Magenta: The Garden DayGlow Orange

Magenta in the garden can be so hard to work with. This time of year is when you see ALOT of magenta in the garden. This color owes its fame in the garden to the redbuds, aka Cercis canadensis; which are blooming prolifically this year.

I love redbuds, but I can honestly say I don't like this color in the garden. It is like a dayglow orange to me. A very jarring color in the garden indeed. How does one coordinate it? It is not even a pleasant lilac color like the lilacs pictured in the first picture, or a sweet pink like the tulip magnolia in the fourth picture. No, it is the dayglow orange of garden colors. Truly.

The redbuds are beautiful. A favorite small tree of mine. I can't help but notice them everywhere-mostly in others gardens. I have had a desire for redbuds but despite having a ton a trees in my garden, NONE were redbuds. No, I got stuck with dumb old dogwoods (Cornus floridus), some great oaks, a few cedars (Juniperous virginana), and some wild cherries (Yuck!). I don't like the dogwoods because mine are all diseased and/or damaged. They have only bloomed beautifully once the whole seven years I have lived here.

Now, the redbuds on the other hand, seem unflappable. Nearly every year is a good year. Not every, but nearly. I finally have a few redbuds of my own. The 'Lavender Twist' redbud was a bargain purchase last summer from Rural King. I am thrilled to see it bloom-magenta or not! That is it in the second picture. It has the curvy trunk and will get no taller than about six feet, though it will grow wider.

The problem with the redbuds is that the magenta color of the bloom stands out SO much it can clash with other spring blooming plants and trees, but doesn't it say, "SPRING!"?

Another spring blooming beauty; which gives the appearance of being magenta colored, is the Tulip Magnolia (Magnolia souligiana). This lovely tree is a reliable bloomer each year. Unfortunately, it usually blooms before the last frost or freeze. Not this year! No complaints from me at all! They are so splendid and are easy to match and not as jarring as the redbuds!

Be smart about where you plant this spring beauty. It is NOT a good foundation plant. The Tulip magnolia is actually a tree; which can get quite large. I couldn't help but snap a picture of this speciman in an established neighborhood. Isn't it beautiful? The flowers are actually pink and white but do tend to lean toward the magenta color at times. I think this tree gets along well with all spring blooming beauties, better than the redbud.

One kind of magenta like color I do not want to see in the garden is the kind painted prominently on this house chimney and back door. I can truly say the color scheme caught my eye! Maybe the homeowner was trying to match the tulip magnolia located right around the corner from his house? Or maybe he really likes the color of redbud blooms, as it is a close match. Not sure, but it is different, and I think difficult to fit into the garden. What colors do you all find difficult to match in your garden?

This last picture is of my little 'Forest Pansy' redbud growing in a small garden in my front yard. Can you say Tina really does not know how to design? I am okay with pink and orange, red and pink, and just about every color combination you can think of, but this Forest Pansy with the red tulips just does not do it for me at all. I really think it clashes way too much, but, it does still say Spring! It will change I promise. The tree will stay and hopefully grow a bit faster, but the tulip days are numbered.


in the garden....