06/26/2014

Front Border Ensemble

This year, I experimented with a  combination of plants, in one of my front yard borders. I wanted to pay just as much attention to texture, as to color.  I'm quite pleased with the outcome.  The ensemble includes: Cosmos bipinnatus, Cynara cardunculus, Emilia coccinea, Cymbopogon citrullus, and Cuphea llavea.

06/12/14

Platycodon grandiflorus in a bed of Sedum angelina

Every spring it's always a delight to see the large blooms of the Balloon Flower Platycodon grandiflorus open.  The buds, as their common name suggests, look like little balloons about to pop.  Once they do, the flowers are fairly large, measuring around 3 inches wide.  The blue of this variety is even more striking in combination with the chartreuse foliage of the Sedum.

06/09/2014

My Late Spring front door border.

6/6/2014

Saponaria officinalis

The scent of this flower is heavenly!  It was once used to make soap and has a clean refreshing essence - and it's pretty too!