All right, you wanted to see the mess. Here it is! In this photo you can't tell that the sod is cut up and messy, but it is. You can see the frame for the new stone-based column (the top of the column will be wider when finished) at the left corner of the porch and a bit of the new stone on the middle of the house.
And here is the finished stone facing on the east side of the house. I like it. The colors of this stone blend much better with our siding than the old orange stone, shown below.
The cool tones of this new stone have caused me reconsider the color scheme of my front gardens. The lavender and pure pink flowers will be fine, I think. But will peachy-pink flowers look all right with this stone as a backdrop? I cut apart my catalogs to make a collage of the front color scheme as it is currently planned. It feels cheerful and welcoming, but will it go with the stone? What do you think?
Perhaps I should replace the peachy-pink elements with more off white, as shown below. But how did I get so many peachy-pink plants? All those daylilies, the three Abraham Darby roses I purchased last year, the Princess Caroline delphiniums, and the coral peonies I'm pining for this year. They definitely don't go with the color scheme for the backyard. Do I really have to give those up so my flowers will look good with the house?
Wouldn't it be sophisticated to have a color scheme of burgundy and plum and grey to completely blend the house colors into the garden? Leaves and flowers could supply these colors - heucheras, oriental poppies, grey-leaved plants. Plus some pale pink or white to lighten things up. Green too, of course. But I've gone in a different direction over the past couple of years while buying plants. That would mean really starting over, and I don't want to do that.
I'm open for suggestions. What is your opinion on my color dilemma?
Hi VW, I am a color kind of gal....the more the merrier. I like the full palette. I see peachy tones in your new stacked stone...a little understated but there. You can go with what you have. I like your stacked stone -- what is it? We are going with a color that is similar to Owens Corning's Chardonnay.
ReplyDeleteOur stone is Owens Corning's 'Suede' (Cultured Stone). The final decision was between Suede and Chardonnay - they're very similar, but ours is heavier on the grey and lighter on the brown tones. Can't wait to see your project!
ReplyDeleteIs it bad that when I plan my plants I have never once considered the colour of my house??
ReplyDeleteHaha, I think that's my answer right there for you.
But then I am a 'cottage' gardener, any colour goes and chaos reigns supreme :)
I don't garden close to the house so I don't think to much about it..I like Liz am more of the 'cottage' gardener...the more color the better!
ReplyDeleteYou must be excited to have all this work getting done. I really like the stone you're using. Your collages give a very pretty idea of your plant choices. I'm another color lover and the more the better. I think your flowers will look beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI do love the colors of the stone. I think in reference to your color dilemma that I would look to nature. Somehow what you find growing naturally, always looks great together without planning our coordinating colors. I believe the peachy-pink color will bring out some of the peach tones of the stone itself.
ReplyDeleteI love the stone you're using, it's so beautiful! I also think that the colour of the flowers would fit nicely to that stone. The stone seems to have a calm tone and the flowers warmer tone will be great against that/ gittan
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pick on the stone! While your burgundy leaf ideas are interesting, I think you should stick with what you have for at least one season. Peach is the opposite of lavender on the color wheel so it should liven up both the lavender stone and the lavender blooms. I agree with the other commenters that there are peach tones in your stone.
ReplyDeleteOooh, I love seeing projects, VW, and especially ones with stone. It looks great. I am like Janet, all colors welcome, like nature. When we first moved to this house, ten years ago, I was worried about colors *going* together. My neighbor Mae, a lifelong gardener and flower shop owner retired, told me that all colors go together, to not be so timid. She was right. :-)
ReplyDeleteFrances
I'm glad that the general consensus is that I can stay with the current color plan! In the picture of the stone that I posted above, there are some peachy brown colors. The first area of stone that the masons finished was a small section in between the garage doors, and for some reason it didn't have much (any?) of those colors in it. That's what started my worries. But they finished up yesterday, and overall the stone has plenty of peach and brown, I think. Phew!
ReplyDeleteVW- you never cease to impress me with your ability to see the big picture and plan you gardens accordingly. Your stone looks fantastic and I always love to see the during photos so that I know I am not the only one who has a mess when building something new. Your mess actually looks pretty darn orderly!
ReplyDeleteHi VW, What fun!!! You definitely have a "Curb Appeal" project going there. Your stone is beautiful and I know you'll be picking out a wonderful variety of plants. Keep us posted!
ReplyDeleteOK, I'm late to the party on this one, but I agree with others' comments on the peach picking up the colors in the stone. You already know it's one of my favorite colors in the garden and I find it goes well with pretty much everything. You have a relatively short growing season there compared to the more temperate climate you left behind in California so I'm not surprised that as a gardener you like to include lots of flower color. The only flower color I tend to find problematic is the coral that is really orangey-red (think California fuschia or some cannas). That is about the only color I'm very careful with because I find it actively clashes with a lot of other colors a displeasing way, but as long as you've got a little repetition in your beds, I agree with your poster who says all colors pretty much go together.
ReplyDeleteBut maybe I shouldn't say that in print as it might put me out of a job :-)
I'm late, too, but agree with the others, especially Liz. I love the colors in both of your collages, and your wall, and think any of them would go with it.
ReplyDelete