Sweet Lucifer, is that rain on my face?

It made me want to dance around naked, so it did! But I didn’t! At thirty days plus, we finally awakened to light rain, the kind that would make Heathcliff howl over – me too for that matter – that continued well into the morning hours. It created a gentle mist that offered sustenance to all of my children who had grown reliant on my watering them every other day! Not that I was complaining. Here, Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ is showing his happiness. I was more than thrilled with this planting as when combined with the deep purple foliage of Eupatorium ‘Chocolate’, the results are rather dramatic to say the least. This year my chocolate ‘Joe’ is on the thinner side!

Many came and they all wanted! Say what? I nursed a pot of Aconitum back to health from last year and waited patiently to see if my suspicions were correct! Bang on! I absolutely adore this bi-coloured species with larger than normal flowers with a decidedly inflated upper petal! I inadvertently left it at work on Wednesday and it appears that everyone who glanced upon it wanted to buy it! Go figure!

One of my favourite clients stopped in earlier in the week, wondering the name of the plant that I took when I visited her garden a couple weeks back. Roscoea purpurescens is blooming his fool head off! I am anxious to see how big the plant is next year, as compared to other species that I grow, this one seems to be on steroids! Pretty spectacular isn’t he?

  I must remember to add this to the list of staple shade plant inventory for next year. I am always thrilled when I can introduce shade gardeners to new and exciting selections, and this one flew off the benches when I touted its numerous attributes!

 It has taken three years, but I am finally content with the overall habit of Cornus alternifolia ‘Golden Shadows.’ This year, thanks largely to the cool, wet Spring, it has responded most markedly sending forth new growth that will one day fill in some of the lankier portions of its central trunk. Of course this isn’t to say that it would be usurped in the blink of an eye if I were to locate a similar sized C. alternifolia ‘Argentea.’

To be able to go through life coasting on your dramatic smashing good looks! Athyrium filix femina ‘Dre’s Daggars’ has not a worry in the world, even surrounded by the likes of Meconopsis and Cypripedium!

A triptych of sorts to show the length of the rare and unusual border. The dramatic leaf in the last photo belongs to an unnamed Arisaema – methinks A. draconitum, but the jury remains in deliberation! Regardless, it stops visitors in their tracks!

A similar perspective of the border on the other side of the house where the taller, more robust, sun loving plants reside including Strobilanthes attenuata ‘Atropurpurescens’ which is coming close to smothering out my beloved Larix decidua ‘Horstmann’s Recurvata.’ It [Strobilanthes] has more than doubled its height and spread in the past month! I am terribly fond of the rich deep purple ram’s horn shaped flowers that will bloom mid August!

 Did the rain visit your garden as well?