The Sun-Loving Island Up Close

 Our front yard is quite large, so I chose bold colors...orange...yellow...purple...that would stand out and be noticeable from the street.  A bit of pink appears in a couple of seasons...I just couldn't leave pink out. My main objective was to plant a variety of cold-tolerant perennials that would provide a bevy of blooms in all four seasons, and then fill in the holes with some variegated plants and a few seasonal annuals.

Indian blanket flower Gaillardia pulchella...Periwinkles Vinca

The majority of the plants are "cold-hardy" but there are some plants that may freeze but should return quickly in spring. My mother said to plant something white. Fortunately, I listened...mothers are always right, you know...and the yarrow with its white blooms and soft fern-like foliage was the softening touch among the bold colors.

African bush daisies Gamolepis chrysanthemoide...Double Pink Knockout  "Radtkopink'...Mexican Petunia Ruellia brittoniana 'Purple Showers'...White Yarrow Achillea millefolium

Gladiolus...African bush daisies Gamolepis chrysanthemoide...Mexican Bush Sage Salvia leucantha...Stokes' Aster Stokesia laevis 'Omega Skyrocket'...White rose Rosa 'Seafoam'...Indian blanket flower Gaillardia pulchella...Periwinkles Vinca

Here's one of my favorite combos...Stokes' Aster Stokesia laevis 'Omega Skyrocket' and African bush daisies Gamolepis chrysanthemoide. Blue and yellow always look great together and both of these bold shades are a  match for each other.

The daylilies started blooming in April and are still going strong. I'm going to toss a little bloom-booster fertizlier on them to encourage them to bloom a few weeks longer...hopefully until the middle of July.

Double Pink Knockout "Radtkopink' and White Yarrow Achillea millefolium were made for each other in my opinion. The soft fern-like foliage of yarrow look fabulous matched up with the soft beauty of a rose. The yarrow has grown to almost 3 feet tall. This delicate looking plant passed the "cold-hardy" test this past winter.

Other plants in the island include: Variegated Flax lily Dianella tasmanica 'Variegata'...Lily of the Nile Agapanthus...Amaryllis...African iris Dietes iridioides...Blazing Stars Liatris spicata 'Floristan White'...Gazania Daisies...Coneflower Echinacea "Big Sky Summer Sky 'Katie Saul'.

This photo gives you a great view of the plentiful blooms on the White yarrow.

Plants not identified previously is Red Fountain grass Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum' and African Blood lily Scadoxus multiflorus.

Adding an ornamental grass...Red Fountain grass Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum' was a must. The flowing movement of the grass and soft, fuzzy bloom spikes created by the wind adds another dimension to the garden. 

Mexican Bush Sage Salvia leucantha was added for its gray-green foliage and soft purple blooms. Other plants not shown, but included are Russian sage Perovskia atriplicifolia for its silver foliage, Heavenly bamboo Nandina domestica 'Firepower' a dwarf variety for its red-orange foliage in fall and winter Fashion azaleas for its reddish orange blooms from November through March, Yesterday, today & tomorrow Brunfelsia pauciflora, Purple Pentas Pentas lanceolata and Blackberry lilies Belamcanda chinensis also referred to as Leopard lily for its summer flowers and Blue Sage for its winter blooms and gray-green foliage.

 
It's a great feeling of satisfaction when a plan in your head begins to materialize in a way that exceeds your expectations. It's a given, as the seasons change, I'll be moving plants around...for better color combinations, and to compensate for plants that grow taller than expected, eliminating some that don't work, and testing new varieties. It's all a work in process, but for now...today...this moment, I'm very happy with the blooms this sun-loving island has produced from winter through early summer. As the seasons change, I'll post again on what's blooming in the island.