It's a good deal harder, I think, to preserve color from spring through fall than to count on foliage to maintain a pleasant space. I'd love to get ideas from the rest of you about how to get a succession of color.
Two of my favorites are 1) delphiniums and lobelia cardinalis. Both are tall enough to go in the back of the garden. I plant them alternately. The lobelia isn't at any height at all until the delphs are cut back. Oh would that I had the problem of second growth delphs getting in the way.... :-(
2) Baby blue eyes followed by portulaca. The baby blue eyes can be sown very early (in 4b late April can work), and the portulaca won't even germinate until late May. I direct sow the baby blue eyes along the edge of the garden and plant portulaca in a window box (not attached to a window). I bring it in for most rains (advice courtesy of someone on DG). It's just ready to plant and bloom when the baby blue eyes has become intolerably scraggly.
This message was edited Aug 9, 2013 12:11 PM
What are your favorite combinations to prolong color?
