Some Florid Prose. Pictures Too.

It's the current prevailing wisdom of many gardening fiends that foliage is the backbone of the garden. Flowers are great, but they don't last long, and it's folly to base your entire garden around them, rather than the wonderful contrast of texture, color and form that leaves offer. It's what drives the intrepid plant explorer to rappel down a cliff in the misty mountains of China, gathering seeds of the rare Folia magnifica, which is then freed from chaff by rubbing them on the thighs of Vestal Virgins. Blah blah blah blah blah. Blah blah.

Oh, bugger that!

Sometimes, there is no substitute for looking at some pretty flowers.

"Last Chance Garden," The Garden of Suzy Blair and David Servick

The Garden of George Shriver and Omar Watson

 Are you basing your entire garden on foliage? You might be barking up the wrong tree.

That gorgeous Arbutus trunk was in The Garden of Pam and Karl Hillsenberg.

From the Federal Way Symphony Tour of Gardens.

Wednesday Vignette

This week's Wednesday Vignette is a recent photo of a hardy Geranium in my garden. I don't remember the name of it, but it was a gift from my friend Annette. It puts up tall stalks with clusters of big purple/blue flowers at the tips. I love the contrast in this shot between the small, hairy unopened buds and the open flower with its deep purple, almost black veins.

Anna at Flutter and Hum hosts Wednesday Vignette, see her current post here.

Foliage Followup -- July 2015

On the day after Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, many bloggers celebrate Foliage Followup, hosted by Pam Penick at Digging. Although I do have some foliage in my garden that looks good after our unprecedented heat wave, none of it is really wowing me. That might be an artifact of a lingering crappy mood, but anyway...

Although technically not foliage, the seedpods of Nigella damascena are one of the first things you see in my front garden when you get out of the car. They were lovely in flower, but fortunately, they offer just as much beauty when they go to seed.

Nigella damascena seedpods, technically not foliage, but not flowers either

I might save some of the tallest for drying, they are as interesting as the flowers were

Some are dry enough to have started opening, which means the seeds are ripe. All I need to do is upend them into an envelope or paper plate.

Check out Digging here.

Wednesday Vignette

For this week's Wednesday Vignette, I'm sharing a handful of random flower photos that I took a few weeks ago while I was on the Hardy Plant Study Weekend in Portland.

Clematis 'Myofuku' in the Garden of Maurice Horn and George Soule

Clematis heracleifolia var. Davidiana in the Garden of Lance Wright

Opuntia flowers in the Garden of Maurice Horn and George Soule

Echinacea 'Maui Sunshine' in the Garden of Tom Fischer and Stan Vernon

My friend, Portland blogger Anna at Flutter and Hum hosts Wednesday Vignette. Check out her post here.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day -- July, 2015

It's only the middle of July, but it feels like summer has been going on forever. Maybe I exaggerate, but I bet a lot of other PNWers would agree with me. Since it's July 15th, that means it's time for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. A lot of blooms have already gone past, but I do still have some, although it feels like many are early. I don't know what I'll have in August, probably all the ones I expect in the fall. I won't be at all surprised if my Asters and Mums start blooming on August 1.

Orange Alstroemeria

Yellow trumpet lily

This is the bed where bumble bees have been bedding down for the night -- could that be why it's called a bed?

Another trumpet lily

Looking up into the trumpet

And a third, with smaller flowers

Ornamental Oregano

'White Swan' coneflower

Kniphofia 'Mango Popsicle'

Honey bee on Eryngium 'Blue Glitter'

Daylily 'Bold Tiger', below, is tucked under the pin oak in a semi-shady spot and despite that, has increased nicely, always puts on a bright show with lots of flowers on sturdy scapes, and best of all, is not infested with gall midge. I should give it a much more prominent spot next year.

Daylily 'Bold Tiger'

Unknown Abutilon

My tiny little Euphorbia millii (Crown of Thorns) has been flowering since I bought it earlier this spring.

Lobelia tupa

Monarda 'Raspberry Wine'

Hydrangea 'Annabelle'

Hydrangea quercifolia

Shasta daisies

Carol at May Dreams Gardens hosts Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. Check out her post here, where you'll also find assorted links to other bloggers all around the world celebrating their flowers.