Orange and purple is a great color combination! I see people have suggested some purple foliage plants also, which would be great! Silver foliage works with anything, IMO, and can be great to add season-long highlights to a bed.
I think the key to a long, narrow bed is to repeat elements. I don't mean a really precise checkerboard (purple coneflower, white daisy, orange marigold, reapeat LOL), but think in terms of clusters or sweeps of particular colors, textures, heights, etc. Unless you want a really formal look, you probably don't want to run the same plant all along the edge... but you could alternate between several low growing plants that could be filler between midsized plants and then come forward to go along the front edge for a few feet.
And you're going to want to put in some annuals for first-year color, or you'll have these little, widely spaced perennials... and you'll spend all summer reassuring her that they'll grow bigger and bloom -- some day! LOL
OK... before I get too carried away with design ideas... where is this bed located? Is it up against a wall or a fence so that it's a 1 sided affair (tall plants at the back), or is it an island type bed (tall plants in the middle, shorter plants on both sides)?
You can get some graph paper (or go to your favorite graphics program)... as a place to start, figure tall plants will be 3-4 feet wide, medium plants will be 2 ft. wide, and short plants will be 12" wide... obviously, the actual plants you choose may deviate from this, but it'll get some design ideas cooking to think in general terms (tall/purple, short/silvery) at first.
Join Us! Seed Swap Seed Starting & Conversation #6
Hi, La. 25' isn't sooo much. you'll want to repeat some things. and until she really gets into it, you can always fill in with annuals. you'll need to until the perennials grow up a bit anyway. did you have any other zinnia besides the orange? oooh, what about a love-lies-bleeding or some other amaranthus?
What about helenium? I don't know if you have seed or if anybody is having luck with germination. But there are good yellow/orange/reds there in varying heights.
Nasturtiums!!!! Those will be really nice and take up a lot of room :))
Suzy
Man, when I get ready to do my beds this summer I'm grabbing you all 8^)
You guys are the swellest. When I first layed the bed out I was pretty pleased with what I had (excepting the lacking blue/purple) but I was way off on the shape and size. I was trying to stay as "hot" as possible as that is her preference, and the main objective was to work out of my seed bag and not have to purchase anything new. She just stressed that the whole bed does not need to be done this year (LOL I think she's afraid of it) but I will still probably incorporate some of your ideas.
This is kind of fun!
I agree that you should not use the white or you should add purple in addition to the white. As an artist I can tell you that whites are generally cool-unless they are a creamy white. The whites made the whole scene appear cooler. But La, I'm sure with 25 feet you'll have a lot of area to add other colors! Sounds like a fun "job"!
LaLa-let me look into what I have too and I will be able to share some seed with her-I will dmail ya what I have that would look good together!!
I know there's a new thread, but since there's no one talking over here except those helping me with Ruth's garden, I'm going to finish it up here.
Gram, I planted some of the Ruby Dwarf on the 1st of this month and haven't had any germination. :( I really wanted that one too so will try it again, but I won't send any to Ruth untill I know that it's viable.
La, how is the bed situated, please? It'll make a difference in our recommendations, especially for "tall" things... if it's up against a house wall, you might consider punctuating it with a trellis for height... even 3 of them, spaced about 9 feet apart, would give you a lot of impact but still leave space in between for other plants. And you don't have to wait for a trellis to "grow up" -- a pretty one looks pretty even without something growing up to its top.
The only thing about making this thread too much longer Suzy won't be able to get into it she has dial up :)
I didn't see if this bed was up against a fence but holly hocks always add a nice touch, IMHO. Helen
OK I'll take it over to the other thread ( the bed is out in the open Critter).