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Plant associations

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David Bracey

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Plant associations
« on: March 11, 2012, 10:05:42 PM »
Cali's last post and the recent Southern Californian branch's newsletter suggested a new topic which I have called plant associations.  To me they are plant associations which particularly suit one another for example, Gaura and Perovskia, Gaura and Epilobium canum or Agastache, Senecio serpens and Lantana montevidensis, Nandina domestica an Acca sellowiana.  There are hundreds more which members may like to describe, perhaps month-by-month.
« Last Edit: May 29, 2012, 02:54:29 PM by Alisdair »
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 I have gardened in sub-tropical Florida, maritime UK, continental Europe and the Mediterranean basin, France. Of the 4 I have found that the most difficult climate for gardening is the latter.

Umbrian

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Plant associations - May
« Reply #1 on: May 29, 2012, 07:02:35 AM »
Chelsea time always makes me aware of plant associations and I took the following photos when walking through my garden yesterday. Some are planned but others just happen due to self seeding. Perhaps other members could share their favourite combinations of plants?
« Last Edit: May 29, 2012, 02:58:21 PM by Alisdair »
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MGS member living and gardening in Umbria, Italy for past 19 years. Recently moved from my original house and now planning and planting a new small garden.

Umbrian

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Plant associations - May
« Reply #2 on: May 29, 2012, 07:04:30 AM »
More photos as first file too big!
« Last Edit: May 29, 2012, 02:58:37 PM by Alisdair »
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MGS member living and gardening in Umbria, Italy for past 19 years. Recently moved from my original house and now planning and planting a new small garden.

Umbrian

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Re: Plant associations
« Reply #3 on: May 30, 2012, 07:41:53 AM »
I can see that my photos were very poor quality although colour wise I am sure members "got the message" sorry about that.
The first photo was obviously a Kniphofia next to Salvia, the second was Spartium junceum with White Valerian growing through it. this was planned after I admired the wild Spartium around us with Clematis vitalba weaving through it, then there was the Cistus with fortunately placed wild Lotus corniculatus (Bird's-foot trefoil) alongside the yellow flowers enhancing the yellow centres of the Cistus and finally, my favourite, a real miscellany - Erigeron karvanskianus, Convolvulus mauritanicus,Cerinthe, a pink Helianthemum and Nigella damascena all jostling for position near to my back door and a continual source of pleasure.
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MGS member living and gardening in Umbria, Italy for past 19 years. Recently moved from my original house and now planning and planting a new small garden.
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ritamax

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Re: Plant associations
« Reply #4 on: May 30, 2012, 10:42:20 AM »
Very subtle! Here one bold combination from a park in Spain, bougainvillea with senecio.
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Hobbygardener (MGS member) with a rooftop garden in Basel and a garden on heavy clay with sand 600m from seaside in Costa Blanca South (precipitation 300mm), learning to garden waterwise

Daisy

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Re: Plant associations
« Reply #5 on: June 07, 2012, 12:27:35 PM »
I love your yellow and white, associations and the Erigeron karvanskianis et al, Umbrian.
Ritamax, that is a combination that will knock your socks off!
I have a few I like;


Plumbago capensis and Senecio serpens.


Rose The New Dawn with Clematis viticella Abundance
Sorry, not a very good photo!


Iris ensata Carnival Prince with an unknown lavender.


Foxgloves and roses.


Nicotiana sylvestris with Verbena bonariensis.
Daisy :)
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Amateur gardener, who has gardened in Surrey and Cornwall, England, but now has a tiny garden facing north west, near the coast in north east Crete. It is 300 meters above sea level. On a steep learning curve!!! Member of both MGS and RHS
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Fleur Pavlidis

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Re: Plant associations
« Reply #6 on: June 07, 2012, 03:36:56 PM »
Planting Nicotiana beside Verbena bonariensis is a brainwave. They're both rather gawky by  themselves but together ... they make a great pair. How on earth do you get foxgloves to grow? Did you do them from seed?
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MGS member, Greece. I garden in Attica, Greece and Mt Goulinas (450m) Central Greece

Jill S

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Re: Plant associations
« Reply #7 on: June 07, 2012, 05:03:20 PM »
Daisy, looks beautiful as per always, but what is your secret? a watering regime? or do you rely upon shade, a good mulch and positioning to catch any breeze available? how do you have what looks like an English woodland combination in a cretan summer??
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Member of RHS and MGS. Gardens in Surrey, UK and, whenever I get the chance, on Paros, Greece where the learning curve is not the only thing that's steep.

Daisy

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Re: Plant associations
« Reply #8 on: June 08, 2012, 12:57:46 PM »
Fleur, Those nicotiana and verbena are over 2 metres tall! I think they would look gawky by themselves, but luckily don't when together. Also, when it is windy, they hold each other up.
I sowed the nicotiana, but the Verbena bonariensis sowed itself  ;D
I wasn't sure that the foxgloves would like it here in Crete, so I only sowed a few and put those in shade, mainly under two apricot trees. They have been fine, so I will try some more next year.

Jills, I have a very small garden. Small enough to water by hand, which I do fortnightly in the summer.
It is still quite young. Nothing has been planted more than two and a half years. Next year I will try watering once every three weeks, apart from any new plantings, and see how that goes.
I do have in the garden a few fruit trees, which are very useful shade for some plants. The trouble is, I am very greedy ::) ::) ::) and have already run out of space.

Here are a few more combinations that I like.





Dahlia Arabian Nights and Rose Teasing Georgia have a similar flower shape, but I like them together.



Nepeta tuberosa with an ivy leaved pelargonium.



Rose William Shakespeare 2000 with Verbena x hybrida, a pink petunia, Nemesia denticulata Confetti. Lychnis coronaria and Rehmannia elata.



Pansy Padparadja being overtaken by Felicia amelloides.



Felicia amelloides and Erysimum Apricot Twist.



Nepeta Walkers Low with Alstromeria Polka and Phormium Jester.

Daisy :)
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Amateur gardener, who has gardened in Surrey and Cornwall, England, but now has a tiny garden facing north west, near the coast in north east Crete. It is 300 meters above sea level. On a steep learning curve!!! Member of both MGS and RHS

Jill S

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Re: Plant associations
« Reply #9 on: June 08, 2012, 01:53:36 PM »
Daisy, ooohh, at a guess I'd say you've got the sweety-shop syndrome, but the way the hundreds and thousands are put together is something else. Don't stop experimenting with what you can get away with and giving us the pics. Really look forward to them!! Jill
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Member of RHS and MGS. Gardens in Surrey, UK and, whenever I get the chance, on Paros, Greece where the learning curve is not the only thing that's steep.

Daisy

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Re: Plant associations
« Reply #10 on: June 10, 2012, 09:26:37 AM »
Jill, you are so right, I definitely have sweety shop syndrome.
But what is one to do? So little space and so many yummy plants ::) ::) ::)
Daisy :)

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Amateur gardener, who has gardened in Surrey and Cornwall, England, but now has a tiny garden facing north west, near the coast in north east Crete. It is 300 meters above sea level. On a steep learning curve!!! Member of both MGS and RHS
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Alisdair

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Re: Plant associations
« Reply #11 on: June 20, 2012, 09:27:03 AM »
(With Helena looking over my shoulder with lots of ooos and aahhs...) Daisy, what a miracle, coaxing all that growth and luxurious colourful beauty out of hot dry Eastern Crete! And really inspiring colour/shape combinations!
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Alisdair Aird
Gardens in SE England (Sussex); also coastal Southern Greece, and (in a very small way) South West France; MGS member (and former president); vice chairman RHS Lily Group, past chairman Cyclamen Society
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ritamax

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Re: Plant associations
« Reply #12 on: June 20, 2012, 10:51:01 AM »
Fantastic! Perhaps it the lushness has to do with the fact, that your garden faces northwest? 
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Hobbygardener (MGS member) with a rooftop garden in Basel and a garden on heavy clay with sand 600m from seaside in Costa Blanca South (precipitation 300mm), learning to garden waterwise
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Bolanthus

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Re: Plant associations
« Reply #13 on: June 27, 2012, 03:25:21 PM »
So so beautiful! And I would have never imagined L. coronaria to look so gorgeous next to a rose!!
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Aris Zografidis
A lot of interest for the mediterranean flora and for the water wise gardening –but no garden yet. 
my blog on Greek Flora: ROSA SEMPERVIRENS
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ritamax

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Re: Plant associations
« Reply #14 on: June 29, 2012, 12:40:18 PM »
Nice blog, Bolanthus!!!
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Hobbygardener (MGS member) with a rooftop garden in Basel and a garden on heavy clay with sand 600m from seaside in Costa Blanca South (precipitation 300mm), learning to garden waterwise
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