Flowers and the vegetable garden

From 2011. In front: Transylvania Sage, Calico Penstemon (Penstemon calycosus),
and Phlox pilosa. To the right: Pink Showy Primrose. In background, left to
right: 'Veilchenblau', Verbena bonariensis, and Larkspur.

The plantings in the side of the vegetable garden next to the driveway are short because the strawberry patch currently resides there. Strawberries serve as a pioneer species here, plugged into odd open spaces as they become available, mostly because I really dislike the idea of weeding an entire strawberry patch. Here they grow mingled with pink primrose and lemon balm. If and when they are swamped there are new starts already spreading in the bed in the back yard next to the paddock.

I love larkspur and I've missed it in the garden the last two years. I really should mow back the primrose this fall and the lemon balm and put down seeds for larkspur and poppies. Larkspur may be more modest than delphiniums but still has that magic sheen.

I have one garden sign. Rather than saying something nice or neutral like "Relax" or "Think", this one has an edge to it:

It's supposed to be a joke. Sort of. There's some backstory involving an unpleasant garden visit. When we saw it at Niche Gardens we looked at each other, started laughing and thought it was too perfect to pass up.


There's some tall see-through Verbena bonariensis in this space. I like the effect of looking through it to the rest of the garden.

2008

2009

2012

Everything else on this side of the vegetable garden is short, like this Dianthus 'Russian Skies'.

The iris hadn't been growing very strongly so I was thrilled when 'Fabuleux' bloomed. I think it is well named. I love Cayeux iris. They have their own special brand of elegance.

Here it is blooming with Calico Beardtongue, which came from Gail's clay and limestone garden. I thought I'd lost that beardtongue so I was thrilled to see it too.

Isn't it lovely?