Pink Shades?!!

I admit I am known for my general dislike of pink. Certainly never worn it, and one of the only colours I had never tried in my own garden. BUT - I am in love with the dusky pink toned Echinacea purpurea and Eupatorium maculatum 'Atropurpureum', so two years ago I created a garden at home based on those two plants. Being a new colour for me, I have been experimenting, with some better successes than others. Needless to say, I am now hooked on these shades of pink - wine, burgundy, crimson, cerise, dusky pinks to name a few.

I had a tricky area behind an ugly pool fence (not up for changing fence at this stage), so colours need to be strong to show up from across the pool, and behind bars. The bold flowers of Echinacea are perfect for this, but to extend the colour season, I have thrown in all sorts of other plants. I bought some verbena the other day - not my fave V.bonariense, but the ground cover plant my lovely friend Becks told me is a 'Nana' plant!! Yes - it is. Honestly - used in the style favoured by the generation that just love all colours of annuals jumbled in together it can be truly awful. But in the right context, I figure it will be spot on - it flowers for such a long time, and has a great display of colour at ground level - just what I am after to complement the leggy Echinacea. Who knows - I might start a Nana plant revolution!

Echinacea purpurea, with pink Allium, and lily above

This is the predominant view from the kitchen, so it needs to be interesting year round.
The ugly pool fence bars don't help, but they are there so let's work around them.

I will be splitting and multiplying the numbers of each plant this year for bolder clumps.
Many of the plants are only new this year.

Salvia with the 'Nana plant' Verbena ground cover underneath!

Dahlias flower for months and months - just keep them dead headed. Should have done that
before I took the photo, shouldn't I? See the pointed head to the right - those ones are the dead
head, not be mistaken for the round buds about to open (not seen in pic). 

Scabiosa 'Crimson Clouds' - another ground cover mass of colour

The different lily species around my garden have been flowering for three plus months

Up to 2m tall Eupatorium maculatum 'Atropurpureum'. Gorgeous flowers, foliage and
stalks, and so tall for the back of the border.  Flowers last ages.

Echinacea, Lilies and Eupatorium

Penstemon Garnet

Photoshopped pic of the Dahlia

There are of course many other plants in this garden (buxus balls, dietes, irises, camellia etc for structure), but this post was about showing you the many pink shades I am experimenting with. Who says you can't change your opinion on colours??? My Mother-in-law thinks this is hilarious, as she has always despaired at my lack of liking for pink! Funny.