Scramble On My Love, Scramble On!

I’m all about wolfsbane, monkshood, or, as some refer to it as ‘queen of the poisons!’ – I kid you not! Of course for me it has always and will always remain Aconitum. While I grow ten or so different species, I have quickly come to refer to the one in the picture above as my personal favourite. Fellow bloggers, gardeners and readers, may I introduce Aconitum alboviolaceum – a truly sublime climbing member of the genus with delightful two toned, mitre shaped flowers. In my garden it is scrambling up the height of another personal favourite, Thalictrum delavayi ‘Splendide’, a delicate but towering beauty that must me 3m this season! The two plants were in my estimation, meant for one another!
 Elsewhere in the garden, Gentiana scabra ‘True Blue’ continues to put forth rich amethyst jewel shaped flowers in the dozens! I am coming to appreciate the late bloom that occurs in the garden, especially the border next to the garage. I have already waxed poetic about the bumper crop of Anemonopsis macrophylla blooms this year….. the final countdown is now under way! I can only hope for a repeat performance in the coming years!

A second flush of bloom is preparing itself on my ever increasing clump of Spigelia marilandica. I will post photos as soon as they begin to open. They make for a cheerful surprise in September as the leaves begin to fall from the trees.
Another of the late blooming herbaceous Clematis – I want to say C. bonstedtii ‘Crepescule’ or perhaps C. stans is smothered in bloom and bumblers each and every day which is a most welcome sight in the garden!
Cassia marilandica, also known as wild senna, was a gift from John and Nina from WildThings Plant Farm in Minto. It has wonderful foliage that is a perfect compliment to the greyish-blue of its neighbour, Baptisia ‘Starlite Prairie Blues.’ The Cassia makes a wonderful stand each and every year with its bright yellow, spidery blooms! I love being able to look at a plant and have it elicit memories of a specific person.
While on that topic, whenever I look upon Roscoea, that divine Asian species of flowering ginger, I will forever be reminded of the late John Heiter. I had the pleasure of meeting him during a brief tenure at a neighboring woodland plant nursery some six years ago. He waxed poetic about them and as a result I added one to the garden’s repertoire. Six years later, six additional plants, and it having become a staple addition to the woodland perennial benches at the nursery, I am confident that John’s memory will continue to pervade the garden whenever Roscoea is in bloom.