Chorizema 'Bush Flame' and Ceanothus 'Lemon Ice'

Spring intoxication:  a couple of impulse purchases.  
Looking very sweet pea like:
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Chorizema 'Bush Flame' is a hybrid of Chorizema cordatum x C. varium.  All but one of the eighteen species of Chorizema are endemic to Western Australia.  My initial impulse was to plant Chorizema 'Bush Flame' out front, where the pink of the flower would go nicely with the pink of Calandrinia grandiflora.  Reading about Chorizema cordatum, however, I kept seeing "light shade", "delicately surface rooted", and "C. cordatum could have a prominent position in a shadier corner".  Okay, not out front in an arid, pitiless all-day blaze.  

What is "light shade", anyway?  
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Definition 1:
Light shade is a permanent shade cast by the shadow of a building, wall, hedge, or tree on a site otherwise exposed to the sky and open to light. It offers the most opportunity for blooming plants that otherwise like the sun.  Hmm, I define that as "bright shade"... 

Definition 2:
Light shade occurs along edges of woodlands and in savannas where trees provide up to 25 percent canopy closure and plants receive 5 to 10 hours direct sun.   Okay, in other words, some shade in the afternoon or during the hottest part of the day.  I think I get it. 

Definition 3: 
Light + Shade is a two-disc album by English musician Mike Oldfield. It is the first album to be released by Oldfield following his...   Never mind!  Scratch 3.  I'll go with Definition 2.  I've got an empty spot on the back side of 'Belinda's Dream', a tricky spot in some shade and some sun but with rich, fluffy soil.  I'll try it there.  

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Ceanothus x 'Lemon Ice' has the classic blue Ceanothus flowers combined with a yellow variegated foliage.  I...just...couldn't...resist.  
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The Ceanothus will go near the 'Golden Buddha' Duranta.  

If you have empty spots in the ground for impulse buys, then they are no longer impulse buys.  :)   
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Update 4/2014:  The Chorizema declined rapidly and died after that wonderous beginning.  I gave it a good location and treated it well, so I speculate it was pushed too hard by the grower, and couldn't make the transition to garden living.  In contrast, the Ceanothus is growing and looks good.
 

 

Comments

  1. That Chorizema is very attractive, will definitely look more into that!

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  2. What a lovely colour on the Chorizema 'Bush Flame', amazing!
    I have grown Ceanothus in the past, it got too big for my garden and I tried to prune it - too much, it didn't like that and died eventually. Not a great success, but the flowers were beautiful.

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  3. Beautiful plants, I love the colour variation on the leaves of the Ceanothus, I would not be able to resist either.
    xoxoxo ♡

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  4. The color combination on Chorizema 'Bush Flame' is wonderful! It seems as though it should be from India with its pink and orange. I had Ceanothus griseus horizontalis 'Diamond Heights' that looked a lot like your 'Lemon Ice". I couldn't resist it either. Sadly, it didn't last one winter up here.

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    Replies
    1. Hah! Wasn't your winter. My 'Diamond Heights' was a dud too. No vigor at all. Hopefully this one is better.

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    2. Well, it WAS zone 9 - I can't really blame the poor plant.

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