I guess I like its wildness. Nothing like that stiff, upright ‘Caradonna’, the Salvia ‘Purple Rain’ spreads out like a spider, its blossoms a bit erratic and interesting. I like it here against the bright orange of Hemerocallis ‘Stella d’Oro’ which isn’t as common up here in the North Country as it is down in New Jersey. You can get away with it without being to twee. The same is true with the seldom used Liriope or spreading Junipers. There are far too few McDonalds in which to overuse these plants, and so they have kept their dignity. I guess I was talking about the Salvia but I digress…

What I like about this pic is that Delphinium that is just about to pop and no one seems to notice. Well I noticed, and didn’t bother staking since the nearby Baptisia and Leucanthemum masses keep it in its place. (Well actually that Baptisia seems to be overtaking the Delphinium. I better check that in the spring). Lastly, and rounding out the quartette of color, is the fantastic, scarlet Knautia macedonica which blooms from June until frost of you have the patience to keep it deadheaded. I just read that a common name is Macedonican Scabius, which I like because it reminds me of a taller, more brilliantly colored Scabiosa. Lastly, I am quite annoyed by that tall Allium ‘Bulgaricum’ in the foreground of this picture, but I keep losing it after the bloom and then by spring I don’t want to miss it and allow it to stay for another year. A known self-seeder, I am quite certain it put itself there but the bloom IS very nice and I will show it in an different post if I can find the picture. Until then…