Five Friday Flowers

The ephemeral nature of a garden is a crazy, worldly reminder of something amazing. I love it. From one visit to the next, one week or season to the next, it’s an overflowing source of wonder. I can’t pretend to be a philosopher but I don’t need to be when I can let the flowers do the work. In fact they do the work for all of us, critters included. We can simply admire, wonder, journey into nature and grow more flowers. Why does this make me so happy?

Here are a few of the faces that greeted me this week: lavender, poppies, heuchera, violas galore and freesia. But there were others not pictured here: irises, bolting radishes, artichokes, daisies, lemons and roses to name a few.

Just weeks ago the lavender seemed slow to wake up but now it’s full speed ahead and will continue to bloom through late summer. It’s teaming with honey bees and soon the butterflies and hummingbirds will start visiting (fingers crossed).

Then there’s california poppy and it’s cousin above, Eschscholzia caespitosa. I love this little flower with feathery grey leaves. It pops from it’s surroundings and playfully transforms the legs of bees orange to bright yellow thanks to its equally as colorful pollen.

Heuchera maxima or, Island Alumroot, seems modest but bold for it’s stunning display of leaves and panicles of flowers. Delicate but obviously packing a punch. It’s the bell of the ball without the make-up.

It’s also a reliable part sun to shade plant pairing well with native grasses, Ribes and Salvia spathacea. Grow it as a focal plant or make a statement by planting it in large swathes. The pollinators will love you for it.

These violas sprinkle themselves throughout the garden as if they’re magically jumping from one bed to the next. Originally planted for their cheerful spring blooms and flower pressing genius, now they volunteer in pockets of sun or part sun tucked around crops, at the ends of beds and along borders.

Growing up among the sugar snap peas are the freesia’s. They’re paired together here and there with violas for a loud splash of color, reminding me of the change in seasons and the fleeting but reliable nature of the garden.