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'JUNES
or
As when the rainbow, opposite the sun
A thousand interm ingled colors throws.
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With saffron wings then dewy Iris flies
Through heaven’s expanse, a thousand varied dyes
Extracting from the sun, opposed in place.
Virgil
Like a rainbow, flowers bloom in thousands or
more varied colors and it’s no wonder the most-
asked question by all gardeners is:
How to bring harmony of color into a garden?
In Elda Haring’s book, Color for Your Yard
and Garden, her suggestion is:
“The plants you choose will inevitably express
your personality, judgment and taste, and the
only sincere beginning is to plan for a color
scheme that you want, regardless of any
conventions. The problem then is to find the
plants that will grow well together, and
agreeably build up the desired effect. The fun is
to gradually modify, refine or intensify the
combinations and arrangements until you have
an individual place of character and charm.”
For a more unified effect without a
haphazard look, the following suggestions may
be helpful.
A simple solution would be to start with a
monochromatic theme of all shades of one
predominant color of perennials.
An all-one-color garden can be attractive if
due consideration has been given to the tones
and tints of that color, their juxtaposition and
provision of varied textures and forms to
prevent monotony.
Another plan could be to plant perennials of
all white colored flowers interspersed with gray
foliage plants, leaving spaces in between to seed
with annuals of complementary color such as:
reds from the palest pinks to deepest burgundies
for contrast, or scarlet reds mixed with orange
and yellow. The many shades of green and gray
foliage help to harmonize the overall effect.
Planting in drifts of color unifies a garden by
reducing the hodgepodge effect of many
different individual plants. A good rule of
thumb is to use three of the same kind of plants
together. You seldom see in a natural landscape
a single foxglove or one wild daisy along a
roadside. Garden designers have taken this
concept out of the wild and moved it into the
garden.
The possibilities of color combinations are
endless. Studying and understanding the
principles of the color wheel can be very helpful
such as: choose a color on the wheel, then look
at the colors on either side of it. Adjacent colors
are a sure way to obtain harmony, such as blue,
blue violet, violet; or red, orange, yellow orange
and yellow. Or mix the complementary colors
together; they are opposite each other on the
color wheel, red opposite green, orange opposite
blue, yellow opposite violet. Warm colors
advance, cool colors recede.
Don’t be intimidated by choice of color.
Plant the colors you really like. Nature has a
way of softening the effects and you learn best
by trying different combinations.
Do buy plants that are compatible to grow
next to each other; that like sun versus shade,
soil that has been prepared with humus and has
good drainage. Consider the height and width
when the plant is fully grown. . . and when is
their peak blooming time.
It’s helpful to keep a notebook of color
combinations and plant names that you see in
other gardens and the conditions you see them
growing in. Keep your notebook with you when
you buy your plants. You’d think you could
remember them, but I can guarantee you that
you won’t when you shop for plants.
Your color scheme and planning ideas may
change, but your notebook will remind you of
why you liked what you had noted in the first
place.
Last month I wrote about using Latin names
for flowers. Here are the Latin names for the
colors of flowers that you might find listed on
the plant tags:
Alba = white
Argentea = silver
Aurea = gold
Autopurpurea = purple
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Box 502, N. Hemlock St.
Cannon Beach. Oregon 97110
43W 736R ES
503-436-2581
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The flower movement was like a
valley of thousands of plump white
rabbits surrounded by wounded
coyotes.
Ed Sanders
436-9356
Mother Nature's
Cannon Beach, OR
"Top-drawer eats”
Natural Foods • Juice Bar
298 Laneda Avenue
P.O. Box 737
Manzanita, Oregon 97130
503 • 368 • 5316
The Oregonian
Absolutely delicious homemade soups and sandwiches
Freshly baked desserts and Torrefazione Italia Coffee.
Nothing indicates that it will be a good end.
Herbert Marcuse
Open Monday - Saturday 10-5:30pm, Sunday 12-5:30pm
W es L aw son
QUIET COTTAGES
CLOSE TO BEACH
YOUR HOST
PATRICK KEALEY
(503) 436-2237
188 E. VAN BUREN
P.O. Box 426
CANNON BEACH, OR
Philip Thompson
’
'
architect
Personalized custom designs for your unique site.
a rc h ite c tu re & e n v iro n m e n ta l p la n n in g
25925 N.W. St. Helens Rd., Scappoose, OR 97056
Organic Gardening
& Maintenance
436-0223
P o Box 800
Tolovaaa Park, OR 97145
Licensed A Bonded
#89168
Cookies • Cinnamon Rolls
• M uffins • Espresso •
Pizza by the Slice
Cheri Lerma
239 N. Hemlock
P.O. Box 825
Cannon Beach, OR 97110
(503)436-1129
(503) 543-2000
Azurea = sky blue
Cardinalis = red
Fuscousea = brown
Lutea = yellow
Nigra = black
Fulva = tawny
Versicolor = various colors
Please send your gardening comments and
questions to June’s Garden, P.O. Box 74, Cannon
Beach, OR, 97110.
UPPER. L C fT EÙG E MARCH
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