Serenity in the Garden

As you may know, the 2015 Pantone Color of the Year is Marsala, a toned down, wine-red color that is good in the background, useful for setting off other brighter hues. Last year's color, Radiant Orchid, was another story. Described by Pantone as "a captivating harmony of fuchsia, purple and pink undertones," it demands attention and is, in my opinion,  slightly jarring. But I was getting used to it and was even accepting it in the garden. And now, we go back to the more staid colors....but here it is, one last time, in all its 'wowie-powie' glory: I give you 'Radiant Orchid in the Garden.' Radiant orchid bench amidst hydrangeas- I don't know who took this photo Zinnia 'Queen Red Lime'  Sunset Colors Garden by Amber Freda, NYC Raindrops on flower Radiant Orchid Chairs Jersey Shore Zinnia Goodbye Radiant Orchid..now we may calm down a bit.

So you're walking along, feeling blue when you look up to see a leaf. A reminder...love comes in all forms.  Now you're feeling green, the color of love. (Red is passion,  green is love.)

   Sun King Aralia - photo by Wayside gardens  A shrub for part shade, Aralia cordata ' Sun King', grows 3' - 5' tall and wide and is a great companion to Hosta.  Many sources say it is deer resistant - so maybe it is.... Aralia Sun King on Right..Great photo by Karl Gercens Brought to the US and named by Barry Yinger, who found it in a Japanese department store nursery, Aralia 'Sun King' is one of the most amazing new perennial introductions in the last decade!  The Golden Japanese Aralia grows in USDA zones 4a - 8b and e merges with bold, gold compound leaves. The foliage will remain gold all summer given a few hours of sun a day. In heavier shade, foliage will be lime green. photo by Plant Delights Nursery  It has bright red stems and later in the season it features small white flowers that attract plenty of pollinators like honeybees. This is followed by masses of beautiful purple/black berries that birds (especially ...

Allium 'Millenium' by Laura McKillop What makes a great garden photo? Anything that delights you. But if I had to put my finger on it - salient aspects would be the  quality of the light  and the  richness of color. And composition figures prominently.  That said, here are some memorable photographs that have been featured in this year's 'Serenity in the Garden' blog posts. My criteria? Whatever grabbed my eye as I perused the photos.. moongate by Richard Hartlage Andy Goldsworthy Spire, San Francisco Cornell Blue Moon Bridge by Virginia Small  Meadow flowers Baptisia Purple Smoke, Bluestone Perennials bicycletteboutique.com Jan Johnsen, landscape design  From the film, Being There

Red bridge in snow - a garden's  beauty in winter.

Michael Krondl - waterworks in Katonah, NY One day in 2007 I was driving along a road in my area when I saw a long wall of falling water that wasn't there before. The water was gushing over the wall but I saw no evidence of any water beyond that . Hmmm..... Photo by Jan Johnsen I had to stop the car and take a picture. Then I had to walk up there and see what was going on.... It was an art installation using photo-derived imagery of a waterfall.  A digital print on vinyl  - trompe l’oeil for the 21st century!   The artist is the talented and inventive  Michael Krondl . The 200-foot long waterfall called 'Rising Water/Falling Water' was in front of the Katonah Museum of Art. I was struck by this vinyl wall of water..I had to see how he attached it to the existing wall...ah yes, grommets! photo by Jan Johnsen The possibilities of this trompe l’oeil in a landscape or public setting are vast- Walls of water on subway p...

"What I dream of is an art of balance, of purity and serenity..." -   To the end of his days, the French artist, Henri Matisse created visual art in any way he could.... His works continue to attract the admiration of many around the world.  Purity and serenity win out every time.