Thoughts on Colour Combinations

This planting is relatively new and I'm pleased with how it's coming along.  I really like the combination of the magenta perennial geranium and the evening primrose.  It makes sense for them to look good together as they would be opposite on the colour wheel and they are both on the cool side.  On the left is a campanula which would be closer to the magenta on the colour wheel but it also is a cool colour. Not quite in bloom yet, behind the big stump, is meadowsweet which will have a cool pink flower. I like the way the strong colours of the geranium and primrose are framed by the paler colours of the campanula and meadowsweet.  A bit later in the season, some pink phlox and lemon yellow lilies will be in the space.

This is a very flash combination but for me it works because the petunias are  the same intensity and form.

Here the strong orange lychnis (campion) does not go well with the pale pink lilies.  The lychnis is definitely hot, the lily is cool.  The lychnis just makes the lilies look very washed out.

The lilies would look much better near this lavender clematis.  Both flowers have similar forms (six petals) but are just different enough to be interesting.  The colours are close in the colour wheel, are both cool, and are of similar intensity.
 

Attracting Pollinators to Vegetables

The mock orange is blooming and nestled between its branches is a cherry tomato.  This is not as odd as it may seem as the mock orange attracts small pollinators, and these, in turn, pollinate the tomato. When the mock orange has finished blooming, I will cut it back and let the tomato get more light.

Using flowers to attract bees and wasps is a good way to get better fruiting on plants.

Here I left some wild daisies that are growing near the pepper tubs. The daisies almost always have some little bug feeding on them.  So far the peppers are setting fruit really well.  My next issue is keeping a little caterpillar from chewing holes in the peppers.  I'm thinking I will try to wrap the individual peppers in some light cloth.  I can't just cover the whole plant otherwise the pollinators won't be able to get at the blossoms.

Some other flowers that are good at attracting bees and wasps are hyssop, oregano, ageratum (somewhat toxic so I wouldn't plant it in with vegetables), echinacea, bee balm, campanula, evening primrose, phlox, and bachelor's buttons.

Enjoy your gardens.

 

Bean Leaf Beetle

I have a new surprise in the garden this year.  The bean leaf beetle has arrived. I've never had them before but my bean patch has suffered a lot of damage from them. One morning I went out and my bean plants were riddled with holes. These little beetles are only about an eighth of an inch long but they are very hungry.

Interestingly they come in different colours. The one in the top photo is almost beige with black, and the one in this photo is a deep maroon with black.  Some of them are more brown with black. I have been picking them off and dispatching them, but they are sneaky little guys. Any disturbance to the leaf and they instantly drop to the ground. I put one hand under the leaf and then when I touch the leaf I usually can catch the dropping beetle.  Not always successful.  Sometimes just the approach of my hand will make them disappear.

From the state of the mangled leaves, you would think there are lots of them but actually I probably only saw about 10 of them when I first noticed the damage (the patch is about 4' x 4'). The numbers are going down so I am optimistic that I can deal with them. From what I read, they are most active at this time of year and then die after laying eggs later in the season.  I have a single bean plant about 20 feet away from the main patch and it has no damage at all so they don't seem to move around much which makes you wonder how they came here to begin with.

So there you have it:  the bean leaf beetle. I hope you never make their acquaintance.

Happy gardening.

Postscript:  After dutifully picking off the beetles for about 3 weeks, they went away.  It is their natural cycle to lay eggs around now but I don't think many of them were around to lay eggs.  The plants are big and healthy now (July 9) and I am harvesting a good supply of beans.

 

Mulch - Different Options

When people think of mulch, they often think of wood chips or straw but many things can be used to block weeds.  A pot of flowers can allow perennials to grow without competition. This pot is protecting an Oriental poppy and some lilies.  

Here some  pieces of poplar logs are mulching between hostas and astilbes.

Because we live on a wooded lot, we have lots of leaves in the fall.  I rake them to the side of the lawn and let them act as a mulch between plants and the grass.

This year is the first time I have used old t-shirts as mulch but they work really well. No splashing when I water and the soil stays a very even dampness.  White also reflects more light.  The pepper plants seem happy.

 If I've been doing some weeding, I might just make a weed pile on top of an area that is growing weeds.  Not super pretty but in a few weeks it will have decomposed .

The astrantia is a relative newcomer and I wanted to make sure it wasn't competing with weeds.  I had some left over flooring and used the tiles as mulch.

A nice flat rock also works well as a barrier, and it always looks natural.

I use cardboard and newspaper as well but I'm always on the lookout for other free sources of mulch.

Take care and enjoy a garden.