This week’s photos are from my friend and fellow garden blogger Tamara’s (of Chickadee Gardens) new home. To say that she and her husband David have accomplished a lot during the year since they moved there, would be the understatement of the year. I’m in near disbelief over the stuff they have accomplished, and at the breakneck speed they’ve done it. But, don’t take my word for it – go check out her blog instead. She’s done a fabulous job documenting it. And I finally got to see it in person! 🙂
A longer post will eventually follow, but for now I want to pull out a couple of shots that caught my eye when I was going through the photos from my fun adventure. Both are examples of contrast – one of my favorite design considerations. I know I’ve talked about contrast before in my vignettes, but it’s just so damn powerful when done right. Actually, it doesn’t even have to be “done”. Half the time its accidental, and only really has to be noticed – which doesn’t at all take away from its power to heighten suspense, increase relational tensions, enhance and suppress both color and texture – all the while excite our sensory perceptions.
Moss and succulents… what a marvelous contradiction! And absolutely beautiful, to boot! It’s not what you’d expect, and certainly shouldn’t really work. And, yet it does. I really loved this!
Here, a columnar apple tree is waiting for its forever home, and looking artistically composed against the industrial sleekness of the corrugated steel, while doing so. The rigid linearity of one, offsets the gnarly forms of the other. If you’re looking for winter interest, look no further.
Come to think of it, the preposition ‘contra’ means just that – ‘in opposition to’, or ‘against’. Whether verbal or visual, contrast adds that hidden dimension to our perceptions that brings drama and excitement to what we see and experience. It thrills me every time!
Two great examples of contrast from Tamara’s garden. They sure have don a lot in a short time! The succulent/moss picture is great fun and quintessentially pacific northwest, pointing to our dry summers and wet winters. My WV is here http://outlawgarden.blogspot.com/2016/11/wednesday-vignette_30.html
But of course is quintessentially PNW!! I didn’t even think about that! 🙂
I am in awe of what they’ve done…super human powers! My WV is the opposite of your mossy one…http://www.thedangergarden.com/2016/11/wednesday-vignette-arizona.html
Yeah, right…? Amazing indeed!
I love the contrast of the moss and the succulent. I think I have a few examples of that here too, especially at this time of year. I have moss springing up everywhere. I’m hoping my WV will make you chuckle. http://bonneylassie.blogspot.com/2016/11/wednesday-vignette_30.html
Haha – it sure did, Alison! Thanks – I needed that. LOL!
It’s so great that you got to see Tamara’s garden in person! I look forward to seeing more of it through your eyes. Here’s my brief WV: https://krispgarden.blogspot.com/2016/11/wednesday-vignette-im-not-ready.html
Hope to have a post up soon! 🙂
The apple tree against the corrugated steel is stunning. I can’t wait to see her new garden in person!
Here’s my WV:http://www.gravylessons.com/journal2/2016/11/30/wednesday-vignette-hanging-on
You’ll love it. Laura! They have accomplished amazing things with it in such a short time…
The sedum and moss are stunning together. It’s not so odd, from my perspective, as I’ve seen our native sedums growing together with tough mosses like this, but the colors are fantastic. No vignette from me this week. I’m trying out a once-weekly post. Maybe I’ll make Wednesday my posting day so I can include a vignette.
The only native sedum I know of is Sedum oreganum. You mean there are more? How exciting!! As for a weekly post, that’s one of the reasons why I started the WV meme. I was working so much that I was afraid I wouldn’t blog much at all if I didn’t have that weekly routine. Looking back, that prediction turned out to be rather true. Having a weekly commitment, has definitely helped! Anyway, I’ll miss you if you don’t, so I hope you pick Wednesday for your posts! 🙂
I’m amazed at how some gardeners can do so much when I struggle to get a potted plant in the ground. What they have done is simply amazing.
You and me both – I was just wondering today if I’m on a different time warp than everyone else. 🙂
Sweet Anna…thank you for the lovely shout out! We were THRILLED to have you over and THANK YOU for the crape myrtle, it will be treasured for decades. The sedum thing – they are so wonderful and so easy for us here in the NW. There are several native ones, we can talk another time but just a few are Sedum spathulifolium, S. divergens, S. oreganum, S. stenopetalum, S. spath ‘Cape Blanco’….etc…
Fab plants that can spread, can handle the wet of winters and dry of summers. Some can handle mucho shade, too.
Again, thank you Anna!
I was just as thrilled to see you and David, and the girls happy in your new home. You two are amazing! I’m anxious to learn more about the shade-tolerant succulents. I will probably plant ALL of them!
As for the Natchez, it was the best housewarming gift I could think of. After all, you were the one who first let me know such a beauty even existed! And, I figured you probably missed it a lot, after having to leave it behind. I’d tell you to love it well, but I already know you will! ❤