blue & yellow, with a bit of red, in a vase

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What we have here are a few branches of Berberis replicata, some Ceanothus ‘Blue Jeans’ and the new growth of Pyracantha.

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‘Blue Jeans’ was stretching out into the driveway and it was all I could do to keep R from whacking away at it before it began to blue up and I could do double duty pruning and flower arranging. The flowers are still fairly tight buds. As they bloom out, this shrub will produce a cloud of blue.

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The Pyracantha in the front hedgerow are still a bit gangly, but that makes them easier to access for cutting. They, like the Pieris, are at their best when the new leaves appear in striking shades of red.

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Here’s what the mature ones look like along another fence line.

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The blue and yellow theme continues, along the other side of Delusional drive, with a sea of Veronica peduncularis ‘Georgia Blue’, punctuated by the occasional yellow daffodil.

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You have to look closely to notice the little Haworthia daffy’s, but they are one of my favorites.

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Another reward for close inspection: the drupes from last year remain on the Berberis stems, adding another layer of interest and a deep burgundy accent.

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So let’s have one last look at what I made of it all, then hop on over to see what Cathy (Rambling in the Garden) has in store for us this week.

23 thoughts on “blue & yellow, with a bit of red, in a vase

  1. What a big plot you have there, rickii! The pyracantha grown in the UK has much smaller leaves from yours I think – but don’t you think its coppery foliage seems to wrap around the rest of the contents of your vase like a big ribbon? Looks great with the ceanothus. Thanks for sharing

    • I’m seeing why those branches don’t make it into bouquets often: they bloom out quickly, then start dropping petals and pollen. I guess the standards are standards for a reason.

    • Thanks for pointing that out, Diana. I hadn’t thought about the primaries, mostly because the plants’ interpretations put a nice twist on them that took the rawness away.

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