Displaying Your Pride
Happy Pride Month!
We all show our pride in different ways during this special month, and indeed every month. Now more than ever it is paramount that we are seen and heard in these bewildered and disconcerted times. How we are seen can take a variety of ways, from the subtle efforts of placing a flag in our gardens to the more visible protests in our towns and cities.
I like to think that our gardens are a reflection of ourselves to some extent. How we plan and design our landscapes can be a very personal experience for many. Being a landscape architect, I often describe myself as a tool that can be used to attain your vision. This means having a connection to the clients so that I can understand their point of view, or what they are hoping to achieve in their outdoor living spaces.
For a more subtle and intimate garden, try a monochromatic garden that uses shades of white and gray in addition to green that provides a base for little pops of color. Pinks, lavenders, and blues in subtle shades will complement the monochromatic theme and provide hints of your personality throughout the sea of calming whites and grays.
A panicle hydrangea such as “Strawberry Shake” would be an excellent specimen shrub for this type of garden. Its architectural form will also provide a contrast to herbaceous perennials and groundcovers. The flowers fade from white to pink and last for much of the season. For other nuanced additions of subtle color, consider lavender planted in mass (the aroma also provides a calming effect), white or pink gaura for a whimsical flair whose stems arch over other plantings and put on a display of dainty flowers flitting in the breeze, and blue star creeper as a groundcover around steppingstones: your own personal walk of fame.
If your personality calls for a dramatic garden, using bold colors and contrasting textures will surely help set the stage for your garden debut. Contrast big and bold showstoppers such as oakleaf hydrangea, southern magnolia, and luxurious peonies with finer texture specimens like cardinal flower, butterfly weed, coreopsis, and asters. Careful planning with the aforementioned species will also provide the garden in a true rainbow of colors (one more way to show off your pride).
Oakleaf hydrangea “Ruby Slippers” would fit in well with this star-studded theme. Its conical spike of red flowers is long-lasting, and its oak-shaped leaf provides a large, coarse texture to the landscape. The grand, robust flowers of the southern magnolia is a showstopper as-is, and the aroma they put off is extraordinary and magical. Their seed pods in autumn display bright, fuchsia-colored seeds, and is an encore you don’t want to miss.
Peonies are one of my favorites and their diversity of colors has no limit. There are many varieties available so there are surely some to satisfy your tastes. Consider trying an Itoh peony. Itoh peonies are hybrids between the tree peony and the herbaceous peony. They have huge, long-lasting blooms, and their leaves tend to stay a deep green into autumn.
I’ve also observed throughout my gardening years that many people actually have peonies that are divided and handed down through generations. One family has peonies that were their grandmother’s, which were transplanted and moved from location to location over the years. I have even taken part in this tradition, moving my mom’s peonies from place to place and seeing them thrive and bring joy to the next generation of gardeners.
I hope I’ve piqued your interest in the many ways of displaying one’s pride. I wish all of you the happiest of Pride months; may you continue to show your pride in any way that you see fit. You never know who will be inspired.
Stay safe and let’s garden together. ▼
Eric W. Wahl, Landscape Architect at Pennoni Associates, and President of the Delaware Native Plant Society