Today I was sulking about a very unsatisfactory pot of Echeverias and Sedums, and it struck me that there may be a simple trick to pleasing succulent combinations:
1.) Group the silvers and greys with the blues.
2.) Group the bronzes and browns with the light greens and chartreuses.
3.) Keep 1.) as far away from 2.) as possible.
If the plant is really truly green, it can go with either group, because green is a neutral color (did you ever see a flower that clashed with green foliage)?
If it is green with a silver or blue cast, it goes with group #1.
If it is green with a bronzy cast, it goes with #2.
Is it really that simple? I fear it might be. How clueless am I for not realizing that instantly?
In my defense, I was distracted by computer science, linear algebra, calculus, and probability classes at University. And they didn't teach it to me in high school. And my mom and dad never explained it to me. But could I not have known?
Now, to show that the logical rules I just put forth are sometimes meaningless, I have noticed that Aeonium 'Zwartzkop' (brown to black) looks dramatic with Sececio mandraliscae (blue) The black and the blue are quite abrupt if they are directly adjacent--creating a little too much drama. But we make rules to break.
Echeveria runyonii:
If you get a chance, go to the succulent section at a big box store and start putting this and that next to each other, and see what you can come up with, bearing the above rules in mind. Practice makes beauty!
1.) Group the silvers and greys with the blues.
2.) Group the bronzes and browns with the light greens and chartreuses.
3.) Keep 1.) as far away from 2.) as possible.
If the plant is really truly green, it can go with either group, because green is a neutral color (did you ever see a flower that clashed with green foliage)?
If it is green with a silver or blue cast, it goes with group #1.
If it is green with a bronzy cast, it goes with #2.
Is it really that simple? I fear it might be. How clueless am I for not realizing that instantly?
In my defense, I was distracted by computer science, linear algebra, calculus, and probability classes at University. And they didn't teach it to me in high school. And my mom and dad never explained it to me. But could I not have known?
Now, to show that the logical rules I just put forth are sometimes meaningless, I have noticed that Aeonium 'Zwartzkop' (brown to black) looks dramatic with Sececio mandraliscae (blue) The black and the blue are quite abrupt if they are directly adjacent--creating a little too much drama. But we make rules to break.
Echeveria runyonii:
If you get a chance, go to the succulent section at a big box store and start putting this and that next to each other, and see what you can come up with, bearing the above rules in mind. Practice makes beauty!
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