WHAT I LOVE RIGHT NOW

I find a quiet moment every day to stroll through the garden and contemplate every little change. It occurred to me last night that this might be a tad strange. Really, not much happens in the course of a day. But when something does happen, when your garden literally changes because certain plants are done blooming and others are slowly taking the stage, those moments are really exciting.

Planning for those moments isn’t easy, it takes a lot of time, consideration, constant tweaking and some good old fashioned luck! I have tried to achieve a garden achieves those transitions in an interesting way. For example, I for one don’t like color everywhere all the time. I find it very unsettling. I prefer a subtle shifting of interest throughout a season. And I believe that interest shouldn’t always be defined as something that blooms, which often in my garden it doesn’t. You could have a moment where nothing is blooming and let your foliage combinations create the drama.

Right now I’m experiencing a subtle shift. My late blooming tulips have finally been pulled and replaced with annual color and the rest of my spring bloomers (Daffodils, Anemone, Jacobs Ladder, and Brunnera) are done, adding their foliage alone to the overall composition.
What has taken their place are some of my favorite plants period. Here is a list of what I love right now and why I love them!

GERANIUM ‘Karmina’: I don’t think there is a prettier long blooming perennial for shady gardens. It has such a wonderful massing quality, so I use it frequently for a groundcover. When it blooms it is a carpet of delicate pink flowers hovering over beautiful foliage. What kills me even more is its fall interest…its leaves a gorgeous palette of oranges and reds.

PEONY ‘Bunker Hill,’ ‘Best Man’ and Bowl of Beauty’: I adore peonies and if I had more room I would have masses of them everywhere. What I find most appealing aren’t necessarily their blooms, which can be somewhat fleeting. It is the foliage it provides your garden for the rest of the season. Few perennials offer such a mass of glossy dark green leaves. A note about staking: I have never had to stake my peonies once they have established themselves (3-4 years). If you plant them in a mass and / or have other plants around them to add support, they will prop themselves up.

ALLIUM ‘Giganteum’: One of my favorite show stoppers! I planted about 7 of these huge bulbs three years ago, and they seem to be multiplying. They are somewhat of a folly when they pop up, which is why I like them. After they are done blooming, leave them…the shape is just as interesting when it isn’t in color! Once they begin to deteriorate (the stalks will turn yellow) cut them back all the way to the ground as you would any bulb.

ALCHEMILLA mollis: This is another plant that is just about to bloom, but I plant it for its AMAZING leaves. It has a hosta like habit, likes shady and sunny spots, and deer usually will not eat it! Most photographs I have seen show it when it is most interesting, after watering. Because of the texture of its leaves, water sits on it in large droplets, creating something quite picturesque. It is a must for almost every garden!

HEUCHERA ‘Green Spice’: Heuchera is another plant that likes shady conditions that deer usually won’t eat. There are some spectacular varieties out there, but there is something about ‘Green Spice’ that I just cannot get enough of. Its mounding habit is comprised of silvery leaves, edged in dark green with burgundy veining…need I say more? Right now it is about to bloom and its pink bell shaped flowers stand atop 3’ stems. The show is amazing, but when it is over you are left with leaves that are calmly beautiful…adding to your garden by complimenting what is around it.

PHOTOS (from top): Alchemilla mollis; Bunker Hill Peony and Allium