The Nature of Things

When I grasped the nuances of the colour wheel many things just fell into place.  It shows up in my organizing supplies, meal planning and table decor, home decorating, wardrobe planning and garden design.

After buying my first colour wheel many seasons ago, I was inspired to plant a wildflower garden in a circular design at the far edge of the farm yard.  The very centre would be pastels and birdhouses on fence posts.  It was huge and I meticulously planted tiny plugs of native grasses and wild flowers.  Then the chickens came over to see what was happening in the new development!  Those plugs didn't stand a chance and any I found gave no clue as to what was a root and what was topmost plant!  VBSigh

So I retreated back to the house and organized my borders into compatible but monochromatic colour groupings.  I did learn lots.  Mostly NOT to be quite so ambitious.

So here I am with a new new location and a blank slate.   My favourite sections had been the white garden. I actually prefer leaves to flowers but hubby likes those big peonies and colourful floppy florals.
I had brought some plants with me, mostly white  and they went in first.  My colour wheel begins with white.  And it is the most I've done.


Speaking of white, the focus this coming year is trees and shelter belts to put the snow where it won't pile up in front of doors and block the driveway.  So trees are on my landscape budget.  I am in charge of the bluff east of the driveway. 

 The colour wheel begins with white on the north side of the house. 
 

Going counter clockwise, the blue garden is north west along side the green bush which is the backdrop for the 'back' yard. It touches my she shed.

I want a cottage look so it will have an old fashionedlook with a wee garden enclosed with an old wire fence.  Yellow with my bird house development.  The other side of the she shed will morph into orange and touch hubbies raised beds.  The section I call the Salad bar!  This is at the end of the he shed!  We are up to reds, orange reds.

 The circle almost completes with the side yard.  This is going to be pretty bright.  Reds and purples.   We are putting a couple of trellises up for clematis and climbing roses to make this less visisble, and well, something for the vines to climb.

The circle closes at the front terrace and driveway.  These will be containers with  purples and whites drawing the circle to completion.   The nook at the back deck side of the house will have pastels.


I don't want a classic look.  We live in Ukrainianville.  Siding is taupe;  not changing.  I shall ignore white windows and put up blue green shutters.  The front door will be eggplant, a deep purple.  I knew I was on the right track after seeing all the blue green woodwork in France.  Trellises, shed siding, etc. will be in that green. 

It is gonna be tough keeping the orange on its side of the yard!!!!

The blue is evolving and hopefully won't have to rely too heavily on the monkshood I brought and the blue 'accessories'.  I did plant bulbs.  Lime green hostas make the blues pop.

The yellow and orange sections aren't ready for planting.  

so...

I am focusing on bright reds and purples,  plotting heights, bloom time, hardiness, and monetary considerations.   Good thing winter is still entrenched.

Meanwhile...

I have been thinking lots about the nature aspect of our art classes.  The book whose children we were following is from Britain and they don't have a lot of snowdrifts apparently.  We are stuck with tree silhouettes, a few birds and whatever we collected on our trays.  Birds are way too fast for our beginner efforts.  So the directions are:  if seen run to bird book and copy!!!

But the 'how to nature journal' book is helpful.  We aren't purist and the youngest is spending most of her time copying her spelling list, but they are definitely evolving.  I have to admit I did not embrace this as enthusiastically as my DD#2 expected but I am fast becoming a convert.   Looking is definitely not the same as SEEING!   And it is art, naturally!