Color Play

I work on a set of containers that have a conversation with each other, first one side, then the other, dancing and moving as the season grows.  Three black pots on a hot, exposed rooftop are planted up with bold, energetic colors; their vivid triad of red, orange, and yellow get playful movement from a mix of leaf forms and textures. A splash of peach is added to blend the colors past your basic crayon box.

I started the design with these Canna ‘Cannova Yellow’ to add that bold leaf texture; they are offset by a tender Australian shrub, Acacia cognata ‘Cousin Itt’, chosen for its fine leaves.  Frankly, I couldn’t resist it at the nursery this spring. The site gets plenty of summer water, and is somewhat protected by the glass railing, so I hope the wind won’t shred the bold leaves too much.

The bronze Carex testacea adds movement, and the Sedum rupestre ‘Angelina’ surprised me by growing up instead of out and spilling over the edge.  Some Coleus fry in bright sunshine, but this one, Coleus Campfire is *supposed* to tolerate both sun and shade and keep its vivid orange foliage.  We’ll see!  I then added a mix of Calibrachoa cultivars including Cabaret Bright Red and Lemon Yellow.  Almost any will do, but the Uno series would be a bit smaller and I wanted a bold impact.  Finally, that splash of peach is Nemesia AngelArt.  They tend to get tired in mid-summer, but you can cut them back and get a second flush.  Diascias would work equally well here.

The whole point of this trio is to distract the eye from all of the other urban rooftop necessities without blocking the stellar view to the South of Lake Union and the Space Needle.

Across the roof, the other side of the color wheel is represented with deep intense violet, plum, and silver.  Pops of pink dianthus break up the rhythm to add excitement.  The central focal point is a large Cardoon, chosen for the bold texture and size.  The color is repeated by using Festuca glauca, Euphorbia Silver Swan, Artemesia Silver Mound, and Dichondra Silver Falls.  This provides repetition with a mixture of textures.

I’ve added some surprises like the Aeonium Schwarzkopf, Astelia nervosa Westland, and a little succulent, Senecio Blue Fingers, which should really enjoy all of the exposure and heat.  A simple purple Calibrachoa MiniFam Dark Blue, the same Sedum rupestre Angelina, provide contrast to keep it from being boring.  Only one Dianthus overwintered, and that pop of pink is fantastic, so when I go back in July to polish the pots, I’ll bring some extras to tuck in.

Both sides of these containers play with one Hue, the same bold intensity; anything dulled down with paler tints or greyer tones would be lost in the harsh sunlight here.  To pull that off, one needs a much shadier spot, where the light could dance across the petals.  But that’s another post for another time.