Monday, August 13, 2012

Patterns


I've always been a lover of plants with interesting variegation and patterning. These days I'm becoming even more attracted to strongly marked foliage than I am to flowering plants. Don't get me wrong, I love flowers too. They're great but need constant attention and the older I get the more I appreciate a plant that has a lot of pizzaz with a minimum amount of fussing. Some of my favorites are bromeliads, especially vrieseas and neoregelias. And what's not to love about calatheas and acalyphas but just about any plant that makes me stop to take a second look is on my list of things to have in my expanding collection...

Some of my current favorites are the beautifully patterned vrieseas. There is something about the subtle colors and symmetry of these beauties that really appeals to me. 

The current top of my favorites list is this gorgeous David Shiigi hybrid Vriesea 'Ku'ulei' x (Fost. Select x 'Hilo Rainbow')


The subtly colored Vriesea 'Ehiku'

Vriesea 'Ehiku'

Vriesea 'Eha'



Vriesea 'Kiwi Sunset'

Vriesea hieroglyphica

Vriesea hieroglyphica

And there are hordes of Neoregelias with fabulous patterning

 Neoregelia 'Blushing Tiger'

 Neoregelia 'Keiko'

Neoregelia 'Cocktail'

 Love the strong cream/green and burgundy contrasts of this easy to care for Stromanthe sanguinea 'Triostar'

I first saw this beautiful Cordyline terminalis 'Chocolate Queen' at the New York Botanical Gardens about five years ago and decided that I absolutely had to have one. I still love the color and patterns of this gorgeous plant as much as I did when I first bought it years ago.


 



And the patterns in this Calathea makoyana are outstanding. They love spending their summers in a shady spot in the garden.

  What's not to love?

 Calathea 'Helen Kennedy' The best growing and most robust of my calatheas... love it

Love the splash variegation and picotee edges of Acalypha 'Tahiti'

And the oldie but goodie Canna 'Pretoria' I adore the strong striping on this variety



A newly emerged leaf from Alocasia 'Portodora' the markings remind me of a water running down a channel... wonderful!

And of course I have to mention those eye candy caladiums.... 'White Queen'

Caladium 'Gingerland' Oooo la la, those  spots!

Caladium 'Florida Sweetheart'


And then of course there are the crazy spotted and colored begonias, and hmmmm.... I didn't even mention coleus and I haven't touched perennials yet.. I think this is going to have to be a two or three part series...  
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23 comments:

  1. AnonymousAugust 13, 2012 at 3:25 PM

    I am speechless

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  2. L DoellAugust 13, 2012 at 3:42 PM

    Yowzers!

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  3. Drema FisherAugust 13, 2012 at 4:27 PM

    Just beautiful Deanne, the plants and the photography!

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  4. GardenbugAugust 13, 2012 at 4:50 PM

    I can imagine the addiction. I can spend a lifetime with a color wheel of paints. I think I've spent three years searching for the right color for our dining room. Add patterns and I'd go crazy for sure. I'll have to come back and look at these photos a few more times. So much to take in....

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    1. Deanne FortnamAugust 14, 2012 at 4:10 AM

      Many thanks Marie, I think all us gardeners are lovers of color, texture and pattern. I'll bet you love to spend time in a stationery store looking at all the paper, pens, colored pencils etc. You should take up paiting, if you love a color wheel.... very theraputic

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  5. SueAugust 13, 2012 at 7:19 PM

    Fabulous photos Deanne! Every one perfectly illustrates the feeling of pattern you wish to convey. Welcome to the dark side-gardening without flowers :).

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    1. Deanne FortnamAugust 14, 2012 at 4:06 AM

      Thanks Sue, I spent a lot of time thinking through and photographing for this one. It was hard to whittle down the choices as I've been collecting more and more patterned plants. I'm surprised the garden doesn't keep me up at night it's so busy, LOL

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  6. ksAugust 13, 2012 at 8:16 PM

    Beautiful images Deanne, and such pristine plants..they would hate the low humidity and cool nights here, so I will admire from afar!

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    1. Deanne FortnamAugust 14, 2012 at 4:08 AM

      Thanks Kathy, probably so, I know the Cordyline termnalis is looking better than it has in years now and I'm suspecting it has something to do with the hideous humidity we've had this summer... So it is good for something after all, LOL

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  7. Shirley Grills-KonefalAugust 14, 2012 at 6:44 AM

    Deanne....Thanks for bringing your love of plants to include bromeliads. Your photos always amaze me and this is no exception. If this isn't an inspiration to gardening enthusiasts to explore these wonderful plants, I don't know what is. I enjoy your exhilaration and look forward to more sharing. THANKS!

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    1. Deanne FortnamAugust 14, 2012 at 3:26 PM

      Thanks so much Shirley! and also thanks for having such gorgeous plants available to buy on ebay. I'm totally in love with beautiful bromeliads and think everyone should have a few.

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  8. GayleAugust 14, 2012 at 7:32 AM

    Stunning plants and photography! I hope there are more parts to this series. I would love to see your begonias. They are my favorite and I have a growing collection. I enjoy my flowering plants but really they don't give me as much joy as my begonias and ferns. Thank you for sharing your beauties!

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    1. Deanne FortnamAugust 14, 2012 at 3:27 PM

      Thanks Gayle, I love begonias too. The last couple years have been a challenge overwintering them because my cane types like 'Sophia Cecile' have gotten so huge.

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  9. AnonymousAugust 14, 2012 at 9:43 AM

    Please do a part 2 and 3. Just lovely.
    Melanie

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  10. Leslie's GardenAugust 14, 2012 at 3:08 PM

    Hi Deanne! I'm so excited I found your blog, I have followed your garden through Gardenbuddies and Garden Web for many, many years. I've even emailed you for advice a few times, (and you were more than generous in your reply)! I have admired your Cordyline for a long time, but I think this is the first time I read the name "Chocolate Queen". Several years ago I went looking for it, just by sight, but of course had no luck. Now I know why! I need to go to New York! I can't wait to try again, I think it is so beautiful. You have been a huge influence to my garden style.

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    1. Deanne FortnamAugust 14, 2012 at 5:48 PM

      Thanks Leslie! so glad you've found my blog. Hope you are able to find that Cordyline. It's a beauty.

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  11. outlawgardenerAugust 15, 2012 at 9:56 AM

    Thanks for the eye candy! Your beautiful photographs are drugs for the plant addicted!

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    1. Deanne FortnamAugust 15, 2012 at 11:16 AM

      You are very welcome! Yes, I'm a fellow plant addict... I absolutely cannot stop myself from adding to my collection even though it means huge amounts of time and effort to winter over these things here in Zone 5.

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  12. danger gardenAugust 15, 2012 at 10:17 AM

    WOW...you weren't kidding about your love for variegated foliage were you? Are all of those Bromeliads in your collection?

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    1. Deanne FortnamAugust 15, 2012 at 10:59 AM

      Thanks! Yep, All those and many, many more bromeliads are in my collection. I'd think you'd really love the Achmeas and Dyckias as they are very spiky and can 'bite' if you aren't careful, LOL

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