hot colors & newbies
My big score at the spring HPSO sale was Romneya coulteri. I didn’t expect it to bloom in its first year, so I nearly missed this single bloom. The brightness of the day washes out the shadows that give it a delicate look of crumpled silk and set it quite apart as it peeks through daisies in the same color combo. I hope there will be an overcast day for capturing its true beauty, but I know better than to depend upon it.
When I bought this Echinacea purpurea ‘Big Sky Sundown’ last fall it was fully opened to reveal bronzey petals. I loved it then, without even knowing that it would begin its performance with these tubular petals: hot pink on the outside, with the orange just beginning to show as they unfurl.
The colors show up a little better as we zoom out to see the whole plant.
Nearby, Helenium autumnale snuggles up to a couple of different Agastaches to extend the pink-magenta-purple/orange-bronze-red theme. It seems fitting for the color palette to heat up along with the weather.
July 25th, 2010 at 7:05 pm
Hi Ricki, I really like this Echinacea. My garden buddy Carol tried growing it but it didn’t make it through the winter. The Romneya is a stellar plant, isn’t it?
July 25th, 2010 at 10:20 pm
I lost many things, but this came through like a champ…go figure. I LOVE the Romneya.
July 26th, 2010 at 1:46 am
You’re the second person from Oregon I’ve read about or heard from who’s had the romneya begin to bloom. I’d always thought of it as more of a California plant, but I’m glad to see that it likes you and your area. It’s a stunning plant, and so delicate for something that comes on what is sometimes a big bruising plant, at least down here.
July 26th, 2010 at 2:16 am
wow, great color changing selections!
July 26th, 2010 at 10:41 pm
James~In contrast to our soggy reputation, our summers are HOT and DRY. The challenge is to make it through winter and spring.
Wendy~Glad you like them.
July 30th, 2010 at 2:05 am
hey i came across a website where you can download sandrail plans
August 8th, 2010 at 8:48 pm
There’s just something about the hot pink-orange-bronze combination that slays me. I think that’s why I love my agastaches, with their pink, light magenta and orange multicolored flowers so much.
And you’ve captured another of my favorite color combos with the Romneya coulteri: white flowers with yellow centers. It’s quite stunning!
August 10th, 2010 at 7:42 pm
Jane~Yes, the agastache does bring it all together in one mad swirl of color. Now, if I could just figure out how to photograph white flowers to do them justice.