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| Ornamental Kale |
Who says your garden in Tucson has to look drab over the winter? Here are some colorful ideas to inspire while you wait for Mother Nature to get going. My posts have been all over the place from hiking to birding to a lot of other things. But I have been working at El Presidio on the gardens and prepping for this spring season. During the months of January and February, Tucson gardeners can plant some things like bareroot roses or fruit trees. Maybe work on some cool vegetable gardening. I usually clean up palms, trees, etc before new leaf growth. But remember..March 15th is when you can really start thinking about your dream garden. I would just plan right now and save your money for the big spring sales around town. For now, here are some interesting winter ideas for your Tucson garden......
Think color contrast. I love the purple on this Ornamental Kale. Use it in repetition and then combine it with other flowers. Look below.....
I enjoy this design because it uses garden art in a cool way. Your eye is drawn to the pomegranates on the leafless tree, the bench, Ornamental Kale, and the flowers in the basket. Some excellent choices are Zinnias or even bulbs!! But the key here is to be creative and mix color up with repetition and plant combinations. I think that is one sexy setup.
For more on the gardening journals for our Tucson landscape, head over to January 2011 where you'll find a lot of information on plants at the El Presidio Gardens. Right now several of the hot topics are
fruit trees and their chill hours. My place is slowly achieving balance but the gardens are still incomplete. I'll have more updates as we go plus I'll be taking you to some key locations around town where I think the landscaping is dynamite! The biggest challenge for me in the garden is the maintenance which include our old Oak trees that drop acorns, leaves and pollen around spring which should be a time for renewal. Thankfully the homeowners come together and help clean this mess up:) More tomorrow.....
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Such a vibrant and happy colour! That should make us ashame of eating cabbage from now on! :))) Great garden art! Have a good start to the week.
ReplyDeleteWe are very grateful that our weather is turning gently to autumn. March 15 get gardening? Yes, why not!
ReplyDeleteThe kale is gorgeous but I am most thrilled with the plantings on the bench! I have never thought of that and may have to try to wrangle up a similar one myself. Not the greatest "builder" but I might be able to do this one. Thanks for the idea, Chris.
ReplyDeleteThat kale is lovely. Now I'm craving a pomegranate.
ReplyDeleteThe bench planters are a great idea! Such pretty setting with the bright colors too.
ReplyDeleteI haven't planted the winter ornamentals in the past, but this is the way to keep my various planters looking good all winter.
The oaks will make a huge mess here this spring and I'm not looking forward to it.
i do love the purple kale. so pretty.
ReplyDeleteThe use of orn. kale and ppomegranates, really shows uncommonly effective use and design of the common. All to make a great space. No, winter is only drab for those who don't get design or their place.
ReplyDeleteWhat an exotic and hypnotizing colour! Great photos.
ReplyDeleteThe ornamental kale is a gorgeous color. The bench planters look cute. Lovely photos and plants. Happy Monday!
ReplyDeleteI love the planter on the bench..thanks for the idea
ReplyDeletebut I have to confess..I am not a lover of ornamental kale...son't know why...just not an eye pleaser to me...maybe I need to find different ways of combining it with plants I do like to gaze upon.....My husband hated hostas...unitl I planted them mixed in with other textures in the shade garden...I'll think about the kale...
glad you saw my big boy hawk!
I love colour so this was a pleasure to see! Clever use of the garden seat, not too comfortable to sit on though ;-)
ReplyDeleteI love this stuff. So pretty!
ReplyDeleteI love the garden bench picture.
ReplyDeleteBeauty, those flowers are so pretty.
ReplyDeleteNice! Is there a big difference between Tucson and Phoenix in what you can plant?
ReplyDeleteJust a tad Tracy. It's funny you mention both of these places. I have a post on this coming up. You're a little warmer up there so you can have more water friendly sub tropical plants up there like Jacaranda etc. You also have a better chance of growing avocado trees because your overnight lows are warmer. But you also have to water more even with cacti!:) We are zone 9 a/b in Tucson. I'm in midtown so it's slightly warmer here. The outskirts near the washes get colder during our winter.
ReplyDeleteThe pops of color are great. I've tried to grow Ornamental Kale but no luck. Those look nice.
ReplyDeleteBelas cores da Natureza...Espectacular....
ReplyDeleteCumprimentos
Kolor ma wspaniały, a i wygodne miejsce na ławce :-). Pozdrawiam. *** Color is great, and even a comfortable place on the bench :-). Yours.
ReplyDeleteI call them ornamental cabbage, we only see it during exhibits and they are grown in the highlands maybe with difficulty. But they are always crowd drawers and very beautiful. I love them a lot, and your photos are so lovely especially that first one. How i wish we can grow them, i hope there will arise a heat tolerant kale.
ReplyDeleteLove the Kale! With the mild temps, it is hard not to get carried away RIGHT now!!!
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