What is it About Purple?

'Mardi Gras Mambo' ( Joseph Musacchia, R. 2013) Seedling 08-10-01. LA, 36 (91 cm), Early to midseason bloom. Dark purple self; orange-gold spear signal; slight recurve. 'Red Velvet Elvis' X 'Hush Money'.

Purple in the garden isnt hard to come by. Sometimes it leans towards red, other times more towards blue. Purple, when rich and pure, can become almost black in its purple-ness. In the garden setting, against green sword-like leaves, the purple of the Louisiana iris 'Mardi Gras Mambo' can almost appear like ink, until the bright yellow signal in the throat pops right out. That contrast in color
 

Perennial lupine

 When set against the wine pink flowers of the weigela behind it, the perennial lupine's purple comes through as a soft purple. The bi-color of the pea flowers keeps it interesting! I have spent so many late afternoons in the early summer, trying to capture macro photographs of lupine flowers. The many shades of purple is simply enchanting!

 

 

 

 'Enfant Prodige' (Tony Huber, R. 1993). Seedling 90-X-DOM-064. SPEC-X -- probably I. ensata., 43" (110 cm). Midseason bloom. Standards lilac (RHS 85A); style arms white; falls violet blue (90D), occasionally marbled with violet marks, deep violet (83A) halo around deep yellow signal. 'Oriental Touch' X -- probably I. ensata .

I had been growing 'Enfant Prodige' for the last two years, until I was told by an iris hybridizer that the marbling that I was seeing on the falls was actually a virus and the plants should be destroyed. I was heartbroken because the coloration was wonderful!

 

papaver somniferum 'Lauren's Grape'

I planted these poppy seeds last winter and felt blessed when multiple beds popped with this rich wine-purple. Over the few days that each bloom lasts, the color quickly becomes more pink,... still lovely. Given how much the bees fight over these poppies, and the pale white somniferum poppies, I will be curious to see what the seed crosses look like this year. Might be some interesting colors. 

 

Back when I was making pottery, the only purples one would see were generally from copper red/flambe glazes. The presence of barium in the base helped the glaze move from purple to red. When we ran Cold Springs Studio here in Trumansburg, we developed a dark purple glaze which was fickle as hell. The photo above is from Brother Thomas Bezanson.

This dark purple satin glaze was fickle as can be!

If we had had more time to make more pottery, I think that another shade of purple was in our future. I wanted something more towards a wine purple... maybe more of an orchid. Now that the studio is closed, I look through these old photos and realize how much joy there was every time a kiln was unloaded and pots like these filled the studio and gallery. Certainly inspiration for the garden!

 

aquilegia vulgaris, probably one of the 'Barlow' hybrids

I'll leave you with one last rich purple flower that starts our early summer garden: aquilegia vulgaris. We have lots of bi-color columbine throughout the garden, but these dark purple ones seem to have picked a semi-shaded area, near our smokebush (Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple'). As the columbine continues to put out flowers well into the hotter days of early summer, their bloom overlaps with the earlier Siberian irises. There is a large clump of 'Caesar's Brother' near these aquilegia, with a lime green spirea between them. It makes for a lovely contrast.

Siberian iris, probably 'Caesar's Brother'