Is, Was, and To Be

I went to the corner nursery (really, its pretty lucky) to get some bamboo stakes for the greenbeans. Could I stop myself from looking around the perennials? I don't need to answer that. I saw giant Rudbeckias and Echinaceas, thinking of the coneflower that had its flower stalks knocked off by a baseball bat a month ago. But I did not buy!

Then I saw the Gaura. Gotta get the Gaura. While I prefered the pinks of the 'Siskyou,' I much prefered the upright habit of the white, 'name already forgotten.' I told the friendly clerk of my dilemma. I walked out with two for one. Sshh. Its quiet-time for selling perennials. But then I got two free lilies just for being there a month ago. So, I'm always going there first and how else can I ensure that my nursery on the corner stays in business? I can't possibly be their best customer, I have no room left to plant. I pulled a never-bloomed siberian iris to make room for the white gaura, and pruned back the dwarf spirea and lavendar, pulled some field yarrow for the pink gaura (still not satisfied with that spot).

The allium sphaerocephalon, past bloom, drying. In my mind, one of the longest, attractive, interesting flowers in my garden, even after bloom.

The Lilium to be.