Colour baths

Well, I'm recouping from Alaska and have for you one last (but not least), guest post. This one is super fun and comes to you from Trudi of The Deco Detective - who really helped me out and supported me by spreading the word about my fund raising and marathon training. Thanks Trudi! And I'm with you - I would've loved the turquoise bathroom!

Hi, I'm Trudi aka The Deco Detective! I'm here today to help Ashley out while she's away running the marathon to cure lymphoma. I'm so honoured to be asked to do a guest post at Decorology, but most of all, I'm very impressed with Ashley. I think she's really brave to sign up for a marathon!

After running marathons, I can imagine that a beautiful, luxurious bathroom will feel like heaven to sore feet and beaten muscles. To relieve things a little for her, I've picked seven bathrooms for Ashley to choose between when she's finished running. There's one bathroom for each colour of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, turquoise, blue, indigo and violet:

I hope you find (at least) one bathroom you like, Ashley. I'm curious to know which one you'll choose! And Decorology readers: which one would you pick after running a marathon? I think I'd prefer the turquoise one to cool myself off - although me running a marathon would be a purely hypothetical situation...





Ashley - good luck with your running! We'll all cheer you on from the sidelines, even if we're not there in person.

Orange, yellow and green bathroom found at My Home Ideas

Turquoise bathroom found at House of Turquoise

Red, blue, indigo and violet bathroom found at Living Etc

Echinacea Sundown, Ya Better Take Care

The colorful coneflowers lure us in with their beauty. In the past few years, there have been so many new (and patented) coneflowers appearing in the garden shops.

Two years ago, I planted several of the new designer colors. Echinacea 'Sundown' from the Big Sky™ Series was the only one with a 100 percent survival rate. Last year, there was a problem with gray mold, so I was glad to see all of the plants returned this spring.

I pay close attention to the care of these survivors to make sure there are no problems. This year's display is quite impressive as the clumps have had time to mature. As with my other coneflowers, this one is also quite photogenic!



The orange of 'Sundown' has been an easy color to use in my butterfly garden. The two mass plantings are squeezed between the yellow blooms of a hypericum (St. John's Wort), the green and white foliage of miscanthus 'Cosmopolitan', the blue-purple blooms of a vitex, the orange-red blooms of crocosmia and the pink-orange blooms of agastache 'Salmon & Pink'.

I've not had a problem with rabbits trying to nibble these at all, but I think it is only because they prefer to nibble the nearby rudbeckia! Deer haven't bothered any of my coneflowers this year, but there is always the possibility that they will sample the first buds.

If you are interested in growing this coneflower, it is rated for zones 4-9 and needs well-drained soil and full sun. The bees, butterflies and birds love coneflowers, no matter which color you grow.

I deadhead my coneflowers through the summer for repeat blooms, but the final flowers are left on the stems in the fall to provide seed for the Goldfinches.


Story and photos by Freda Cameron; Location: Home Garden; June 2009

Crocosmia Combinations?

Gardeners often receive a passalong plant from another gardener. Gardeners in zones 6-9 may be given crocosmia. Most likely it will be the red 'Lucifer' that is so commonly grown. There are many other interesting colors of crocosmia in shades of yellow, gold, orange and red that I'd like to try in the future.

In my butterfly garden, there are two clumps of crocosmia. I planted orange crocosmia (which is looking more like the red this year) with orange coneflowers. My idea was to pair up the crocosmia bloom with the deep orange cone of the coneflowers between the blue-purple blooms of the vitex and the green and white foliage of miscanthus 'Cosmopolitan'. This crocosmia is so enveloped that it cannot be reached by the deer.

I also have a large clump of 'Lucifer' that was given to me by a friend. Right now, 'Lucifer' is standing quite alone at the top edge of the butterfly garden. The butterfly garden has to be deer resistant. So far, the deer have walked right past the crocosmia, so I'm ready to think about companions for him.

This is a hot, dry site that receives about eight hours of sun here in my zone 7 garden. It takes a tough plant to grow at the edge of the butterfly garden and meadow. Other plantings up there that are in progress include yarrow, verbena bonariensis and nepeta.

Crocosmia is loved by hummingbirds. Yesterday, I was weeding between the two clumps of crocosmia. A female hummingbird perched on the orange one, while a male hummingbird sipped from 'Lucifer'. I want to keep the hummingbirds and butterflies in mind when I give 'Lucifer' some companions.

I will need to dig up the crocosmia next spring as the corms grow right on top of each other, forcing the plant out of the ground. This is one drawback about this perennial and one reason why 'Lucifer' still has no close companions. I have to decide how much space to give 'Lucifer'. Should I have a huge, mass planting? Or, shall I divide it and place it in several strategic places?

There's a garden inspiration that I've seen in a photo of the summer garden (photo #4) on the Bressingham website. Crocosmia is planted with steel blue sea holly (erynigum) and helenium. I do believe deer will eat both the erynigum and helenium.

I have echinops 'Ritro' in my garden that would work for the blue. However, it is nowhere near blooming right now while the crocosmia is in full bloom. I could substitute rudbeckia 'Goldsturm' for the helenium, but the rabbits eat that. It isn't blooming, yet either. Timing is everything with companions!

So, gardening friends - if you grow crocosmia 'Lucifer' what companions are you using? Even if you don't have this crocosmia, do you have any combination ideas?


Story and photos by Freda Cameron; Location: home garden; June 2009

Another tropical trip...

Coming at you from the other end of the country - Linda from Lime in the Coconut making me miss the motherland...

The ever-so talented Ashley asked that I blogsit for her while she travels to the wild edges of Alaska.

Sure, I say. What an honor...What a privilege...What fun!

So...

While she dips her icy toes into the dark Alaskan waters...

Join me. Grab a long cool drink...We are heading to

a whole other edge of the world...

Separated from civilization by a sweep of meandering lagoon and white sands

With no neighbours and a maximum of just 28 guests, this Bahia Coast Beach hotel is like a private slice of paradise.

It is all about hammock snoozes, rainforest wanders and just

being.

Its 14 spacious cabãnas are surrounded by lush jungle, and are adorned with a smart mix of bright white and bold colours...

each has it's own outdoor shower

Hotel Fazenda de Lagoa is practically the definition of beach-shack chic.

A fine line exists between indoor and outdoor living...

don't we all need that...

once in awhile? well, maybe not so much in Alaska.

In the alcove library, carefully curated floor-to-ceiling titles are interrupted only by wooden sculpture of a white bird surrounded by flowers.

and of course, the requisite billowy spa area

Fazenda da Lagoa....what a colorful, sunny respite

and, uh, Ashley...can you bring some Ice when you come back?

for our long cool drinks?

hmmmmm?

Summer Essentials with Anne at The City Sage

Sorry I was silent yesterday - finding an internet connection in Alaska is not always an easy thing!

I promise that Anne aka "The City Sage," has made it worth your wait with this beautiful guest post..

Hi All! I'm so happy to be visiting Decorology while Ashley is in Alaska! With summer officially upon us, I've been celebrating the sunshine with a fabulous fashion giveaway and summer themed posts over at The City Sage--so I thought I'd share some of my warm weather Decorating Musts!

Crisp White Linens: It's a tried and true pieces of decorating advice to change your bed linens when the mercury rises, and nothing suits better than fresh, airy whites. I especially adore them with a bit of texture, like a matelasse, or with a scalloped trim.

A Touch of Greenery: Who doesn't thrill at the site of a big, bountiful bouquet? But a single blossom or even a succulent leaf can have the same effect; by bringing the outdoors in, you get to enjoy the season every time you enter the room!

Dining by Lantern Light: The romantic in me can't get enough of dinners under the stars. Plus everyone looks their best in this light--and even the most charred burger looks delicious when viewed through a candle's glow!

Natural Materials: Used sparingly, materials like wicker, rattan and sisal convey a relaxed front porch sensibility that feels just right on a hot summer afternoon. Keep the color neutral, or if you're feeling bold try a bright, cheerful coat of paint!

Breezy Window Treatments: Just as you would switch up your bed textiles for summer, you should also change out window coverings. Store heavy velvets and wools in favour of barely-there cottons or even a single panel of pink silk.

Travel Souvenirs: We bring out boxes of Christmas decorations around the holidays, so why not store a few special summer mementos to display come Memorial Day? A collection of postcards and knickknacks brings back summer memories with a smile.

A Piece of the Sea: Everything about the ocean says summer to me, from the colors and sounds to the smells and the feel of the breeze on your face. And you don't have to get all literal with a jar of seashells to honor the sea; glassware in lagoon hues will do the trick quite nicely!


Red and White: I love this color combo in the summer. To me it says clam bakes, Fourth of July, and sweet, juicy cherries in a bright ceramic bowl. Go subtle with gingham napkins for a picnic, or go big and design your whole patio around this palette!

Thanks to Ashley for having me and I hope to see you at The City Sage soon! xo Anne

Image Credits: 1, 2. Anne Naumann 3,4. Gemma Comas 5. Atlanta Bartlett 6. Domino 7, 8. House to Home 9. Domino 10. Marie Claire Maison 11. Rachel Whiting 11. Sam McAdam 12. Atlanta Bartlett 13. Rachel Whiting 14, 15. Elle Decoration France, June 2009.

Blooms from Seed Swap Plants

Not only did I get free seeds, but my seed-swapping friends planted the seeds for me! They are so considerate, don't you think? My friends were very careful and chose the best companion plants and color combinations when sowing their seeds.

My seed-swapping friends are birds! All winter long, we fed the birds plenty of seeds. They gave me some interesting flower seeds in return for the food. I don't think some of the seeds came from the bird food that we supplied. I think some of these seeds came from other gardens.

Maybe this yellow lily came all the way from Jamie and Randy's garden! They received a sunflower gift from the birds and THEY grow Oriental lilies in their gardens! Perhaps their Goldfinches brought the lily to my garden?

The birds planted the lily with the deep purple salvia nemorosa 'Marcus' and gold/burgundy blanket flower, creating a nice little grouping in the butterfly garden. There is also a purple coneflower in that mix of free seeds. Since I grow the salvia, blanket flower and coneflower, then I suppose my flowers could have reseeded. However, there's no way that the yellow lily came from my garden.



There are also two perfect yellow, short sunflowers. The plants have very similar flowers with a height around 30 inches. I have no experience with sunflowers, so I have no idea how to find these seeds - other than buying sunflower bird food! I like these so much that I'd love to have a mass planting to brighten up the color in the butterfly garden.

One sunflower showed up in the cottage garden between the color-coordinated pale yellow shasta daisies and yellow coneflowers. The other showed up in the butterfly garden with agastache 'Blue Fortune'.

Not only did I receive some interesting plants in the seed swap, my feathered gardening friends were gracious enough to sow the seeds in good locations!



Story and photos by Freda Cameron; Location: home garden; June 2009

Tropical Style Bedrooms

First, I would like to thanks Rachel for lending a hand while I'm out in Alaska running my marathon in support of the Leukemia and Lymphoma society. I finished in one piece but I am really feeling it today! Without further ado, Rachel -

Hi Everyone! I am so excited to be here today guest posting for Ashley while she is away! My name is Rachel and I normally blog on dwellings and decor.
I decided that doing a guest post on Tropical style bedrooms would be fitting since we are getting into Summer and I am from Maui where it seems like all I ever see is tropical style. In my opinion tropical style can be hard to make chic. I guess I get tired of the same old tourist condos with the rattan furniture, Tommy Bahama motifs and so forth. It can also sometimes be difficult to tell the difference between coastal, Asian or tropical and I am no expert but hopefully these photos will give you an idea. Enjoy!







Row 1: Piet Boon Pierce Allen
Row 2: Harlequin Adeeni Design Group
Row 3: One and Only Resorts Kerry Joyce
Row 4: Sarah Kaye Plymouth
Row 5: Ellen McDermott Phoebe Howard
Row 6: Fuse ID Phoebe Howard


Thank you Ashley for having me guest post today! Hope you are having a wonderful time!

...and...me at the finish - a little delirious! THANKS to all for your support along the way :)