Geek Garden, Vol. 2: Where Plants and Pop Culture Converge

Thu, 05/03/2012 - 15:18 — Sarah Martinez

Garden Options, Inspired by the Twilight franchise

These flowers could ‘Eclipse’ all the others in your yard

 

If you’re a fan of the Twilight movie series, you know that nature plays a supporting role in all the films. The forest, in particular, gets its own star treatment. Towering trees, moss-covered rocks and wide swaths of green grass are the backdrops for many iconic scenes. The filmmakers also threw in some blasts of color to liven things up. In particular, I’m thinking of the otherworldly flowering meadow and the jaw-dropping wedding scene.

And so today in Geek Garden we explore some Texas garden options that emulate these memorable looks…

The Meadow

Ah…Bella and Edward, together in the meadow, surrounded by wildflowers…swoon. (Hey! Don’t roll your eyes! We’re having a little fun here!) Yes, I know the flowers in the movies were fake. (And really ugly artificial flowers to boot.) I figure this is our chance to one-up the filmmakers with the real thing, baby.

In the books, Bella describes the meadow as filled with “violet, yellow and soft white” flowers. Seems like the purple-blue hues got top billing in the movie, though. Without further ado, I give you three Texas-tough flowers that could easily serve as stand ins.

  • Larkspur. It’s definitely taller than the flowers depicted in the movie. But it has a wispy, wildflower feel that matches the mood of the film. Larkspur comes in shades of white, pink, blue and purple—so we’ve got our bases covered. It also makes a great cut flower, allowing you to bring the blooms inside to enjoy.
  • Obedient Plant (Physostegia virginiana). This is another good cut flower that comes in lavender, pink or white. It’s a tough Texas native, but still has that romantic look. Plant it along a walkway and you’ll be pleased with the results.
  • Sweet Violet (Viola ordorata). This shade-loving groundcover with rich-purple flowers creates a carpet of beauty. It blooms mainly in late winter and spring. The plant’s sweet fragrance is an added bonus.

The Wedding

Bella and Edward’s long-anticipated wedding dazzled fans with its abundance of cascading white flowers. Here are a few plants reminiscent of that big event.

  • Mandevilla. New white varieties of tropical Mandevilla are on the market these days, But, really, you can’t go wrong with a nice, rich pink. This vine is fantastic for containers and loves the heat. During hot Texas summers it’s great to go outside and see something dripping with gorgeous blossoms.
  • Wisteria. Artificial white Wisteria was the main ingredient in the set décor of Breaking Dawn. Wisteria is something Texans can grow in real life as either a climbing, woody vine or an ornamental tree. (I’m fond of the tree, myself, since it can get a little crazy trying to keep growth in check when it’s in a vine form.) If you're concerned about the vine becoming invasive, look into American Wisteria. You'll get the same look, but not the white color.
  • Azalea. This shrub will really help you create the “woodland wedding” look you saw in the movie. Azaleas need filtered shade and have somewhat higher water requirements. But a beautiful white Azalea would be well worth the effort.

This Twilight edition of Geek Garden was specifically requested by a reader. What do you want us to tackle next? Leave a comment; let us know!