After spending a recent day planting 25 pots of annuals (including buying them, filling the pots with a combination of last year's and new potting soil, deciding what plants go in which pots and where to place the pots, adding the plant food, and watering the whole thing when done), I can say that the garden is ready for viewing. I even gave much consideration to the placement of various rocks, concrete ducks, and even a gazing ball. All of these elements put together, combined with the existing perennials and a few new ones bought from a plant sale, remind me of creating a painting. I plan, step back, walk around, look from different angles, give it some thought, go away and come back in a while to check and recheck my design decisions. Of course, unlike a painting, the garden changes constantly. In the course of one day, especially in spring, new blooms appear, old ones fade. Right now, I love my garden.
There is a lot of purple in bloom now, including false indigo (top) and Siberian Iris (below). Other purples are sage (May Night, the purplest sage), garlic chives, allium , phlox (at least that is what I think it is), annual petunias, maybe more but it's dark out now and that's all I remember.
The combination of the sage and the yarrow (right) blooming together at the same time is something I look forward to every spring. Some years there is a greater overlap of bloom, and this is one of them. It is such a visual delight.
