Pinks and mauves are the next colors we are exploring in our
ongoing theme of color in the garden. We are using Color in Your Garden, by
Penelope Hobhouse, to learn more about the topic in general, and these colors
specifically. We can use the information to add pinks and mauves to our gardens
here in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Pinks and mauves are the pastel, gray tinted versions of
stronger hues of reds and blue-reds. They appear pale in strong light (unless
deeper pink is introduced to add strength), and luminous in evening light (like
white flowers). The following gallery includes native plants, Mediterranean
plants, and some that illustrate the effect of using pink and mauve flowers.
Spring
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| Camellia |
|
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| Peony |
|
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| Rhododendron |
|
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| Monkey Flower |
|
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| Unidentified |
|
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| Cyclamen |
|
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| Lavender |
|
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| Tulip Tree |
|
Pinks and mauves are quiet and restful, needing no focal adjustment of the eye. They are tinted versions of adjacent red and violet segments on the spectral wheel, and their color values can range from very pale to medium-toned.
Pink (whether soft rose or sharper salmon) retains its red
derivation, and its qualities of warmth and welcome. Mauve (derived from the
French word "mallow") is a more complicated color. It is a delicate tint
of purple-violet, a pink with bluish-violet. It is less a color in its on right
than a link between paler violet tints and the richer Crimson-reds.
Summer
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| Madonna Inn Rose |
|
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| Petunias |
|
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| Desert Willow |
|
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| Clarksia |
|
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| Unidentified |
|
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| Wild Rose (used as street planting) |
|
Hobhouse observes that pinks and mauves show up well against
a backdrop of gray stone, and the mellow tints of old brick, and whitewash; and
contrast against dark green hedges. The colors are influenced by neighboring colors,
but seldom influence in turn (although not eye catching, they can be very
delicate when observed close up).
Fall
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| Naked Ladies |
|
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| Hydrangea (alkaline soil) |
|
She also recommends using pinks and mauves as a background
or between areas of strong complementary blues and yellows, or where violets
and oranges are used; rather than as the focal color.
Winter
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| Hellebores Niger |
|
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| Prunes |
|
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| Western Redbud |
|
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| Aloe Bloom |
|
I have noticed that some new foliage starts out pink and then darkens to green
or red. Succulents can have lovely pink stems and foliage as well.
Foliage
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| Chimera 'Sunrise' |
|
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| Succulent |
|
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| New Pink Foliage |
|
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| Unidentified |
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