Gardening Gone Wild is hosting a photo contest for the best image of native plants in a garden setting. Wander down to the links in the comments on their post to see all the excellent ways people use natives in their gardens.
It’s hard for me sit something like this out, so below are my three entries, photos taken in my garden over the last couple of months. (As usual, click to see the larger images.)
I’ve already shared the first two on these pages, so forgive me for reprising them. These are of clumps of blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium bellum) in a totally assorted planting, mixing the natives with veggies (Red Winter red Russian kale, beets, red- and orange-stemmed chard) ornamentals (heliotrope, geum and sages) and an herb (catmint). The planting requires an average amount of watering to keep everybody happy, but it shows how food plants and natives can easily coexist with more gardenesque selections.
(“Gardenesque”–how I love that word. No, I didn’t make it up. I have Noel Kingsbury (with Piet Oudolf) to thank for using it in Designing with Plants. He blogs, too!)
The first is a closeup of the native, the second shows the same bed three weeks later, after the geum started to flower.
The third photo pictures a foundation planting featuring one of the California native rushes, Juncus patens. I have this thing for spikey, architectural plants, and this one fulfills my needs nicely. Most rushes are creatures of wet zones. However, J. patens is one of the most drought-tolerant. These plants are located in the drip line for water off the roof, and they can make it through the summer with minimal added irrigation.
I’m intrigued by the rush planted under your drip line. Great idea.
I like the blue eyed grass and how you’ve arranged it with the other plants. I’d find it interesting that they belong to the iris family. They’re one of my favorite dirt road wildflowers.
If nothing else they deserve a ‘small’ prize.
Nice pictures.
Thanks for the link to Noel Kingsbury’s blog. I like his work, the blog should be interesting.
I really should get me some of that blue-eyed grass. It’s quite special.
Greg, how cold do you get? The stuff is supposedly a zone 7-8 plant. Unlike bulbous irises it starts growing with our rains in the fall and grows through the winter, finally blooming starting about March for us.
Well the contest is done and results posted over at GGW early next week. Thanks for your entry and I am giving each photo bit of constructive criticism.
Nice to see a complex planting that incorporates natives. The photos need to have a better composed focal point and for a contest the photos need some brightness and contrast adjustment.
You have such different plants from the ones I’m used to seeing. I like the Geum, it really stands out.
well, i always join photo contests but i have not yet won a photo contest ~