Friday, July 30, 2010

VIOLETS/PURPLES IN THE GARDEN FOR DRAMA

PURPLE/VIOLET is a rich color, and it is often called the Queen of Color.  It's actually called this because in times long ago, purple was hard to find, and that made the color a popular one with royalty.  As a result, violet/purple signifies luxury, or royalty, especially in its darker shades.  Purple has several shades, from light lilac shades to deep royal purple shades.  It can be used as a soft accent color, or a dramatic, bold accent in your beds.  However, be sure to balance the "heaviness" of purple/violet shades with other colors; I like to put silver or gray shades with it--Dusty Miller, Lamb's Ear and Silver Mound look especially nice with it.  I also use different shades of purple a lot in the spring with tulips--from white Maureen tulips and light Lilac Perfection Peony Tulips to the almost black Queen of Night.  There are many tall bearded Iris to choose from--with almost any shade of purple you can think of.  You can go online to view iris catalogs from many companies for mail order, although the time to order is almost over.  (Schreiners Iris Gardens will take orders through August).  Clematis has some beautiful shades of violet, as well as dahlias, allium, lupines, Siberian iris, pansies, gladiolas, hyacinths and foxglove.  And, of course, Lilac trees are an all-time favorite in the spring!  Without purple/violet in the garden, things just wouldn't look the same!  Add a favorite purple this year--you'll be glad you did!  This collage shows some favorite purples in my beds.

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