The best designs are simple and based in the most rudimentary lessons of nature. Color combinations especially are taught to us in the way nature arranges its blooms and foliage. The golden throat of a bearded iris flanked by the purple majesty of its perfumed petals. The chartreuse leaves of the coral bark maple and the thrilling juxtaposition of its reddish stems. The striking magenta of the Lychnis tempered by the wooly gray green rosettes of foliage from which its fire rises.
Such were the ideas of inspiration flitting across my mind when I was deciding which curtains to order for the patio canopy this summer. I decided to keep things simple, and chose a white and yellow palette like the ‘Ice Follies’ Narcissus seen blooming in the garden this week.
The drabness of stormy days and the lingering threat of snow demanded something cheery and sunny. Last year I added accents of yellow to the patio in a table and a couple of plant stands, and no one got to see any of it. I’ve held onto them for another year, and they are quite striking when the sun echoes their glad glow. It’s sets a fun stage for outdoor visitors, and when a chill deigns to creep in at last light, these curtains can be drawn closed in a circle of intimacy and warmth.
