Wednesday Vignette: Light & Texture
Today for Wednesday Vignette, hosted by Anna of Flutter & Hum, I'm sharing an image from the conifer collection at the Hoyt Arboretum. I still have a lot of pictures to share from my trip there in early February. I should make a return visit soon to show what it looks like now that spring is really gaining steam.
On the edge of the giant sequoia grove is a smaller grove of Araucaria araucana, or monkey puzzle trees. Adding to the textural delights is a Cunninghamia lanceolata, or Chinese fir. There's nothing but shades of green here, with just a touch of brown, but the different shades are further expanded by the play of light and shadow. Too bad every gardener doesn't have room for this combination of conifers, but there is a wealth of smaller plants from which to create fantastic combinations of texture.
On the edge of the giant sequoia grove is a smaller grove of Araucaria araucana, or monkey puzzle trees. Adding to the textural delights is a Cunninghamia lanceolata, or Chinese fir. There's nothing but shades of green here, with just a touch of brown, but the different shades are further expanded by the play of light and shadow. Too bad every gardener doesn't have room for this combination of conifers, but there is a wealth of smaller plants from which to create fantastic combinations of texture.
Great shot! I'd love to have those in my garden. So did you not go back last week after all?
ReplyDeleteThanks! No, I went to a few nurseries instead.
DeleteWe hear a lot about plant combinations looking down. You just proved that they can be equally important looking up.
ReplyDeleteI'm used to looking up at the trees. Maybe because I spent so much time in the woods as a kid. I love trees with interesting branch structures.
DeleteIt's a wonderful combination of textures, Evan! While I periodically see the fascinating monkey puzzle trees featured on PNW blogs, I can't remember ever seeing one of these trees down here even though they're said to be suited to our zone.
ReplyDeleteIt's probably too dry where you are. Established trees are completely drought-tolerant in the PNW, but even here they prefer a bit of water in summer.
DeleteAll these greens!
ReplyDeleteI can't plant a single Sequoia or Monkey Puzzle tree in my city garden, let along a small grove. I bet it's a sight to behold. I have a tiny Monkey Puzzle in a pot, hoping to find a good home for it one day.
You could plant a dwarf sequoia or redwood. By the time it grew too large, it wouldn't be your problem anymore! Or perhaps you can wait until you have a bigger garden where your monkey puzzle can play with its sequoia friend.
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