Painting with bright colors

Spring is a time of delicate colors and shimmering palettes of spring green, like a watercolor painting. The summer garden in a warm climate like central NC doesn't have that look of eternal spring seen in more northern climes; it's like a work in oils or pastels, bold colors thrown at the canvas and swirled together.

Monarda 'Raspberry Wine' with Buddleia 'Potter's Purple'

The Monarda creates a bold current of color in the sea of green that's the big perennial bed.

Its deep raspberry pink just glows

and it's a-buzz with activity all day long. The Carpenter Bees in particular love it.

There are swirls and eddies of 'Claire Grace' too, which from a distance looks a little dull without something bright like Phlox 'Robert Poore' to punch it up.

Up close is a different story.

I had forgotten about the Rudbeckia since it was just fuzzy leaves last year; now of course, like the Phlox, I think I need more of it! I love the warm golden color, like the glow of a late summer afternoon captured in a flower.

Good news on the pony front! We jogged her yesterday and she looks to be doing much better.