Garden Photo of the Day

Linda’s West Vancouver Garden

Garden scenes in an unusual year of weather

shrub covered in pink flowers in a sea of green foliage

My name is Linda Corinaldi. This is my second year sending my photos to you (previous post is here: Putting Down Roots, at Last). In a normal year here in West Vancouver, British Columbia, we have summers with pleasant temperatures, never very hot. This summer we had heat like the West Coast has never felt before. Some of our plants reacted by doing odd things. Plants that I expected to burn were fine, while tropicals that I felt would be happy with the heat burnt to a crisp.

pink hydrangeas behind a black fenceLast year I posted this view with dilapidated wooden gates. This year here is the same view but with black iron gates. The same pink hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla, Zones 5–9) are on either side of the gate.

vine with purple flowersClematis ‘Warsaw Nike’ (Zones 4–9) makes a wonderful show climbing on the fence.

plant with yellow foliage next to houseThis Phormium ‘Yellow Wave’ (Zones 9–11) produced three flower stalks this year—a nice surprise! The planter on the wall once housed a clock. It is planted up with succulents.

canna with pink flowers and dark foliageI took a chance and left these Canna ‘Louis Cotton’ bulbs in the ground last winter in a south-facing location close to the house. We are in Zone 8. They have grown taller than the house this year. Hummingbirds love the flowers. (Canna vary in hardiness by variety but often will overwinter outside in Zones 8 and warmer.)

potted plants full of light green foliageA variety of greens and yellows make this container almost glow. Phormium ‘Yellow Wave’, Fatsia ‘Spider Web’ (Zones 7–10), and Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra, Zones 5–9) are featured.

container full of colorful foliage plantsContainers are my favorites. This one has a Canna ‘Tropicana’, coleus (Solenostemon scutellarioides, Zone 11), and ‘Blackie’ sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas ‘Blackie, Zones 10–11 or as an annual).

three plants with dark purple foliageI think the colors in this planter—which contains Phormium ‘Mat’s Merlot’, Colocasia ‘Black Coral’ (Zones 9–11), and Tradescantia zebrina (Zones 9–11)—complement each other.

garden full of different foliageBy the end of summer these Japanese bananas (Musa basjoo, Zones 6–10) are as tall as the maple tree.

shrub covered in pink flowers in a sea of green foliageAn azalea in full bloom offers a punch of color in a sea of mixed green and bronze shrubs.

garden bed with lots of textureAt the end of our driveway, in front of a large Aucuba shrub (Aucuba japonica, Zones 7–10), is an interesting combination of textures. In front there is creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia, Zones 3–9) combining two shades of green. Behind that is a row of sedge (Carex ‘Toffee Twist’, Zones 7–10 or as an annual). On the left side is a Euonymus gold shrub (Euonymus japonica ‘Aureomarginata’, Zones 6–9), to the right is a Hosta (Zones 3–9) and a Skimmia shrub (Skimmia japonica, Zones 6–8), and in the middle is a bear’s breaches (Acanthus mollis, Zones 6–10) and Aeonium ‘Zwartkop’ (Zones 9–10) in a container.

 

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Comments

  1. Begonia155 09/29/2021

    Love, love, love your combinations! You certainly have the artistic eye for color and form!

  2. sagebird52 09/29/2021

    Luxuriant foliage and wonderful color ! Great space

  3. gardendevas 09/29/2021

    Lush and wonderful combinations and containers, with gorgeous colors, textures and vignettes!

  4. coastalgardener 09/29/2021

    It's so interesting to see someone's garden on the opposite coast, and what an interesting array of plants you have! Thanks for sharing your garden with us.

  5. User avater
    simplesue 09/29/2021

    That is a beautiful garden you've made!
    That new metal gate is a nice addition!
    Your garden looked great last year and even better this year, I love seeing how a garden changes over time.

    1. sluginitout 09/30/2021

      I was not sure about the gate, but have grown to like it. Thanks for your comments, as well as all of the others

  6. katherine_8 09/29/2021

    Hello, fellow Canadian :)
    Your garden beckons with its lovely soothing colours, textures, and moodiness (moodiness in a good way) and has a very calming, relaxing feel. I love it!!

  7. wittyone 09/29/2021

    The clock planter is great, so clever.

    The coleus in with the canna is gorgeous. I have the same one I believe, although mine has more of an orange cast to the flame down the middle of the leaves. Do you happen to know the variety name? I plan on taking cuttings of it this fall, but wish I had the variety name in case they don't make it. Mine came without a tag on it so I am in the dark.

    1. sluginitout 09/30/2021

      I have checked my tags and don’t have one for that coleus
      sorry!

    2. sluginitout 10/05/2021

      I have found name of coleus. Colorblaze Kingswood Torch
      Hope this helps

  8. btucker9675 09/29/2021

    That iron garden gate is beyond beautiful - perfect in your wonderful gardens! People must love it when they have an opportunity to walk through.

  9. sheila_schultz 09/29/2021

    Linda, the shades of color, textures and leaf shape combinations in both your gardens and containers are sheer perfection in my eye. I think my jaw would drop while touring your gardens viewing the color diversity. You are an artist.

    1. sluginitout 09/30/2021

      Thank you for your kind words.

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