When deciding what to plant in a particular area, I take into account a number of factors: amount of light the plant will receive, how large the mature plant will become, whether I have a hose nearby for the mid-to-late summer watering, and what other vegetation occupies the area, so that there is a complementary blast of colors and textures year-round and that the community created all play nicely with one another.
However, plants tend to have will of their own and do as they please, growing where their seeds land, despite the gardener’s intentions.
The Tina-planted plant is the Pink Skullcap, Scutellaria suffrutescens, a spreading, low-growing evergreen sprinkled with small pink flowers throughout the long growing season. The I’m-gonna-land-where-I-please plant is the mallow Rock Rose, Pavonia lasiopetala, hovered with arched branches and open-petaled flowers, over the Skullcap.
Pinks on pinks, I’m charmed by the Barbie-esque look!
Since the photo, I’ve cut back the Rock Rose as they respond well to pruning because they bloom on new wood. Trust me when I say that it’ll grow back quickly enough. The Skullcap has been in that spot for many years and had spread to about four feet in diameter. During late winter I pruned it to a two-foot diameter mound, making room for some other plants to settle in next door, out of the photo’s range.
Clearly, these two twin pinks get along and I’m sure in short order, there will be further pinks-on-pinks as summer moves forward and everything continues to grow apace.
My Gardener Says... 
A will of their own–that’s a great way to describe happy (mostly) accidents. Your pink-on-pink display works well: PInk Skullcap and Rock Rose are great partners!
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They are lovely together, even with the paired colors! I’m usually pretty tolerant of the ‘accidents’ of germination. 🙂
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I would have thought you did this on purpose. I noticed that volunteers always found the right place to grow.
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Plants do happen where they’re most wanted. And when they’re not, I’m happy to show them a new place!
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That sure is a pretty-in-pink display of flowers, especially as the larger and smaller ones interact. All that green foliage makes the pink stand out even more.
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I agree that the rich greens of each plant set off the pinks very nicely.
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Very Barbie indeed, but I like it! It’s true that some plants have a mind of their own, and sometimes Nature is a better designer than we are. 😉
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I’ve known people who don’t like Rock Rose because of its Barbie pink, but I’d never hold that against a plant. And yes, I find so many of my accidental plantings are well placed!
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Wonderful combination – maybe I can find a sunny spot for them.
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Rock Rose can take some shade, but the Skullcap likes the sun. This pair get sun from mid-morning to late-ish afternoon.
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Yes, there are some people who don’t favor the rock rose because of its Barbie-pink color (cough, cough). But I must say, this combination with the pink skullcap is very appealing; I could live with that sight very happily. It’s lovely, and it’s even better that there’s the right combination of sun and shade to let their blooms continue!
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In a way they remind me of a bright starry night sky only pink.
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