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Monday 18 June 2018

The Light and Dark ....

Well .. we are due for intense heat and humidity today .. with a promise of a possible thunder shower to break it up to a lesser degree.
I have to face the fact SUMMER is breathing down my neck.
Saturday I worked on the back garden .. with a good deal of guilt I left the front garden to fend off the weeds and much needed adjustments to it's own devices until I can rescue it ?
So .. for now this is post about the "light & dark" of the garden.

A sprinkling of light plants in dark situations is rather eye catching and soothing in the heat of the season .. a trick of the mind to think you feel cooler looking at them ?
I am trying to train this bright little shrub into a mini-me tree ? .. it lights up a rather shaded curve.
Can you make it out to the back right of this picture ? .. in real life it shines in that area.
I have to mention the morning back light against the Chinese Fringe tree makes it glow, very pretty!
I have something a little different for a shaded ally-way ..
A Kiwi vine .. it has been growing there for years .. it struggled with a much too enthusiastic Sweet Autumn clematis that virtually drowned the poor thing .. now it is a singular attraction.
The pretty white, silver and pink pigments are coming in to it's own .
Next is something so bright white it is hard to look at in complete sunshine .. I should have attached my polaroid lens to the camera .. but you know how you take pictures on the fly at times right ?

Twinkle will age with a slight variation of blue streaking eventually .. which is quite nice.
White isn't the only shot of "light" under shady circumstances ... yellows ...

Even shades of "brown" with just the right lighting can perk the scenario up.
Silvery blues are almost better viewed in part shade .. other wise they can looked washed out.
They can act as a pretty foil to other colors and  many shades of green.
Full in your face sun can be a bit hard to handle .. so this was at it's height of "glare"
I try to keep a little supportive water out for the insects .. hopefully the beneficial ones do benefit ?
The blue marbles are for my benefit, portraying a hint of "water like" subterfuge ?
Pinot Gris heuchera looks amazing no matter what light it is in .. this is an old plant .. maybe as old as 7 or 8 years believe it or not .. now that has to count for something ?
Again variegated whites really do catch your eye in the shade.
I developed a "thing" for this "Evergold" Japanese variegated sedge.
I have these two sedges across from each other and they truly compliment their placement.
Something just for fun is the allium that I am going to try and keep for the season in it's bare bones state .. I love the structure of it and how it almost looks artificial
Talk about "green on green" .. but I have fallen for it ..
Nature's cool sparklers !

11 comments:

CiNdEe's GaRdEn said...

So happy to see all your beautiful plants. I have allium and it was blooming and then it was gone. Where did it go? I never even got a picture. I am thinking something ate it, but what? Yours looks nice and lucky you, you get to enjoy it(-:
It is going to get hot here by the weekend.)-: I hate Summer.(-:

Lisa at Greenbow said...

Your garden is fully alive now. It is looking great. I love all the darks and lights.

Rose said...

You have such an eye for creating interesting contrasts, Joy! I agree about the Alliums; I've seen them spray painted in some gardens which looks pretty cool, but I never get around to that. I think they are interesting enough au naturale. The willow is one of my favorites, though I don't have one in my own garden. I've seen several that have been trained to be little trees, and they are lovely. Chartreuse foliage, whether hostas or grasses, are one of my favorites, too, for adding some contrast in the shade. And the kiwi vine is lovely. You've given me some great ideas for some editing in my own garden--now if this awful heat would let up so I have the energy to actually work in the garden!

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hello Cindee girl and thank you !
This is the first year that I was able to keep the spent plants upright and looking good .. I think they are Purple Sensation .. I am fascinated by them now, haha
I understand that summer funk ... I hate the heat and humidity too .. I dread going outside the house in it .. so far we haven't been hit for long periods of time .. fingers crossed .. keep cool girl !

Thank you Lisa .. we are so lucky to have a wonderful BIG tree in our back garden .. it shades lots of the little creatures we have here too .. I love trees !

Hello there Rose girl :-)
Thank you so much .. my back garden (well, I guess all my gardens) lay out the possibilities for me, I just have to set a plan in motion ? haha
I wouldn't spray paint the allium (I have seen pictures of that too) I think they are pretty enough on their own as you said au natural ! .. yes this willow is so pretty in Spring .. later on in the heat and humidity it feels it poor thing .. as do the gardens in general ... as WE DO TOO ! haha ... I avoid it as much as possible .. funny how we garden like mad in the Spring and Fall but avoid the middle part because of that awful heat.

Alistair said...

Myra often lets me know when some of the dark blooms fail to make an impression in certain areas of the garden. Even with the flowers gone over your Allium looks terrific.

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hello there Alistair .. it is always good to hear other opinions , sometimes we are just too close to the garden to evaluate independently ? I rely on my husband to give me his view point if I am rather hesitant about a plant .. which can happen quite a bit, especially this year.
I have fallen completely in love with my allium .. they looked wonderful in full bloom and now in skeleton form as well .. they were a success this year : )

outlawgardener said...

So many wonderfully contrasting combinations. Everything looks so healthy and happy to be awake again for the season.

Jason said...

I like white flowers in shade - blue also. That Clematis is a new one to me - very nice.

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Peter you are sweet for dropping by while I have been so MIA on blog reading .. thank you !
I do love contrast in the garden .. I would like to have more unusual plants but for now just to have a healthy thriving garden is NICE ! LOL

Hello Jason ... thanks for visiting .. we both have the same tradescantia .. Zwanenburg Blue ?
Mine was actually a volunteer .. it is in bed with the day lilies.
Yours looks gorgeous .. that blue is amazing eh ? .. I have had Warsaw Nike for so many years, it amazes me that it is still so vigorous ! LOL

Casa Mariposa said...

I love everything single picture I've seen in your last two posts, especially that moon gate with the kiwi vine and that white clematis. LOVE IT!!!

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hello Tammy girl and thank you .. I love that gate too, and now with the kiwi vine really coming of age with colour, it is a favorite of mine too .. Twinkle clematis usually has some blue cast to it but this year, talk about BRIGHT white ! haha