Wordless Wednesday? Hey I can do that!
Sidewalks of San Francisco
For a person visiting San Francisco from "The Great White North", one is struck not only the weather but also by the plant life that flourishes in this ideal mediterranean climate. I've just returned from a week in this lovely city, and again I was impressed by the quality, variety and creativity of gardening that I found there. In this post I am paying particular attention to the gardens I found in the front gardens which often overflowed onto the sidewalks and boulevards. Many of the plants that I saw there are the same that I grow outdoors and have to move indoors from November to April. And since the San Francisco plants are grown in the ground they are huge compared to my container grown collection.
Comments
However I'm glad that your response now allows me to be more specific. The tall spires are, in fact, the flowers of Baptisia 'Purple Smoke' an exciting hybrid developed at the Chicago Botanic Garden. It has blue flowers and glaucous, silvery blue leaves on black stems. One year it didn't bloom at all, and I didn't mind too much, as the mound of foliage was impressive in itself. Other new Baptisia hybrids include b. 'Twilite Prairie Blues' and 'Solar Flare' developed at the North Carolina Botanic Garden by Jim Ault.
The shrub behind the Baptisia is Cotinus 'Royal Purple'.
Cotinus it is!
I coppice it every year and it produces this beautiful foliage.
Love, love, love B. 'Purple Smoke' mostly for the wonderful deep infused colour of the stems. Not really a fan of the newer Prairieblues series..... and Cotinus, another one that I cannot be without! A good coppicing goes along way!
Interesting to hear your opinion of the prairieblues series. I've only seen them in bloom in photographs which is probably misleading. However I have a couple of immature plants that are yet to bloom, so i hope I won't be too disappointed.