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Spritzhenry, Bamboo and Drc726, thank you for getting back to me so quickly.
I shall try to attach a photo of half the plot to give you all some idea (I'm as good on a computer as I am in the garden).
Right, I recently had 4 Fir trees removed, on the photo only 2 are visible so there is double the amount of garden and the narrowist part 7 ft is further to the right (out of shot). Everything is now almost dug over to start again. Out of shot (to the right)is a new Thuya hedge and although I said 3 Rhododendrons with red blooms along the fence I should have said I intend to buy in Spring. However I think the red blooms will cause problems color wise and as pale ones are not as hardy as the deeper colored ones (according to books) I feel perhaps a lilac/purple will complement my plants better, do you think so?
Thank you so much for the blue and yellow idea i.e. Agapanthus, lillies and poppies (both yellow) then blue geraniums.
Now, if I put a red Peony in front of a lilac Rhodo then some grasses and then the pink Geraniums that should go together shouldn't it?
The reason I ask is because some where on here a chap (I can't find him again) wrote about hot and cold colors and had a photo of a pink flower in front of red flowers and although it was fine it wasn't as easy on the eye as his other photo, pink flowers next to blue flowers. So by putting grasses between the red peony and the pink Geraniums I'm hoping to make it look better. Then I shall do the same again with the blues and yellows as it's a large area. Perhaps I should buy some salvias to put at the back of the second blue section as a change from Agapanthas.
I am wary of buying a lot of plants as I seem to loose most of them, however I do appear to have better luck with bulbs, tubas and corms. Oh, you mentioned white flowers, did you mean small one's all along the front, or any sized ones just dotted where they look right.
I feel so much better talking to people who know what they are talking about - so thank you. I should be able to sleep tonight instead of a riot of color and sizes keeping me awake.
Two more things - I apologise for the photo not being of good quality nor the full size, but I hope it helps. Secondly, the Lime tree, the Rhodo's and the Thuja will give me my evergreen (well two of them will), so when the flowers die down for the winter and the soil is bare at least there will be something green to look at.
Heavens havn't I woffled, but once again thank you so much and any more advice would also be very welcome.
Novice111



Scan0022a

Answers

 

Hi - found you!

The grasses idea would work well. There's also Libertia grandiflora, an evergreen spiky-leaved plant that has white flowers in summer - to make a change from grasses.

When I said add white, you could decide to have plants, in groups again, and differing heights and shapes to break up the other colour areas. Like tall Delphiniums for example. Leucanthemum and Phlox make nice clumps and you wouldn't need more than one plant of each of those.

You could add small white flowers at the front, as well - lovely! Dianthus or my favourite - Erigeron karvinskianus, (this softens the edges really well!)

Another colour that seems to 'go' with everything is lime green. Euphorbias are good for this, Alchemilla mollis and annual Nicotiana, as well - you can either grow these from seed, or buy a tray from the Garden Centre in May-ish.

I hope all this is helpful. Do ask again if you want to!!

15 Nov, 2009

 

It's me - Andrewr - who wrote about hot and cold colours. Check out my blogs

15 Nov, 2009

 

There you are, you will enjoy Andrew's blogs - I always do!

15 Nov, 2009

 

Andrew just found your message (still working my way around the site !).
Thank you for letting me know you were the one with the colour chart and photo's. However, I still cant find them on your blog, I've gone back to March with no luck so will keep on looking further back.
I really need to show my father the difference in the two photo's as he is of the opinion that any flower of any colour can be placed anywhere and to be honest untill I saw the difference myself, hadn't realised the importance of hot and cold flowers.
Andrew if you know where you have hidden them could you tip me the wink please :-)
Good evening Spritz, thanks for keeping an eye on me.

17 Nov, 2009

 

Novice - I've just checked - the Colour Theory blog was written in July 2008

17 Nov, 2009

 

<comment removed as it duplicated for some reason>

17 Nov, 2009

 

Yeeesss found it. It will be so good to read again. I appreciate your help in locating it. Thank you

17 Nov, 2009

How do I say thanks?

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