Snap and Sheen



Snap with a natural sheen - two tools in the garden box today. It seems everyone’s attention span has been somewhere in garden limbo this week. Here’s an easy remedy – let’s point out what is naturally coming into its own in the garden with some snappy imports brought in to assist.  



This Snapdragon (with purple Pansies in the background) will add some quick wakeup color to a colorless bed but not too soon. If you recall the April 11th post, you want to protect any plant materials that were forced in greenhouses, protected from the weather or came from warmer climates. You must transition them into your flower beds. It’s just too darn soon to get these annuals planted in the ground quite yet. But you can still bring your choices in now and stockpile them in a protected place. http://blog.bilowzassociates.com/2013/04/forcing-bloom.html

Now for the natural sheen of that colorful green - Pachysandra terminalis 'Green Sheen' is one of the most sun-tolerant of the Pachysandras. Its green leaves are glossy and makes all your surrounding plants pop. It is deer-resistant and if given the right conditions, it can act as a weed smothering groundcover. Here it is in the spring garden showing off more than its glossy green leaves with its petite white flower.

As Pablo Picasso once said, “Why do two colors, put one next to the other, sing? Can one really explain this? No, just as one can never learn how to paint.” Time to start thinking color combinations; it’s that snap and sheen part of spring!

Images by Ann Bilowz©  

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