Driving around the other day I spotted this interesting landscape. Monoculture or brilliant bold planting?
You decide. This landscape is 100% Calandrinia grandiflora. I do love Calandrinia grandiflora, that's all I'm going to say.
I love Calandrinia too Dustin, but I think it isn't served well by the lack of offsetting forms or colors. There is no height variation, no texture variation and as a result it is only somewhat better than a lawn from a design standpoint. I would have interspersed sweeps of a couple more plants, maybe be Yarrow for color, and something lower and moundy for height variation.
My first reaction was not a positive one, mainly because somehow this graceful plant has been made to look regimental. But thinking of Noel Kingsbury's blog post on lawns recently and some of the comments, I'd say this low-resource monoculture is an improvement over lawn for someone who can't or won't think beyond one plant species for the front yard. And the bees are happy too. Email me the address -- I gotta see this in person. That's a lot of magenta!
I, too, would like to drive by. Then, I'll give my opinion. :) I think the maintenance would be a little daunting every few months. and then when they all need to be cut back... kind of sad looking.
I live down the street from this guy. Every year he digs up the entire planting, replaces his landscaping tarp and places new cuttings in the rows of punctures in the tarp. He is way committed to calandrinia! I've been reading your blog for a while and have wondered what you and Denise would think about this. Pamela
I found this entry from a google search and wanted to suggest the same thing that the monoculture does a disservice to this lovely plant. A monoculture of carpet roses has the same effect, taking something beautiful and making it 'ordinary'. Is there some reason this person doesn't add even a little variety, even some Mexican Feather Grass tufts that wave in the breeze? Thanks for this amazing photo of a calandrinia fanatic's yard!
I love Calandrinia too Dustin, but I think it isn't served well by the lack of offsetting forms or colors. There is no height variation, no texture variation and as a result it is only somewhat better than a lawn from a design standpoint. I would have interspersed sweeps of a couple more plants, maybe be Yarrow for color, and something lower and moundy for height variation.
ReplyDeleteMy first reaction was not a positive one, mainly because somehow this graceful plant has been made to look regimental. But thinking of Noel Kingsbury's blog post on lawns recently and some of the comments, I'd say this low-resource monoculture is an improvement over lawn for someone who can't or won't think beyond one plant species for the front yard. And the bees are happy too. Email me the address -- I gotta see this in person. That's a lot of magenta!
ReplyDeleteKS, It does seem to be a little on the boring side. I would love to know the story of the planting.
ReplyDeleteDenise, as you wish. You are mailed!
I, too, would like to drive by. Then, I'll give my opinion. :) I think the maintenance would be a little daunting every few months. and then when they all need to be cut back... kind of sad looking.
ReplyDeletep.s. is that a traveler's palm in the back? cool.
ReplyDeleteSomeone with either an obsession or an impish sense of humor. Maybe both?
ReplyDeleteHB, I'm thinking lack of imagination or moola
ReplyDeleteI live down the street from this guy. Every year he digs up the entire planting, replaces his landscaping tarp and places new cuttings in the rows of punctures in the tarp. He is way committed to calandrinia!
ReplyDeleteI've been reading your blog for a while and have wondered what you and Denise would think about this.
Pamela
I found this entry from a google search and wanted to suggest the same thing that the monoculture does a disservice to this lovely plant. A monoculture of carpet roses has the same effect, taking something beautiful and making it 'ordinary'. Is there some reason this person doesn't add even a little variety, even some Mexican Feather Grass tufts that wave in the breeze? Thanks for this amazing photo of a calandrinia fanatic's yard!
ReplyDelete