A Lot Of Red, Whoops

Hmm.  That's a lot of red.  The Callistemons (now in Melaleuca), the Alstroemerias, the red in the Bromeliads, and the red foliage of Acer palmatum 'Oshio Bene' just now leafing out.

There's ivory variegation in the foliage of Alstroemeria 'Rock and Roll' and Fatsia 'Spiders Web', but...there's still a lot of red.  A further counter is the chartreuse of Sedum 'Angelina' and Hakonechloa macra 'All Gold'...

The Hakonechloa is under a screen because the blankety-blank rabbits love to mow the fresh new spring foliage.

...and I added a patch of chartreuse Sedum makinoi 'Ogon':

But it's still a lot of red.  A lot of red can be very gloomy.  Who knew?  

The Callistemon/Melaleuca won't be in bloom year round, the Alstroemerias will stop flowering when summer heat hits, and the Acer foliage will be more green/bronze/red than red-red in about six weeks.  Then I'll probably miss all the red.  

 Speaking of blankety-blank rabbits,  maybe this fellow can help me:

Photo by K!

Please please please do not kill rodents with poison bait.  Use traps instead.  You could poison the beautiful predators like bobcats that are efficient controllers of the rodent population.    
 


Comments

  1. Blankety-blank rabbits is right! No, I wouldn't think to poison any creature, but... yes, blankety-blank! And Go, Red! (It's the favorite color around here. ;-) )

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    1. U of W Badgers? :) White and red, good combo!

      I love red but it seems like it needs to be balanced with something else--white and chartreuse seem the best options.

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  2. We usually have rabbits
    but I haven't seen any this year. There are a lot of cats around though. We keep chasing them out of our garden because they are stalking the birds.

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    1. No outdoor domestic cats in this neighborhood--the coyotes get them. Bobcats can handle coyotes somewhat. Rabbits we usually have in the spring until the coyotes get (it seems like) all but two of them, and then we have rabbits again the next spring. They love the tender new basal breaks from roses. Grrr!!!

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  3. I think all the red looks wonderful. It’s a take your breath away collection of fabulous strong colours. I’m puzzled about the Callistemon/ Melaleuca thing. Has someone changed the name without gardeners in Australia knowing? Very cheeky!
    Is the bobcat actually in your garden? I think that’s rather exciting.

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    1. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melaleuca_viminalis; yes, someone changed the name without agreement, apparently, from Australia. Very cheeky, yes!

      In a few years someone will change it back again. Those botanical nomenclature people.

      The bobcat is in a neighbor's garden. She sent me the photo. The bobcat has also appeared in her security camera footage, so it's a frequent visitor. Bobcat food of choice is rabbit, so yay, bobcats!

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    2. Australia took our Acacia for their wattles, and we have had to learn new names. Only fair if they have a turn too.

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  4. Don't think you can ever have enough red. I love it and don't find it too moody especially with lots of supporting green around. Originally thought there was a picture of a new cat. The bobcat looks so small. Great shot!

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    1. Red just isn't as bright or eye-grabbing in the way white is. Or maybe it is the light here, different than farther north. More pinky-orange. Luckily all those reds in that part of the garden are on the orange side--I found mixing red-orange with "cool" red looks rather painful.

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  5. I hope the bobcat gets the rascals rabbits. Lovely color in your garden now.

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  6. I thought I'd commented on this post but it seems to have gone astray. Even though red is something I go easy on in my own garden, I think your reds are dramatic and not at all gloomy. Seeing the bobcat was fun - we don't get any of those out this way. I wonder how they'd get on with coyotes?

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    1. All the Melaleuca/Callistemon, I was thinking "narrow screen" and "hummingbird food" and didn't even think about flower color.

      Bobcats compete with coyotes, I read. I don't think bobcats steal newspapers, though!

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