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Tuesday 1 February 2011

Lust List for Shrubs ? and a QUESTION!!

First my disclaimer that any of these are my own pictures .. I would be using my own pictures logically if I already had these shrubs .. right ?
I have to admit to being a "repeat offender" .. with certain colours that is.
Since I am an Autumn fan .. aka .. Halloween nut, I lust after a certain colour pallet at times ..
Obviously you can see the ORANGE factor working here .. berberis thunbergii "Orange Rocket" is positively on my "shrub lust list" ..
Ever since I have watched my two "Aurea" barberry perform for a few years .. I try and over come my thorn fear issues and totally admire the change of gorgeous greenish gold .. to full on GOLD .. to colours ranging from gold, orange, rust and almost red.
So I skipped a few steps and went straight for the orange factor with this one.
This picture looks exactly like my Aurea come Fall ...
Picture of what my Aurea looks like when it is in full yellow gold mode.
"Concord" berberis thunbergii ... now how better a contrast can you create with two shrubs in the same family ? Talk about eye candy in "foil'... mode ? wink wink
I love this deep deep burgundy velvet look ... it is just beautiful ! .. I am so ready to hunt down this plant and perhaps buy multiples .. I have plans swirling around my head .. almost dizzy!
Now for something completely different .. weigela .. it has been an awkward love affair with My Monet .. I thought the plant looked way too busy and it did not appeal to me at all.
Then a serious mark down happened a few years ago and I just had to buy a couple because it was ludacris with the almost paying me to take it opportunity .. so it took me a little while to warm up to them .. but I think I have ..
Now they have one called My Monet Sunset .. and yes .. the selling point is the fabulous orangey rust colour that is drawing my Autumn eye once again (is there a support group for this sort of thing I wonder ?).
It actually reminds me of my Southernbush Honeysuckle .. so it has its toe in the door no matter how I feel about it .. I have to try it out and that is that !
Now for the darker side of the story .. Spilled Wine Weigela ..
I have Midnight Wine and it is a little beauty ... now this one seems slightly darker .. and of course that huge contrast with light coloured shrubs is going to be fantastic ..
Plus look at how amazing it looks like in a terra cotta container .. surround it with other potted plants to play up that deep shade of dark wine .. which will probably go the awesome reddish burgundy in Autumn as do some of my other shrubs that start off with this shade.
In fact I found this picture (from the net) of Summer Wine ninebark in the back with Aurea barberry in front .. now does that pop or what ?
The dark purple barberry in front is Crimson Pygmy with Aurea in back .. perfection!
This last little picture (again from the net) is an ideal grouping that I am thinking of this year.
Black mulch is a must for a base plate for me now .. I actually shudder when I see old pictures of my garden with that red mulch .. screaming garden nightmares ! eeekkkk !!
The light and dark colour scheme with different textures and sizes of plants .. some flowering, some just foliage .. some evergreen .. well it can serve as your own little world almost?
If I can find the perfect place I would love to have either Golden Showers or Golden Shadows.
I have been knocking my head against the wall trying to find out whether these are two different cultivars or there has been a huge following of two different mistaken names that should be one?
If anyone knows the answer to my puzzle I would love to hear from you !
So .. are they two different cultivars ? and if so what is the difference between the two? HELP!

13 comments:

RPS77 said...

I've got plenty of barberry at my new place - unfortunately I don't yet know what color, since I just moved in this month! I'll have to wait another 3 months or so - the same goes for most of the rest of the plants.

Bonnie said...

Sorry, I don't know if they are 2 different shrubs. I just wish I had more room in my yard to put more shrubs. I enjoy my flowers, but I'm finding that with colorful shrubs, you get the color all season, not just a few weeks of color.

Gail said...

Dear Joy, I cannot answer the shrub question. But, I can say with complete honesty that this is my favorite statement from you this week! "because it was ludicrous with the almost paying me to take it...opportunity" I know the feeling~I bought 6 Caryopteris 'Summer Sorbet' because they were pennies on the dollar and it made no sense not to get them! xxoogail

fergushort said...

Joy Dahling:
Fabulous post on contrasts in the garden, and a wonderful expose on some of the awesome Berberis that are out there..... be forewarned though, quite a few of them are not available here in Canada thanks to whoever and whatever deems them as invasive. I tried for B. Helmond Pillar for three years and met heartbreak! Concorde is divine and diminutive!

As to your question.... the only 'Golden Shadows' I can think of is Cornus alternifolia 'Golden Shadows.' Golden Showers....... are you sure this isn't the title of an adult movie???LOL!! Sounds like something Edina and Patsy might have rented!

Rebecca @ In The Garden said...

I thought I was going to make it through this post unscathed (ie without additions to my list ;) )And then you posted the GORGEOUS Spilled Wine Weigela!!! I should know better than to open any blog post containing the word 'list'. My lust list contains Blue Hydgrangeas. If they would only grow in my zone I would have a garden full. Sigh.

Gatsbys Gardens said...

I never knew there were so many weigelias. I have the larger ones at my last home, but I just bought some of the smaller dark ones last fall, Dark Horse. I am anxious to see how they do.

Eileen

Anonymous said...

I have terrible childhood memories of getting barberry thorns in my fingers when I was out in my mother's garden. They are so hard to remove and fester terribly! Then barberry was banned and there was no temptation when I first started to work in my own garden. Now, I am finding all these new really amazing varieties and they are making me really want to get over my silly phobia. I also love that light wine weigelia that you showed in your post as well. I might have to do some lusting of my own! LOL
Have you got your snow shovel at the ready?

Anonymous said...

Nice list of shrubs to get contrasting and varied color. All are garden brighteners.

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hello there RP and yes .. sadly we have so much more time to "weather" winter .. big groan ! But .. it will be interesting to see what you do have there won't it ? there could be plant treasures waiting for you !

Bonnie : ) this question has really caught me .. either a huge mistake in spelling ID or there may be two similar but different cultivars.
You are so right about how useful shrubs are .. I love how different and colourful they can be for such extended periods of time .. ornamental grasses do it for me too! : )

Hello there Gail girl : )
Isn't it a hoot when we find those plant bargains !! Do you know I have NO caryopteris ? I have to zone in on at least one this season and wow ! you got a wonderful group for the perfect price : )

Hey "you" LOL !!
Thank you sweeteeee ! haha .. Yes, I know the chances of me finding the exact ones I want are slim, darn it all ! It really makes us crazy when we lust for a certain plant and have to bang our heads in the wall of "not happening" aarrggh!
I wish I knew what is going on with those two names .. yes, I know of the Golden Showers (I want it, but where I can put it is problematic ? another naughty word ! .. I just saw "Pats" on another wild journey and she did make me laugh : )

Rebecca girl : ) I wonder why you can't get a blue hydrangea to over winter .. are you adjusting the soil ph ? and adding lots of mulch for the winter ? .. don't give up yet ! there has to be a way ;-)
YES !! Spilled Wine has me in its grip .. I want it and that is that!

Eileen they are breeding more and more down sized shrubs and plants in general .. they finally got it about gardeners that have restricted spaces yet crave all these gorgeous plants : )
I really want to know how your "Dark Horse" does .. it caught my eye too !

Jennifer it is blowing badly here .. not so much on the accumulation level but driving with white out conditions is a huge problem .. son tried to get into work and had to turn around.
Have you got good rose garden gloves that go up your arm ? wear those when working with the barberry! it will help yo feel safe from those thorns .. I have caught a few in my time but I keep my shrubs cut back quite a bit if they are not naturally small .. these new varieties are gorgeous though aren't they : ) get lusting girl !

Hello Donna : ) ... I do love the dark and light contrast with these shrubs .. and of course Autumn colour is a huge bonus : )

Anonymous said...

I can't help you with the mystery. I hope someone knows something. I love the photos though and the newer Monet Weigela is a winner.

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hey there Grace girl : )
I think a few sites have mis-spelled the "Showdows/Showers" thing so there has been a mix up perhaps by that goof up ! haha .. Those aren't my pictures remember ;-) I don't want to read some one is coming after me for that ! eeekkk ;-)
Yes .. this newer Monet has me interested .. funny how they can reel you in ?

delia said...

what beautiful colors!!!
My favourites are Berberis....

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hello delia and I have to admit berberis are eye candy for sure !