinieri

Hypericum inodorum

 

Nandina domestica

Gaultheria procumbens

Pyracantha

Skimmia japonica

Skimmia ‘Pabella’

Viburnum tinus

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The mood of colour

Thinking back on my recent visit to RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, it was evident how the planting scheme created the mood of the garden. It influenced how you perceived the garden and what effect the garden had on your senses.
Would you spend time in the garden to relax?
Sit there to inspire creativity?
Go there to enhance the mood?
Colour can have a dramatic effect on our senses and mood and when gardens are designed, the colour palette and planting scheme needs to reflect the requirements of the client. What purpose does the garden serve for the client?

Some of the planting schemes that really stood out for me were:

The black planting scheme in August 1963, ‘I have a dream… that celebrates 50 years of progress in racial integration and equality since Martin Luther King’s famous speech in August 1963. It also had a white planting scheme representing racial segregation, but the combination of the two, representing racial equality making this garden a place for contemplation. 

The orange planting scheme in the Mid Century Modern Garden was an energising colour scheme with high impact.  Inspired by a 1950’s image, they combined the orange with tones of red and purple and then added a reflective pool, designed to create a relaxed and contemplative atmosphere. 

The blue and white planting scheme of the Willow Garden had a very relaxing feel to it and is the sort of planting scheme which makes you feel like spending hours in the garden. It certainly had me standing there alot longer than some of the other show gardens I visited. The garden was created as a place for a romantic dinner and the planting scheme certainly achieves the desired romantic feel.

If you are looking for inspiration for your desired colour scheme, it makes sense to explore the effect of certain colours on your mood and then begin looking into a range of plants that combine well with colour, form and texture to create the correct mood of the garden.

Happy gardening…