Most of the perennials shown here were planted this spring except for the phlox, creeping heliotrope and cherry skullcaps which were planted in spring 2006. All of the iris were planted in the fall 2006. I'm having trouble keeping track of all the iris varieties, so please excuse me if I've not recalled the correct names since I didn't mark them when planting last fall.
Just click on the photos to enlarge.
Iris ensata 'Mount Fujiyama' is planted along with white butterfly ginger, white calla lily and white swamp asclepias around our dry stream bed. The background woody ornamentals are illicium (anise) and clumping bamboo.
Iris ensata 'Center of Attention' is planted in different areas in the rain garden and along the dry stream bed with mixes of other iris, monarda, amsonia and other miscellaneous perennials that are okay with the moist soil.
Iris ensata (maybe 'Royal Robes' ?)
Scutellaria suffrutescens -- the cherry skullcaps are being overrun by thyme. It's very interesting as the leaves of the two plants are so similar. These plants do not like to be moved and are very brittle and will easily break.
Phlox paniculata 'Robert Poore' is underplanted with the perennial creeping heliotrope and platycoden. It makes for a great combination since the phlox is so tall.
Heliotropium amplexicaule is a creeping heliotrope, perennial here in Zone 7. It spreads much like verbena 'Homestead Purple' but has a lighter lavender/blue color. It flowers all summer long and spreads so rapidly. The roots run deep as I found when I tried to move a clump to another location that it had outgrown in only one season.
Daylily 'Happy Returns' is planted in a yellow/cream color scheme bed with companions of daylily 'Joan Senior', coneflower 'Harvest Moon', shasta daisy 'Broadway Lights' and yarrow 'Prince Edward'.
Coreopsis 'Creme Brulee' is stealing the show in the garden! It's so bright and floriforus that it immediately draws the eye, skipping over the more subdued deep rose and purple blooms in the garden. It looks especially good surrounding an osmanthus 'Goshiki' shrub that is yellow/green variegarted. It also looks good beside the coneflower 'Harvest Moon' and perennials that are blue or purple. I have groups of 3 set throughout the garden and it plays well with so many other perennials and shrubs.
Hypericum 'Sunburst' is a shrubby St. Johns Wort that is totally covered in buds, but I found a few blooms open this morning. This one is underplanted with verbena 'Homestead Purple' and backed by tall verbena bonariensis in the butterfly garden.
Phlomis lanata (Jerusalem sage) is looking very nice right now. I'm not sure if I've got it surrounded by the right companions since I added it after I had started a different color scheme (lamb's ears, lavender, buddleia). I was trying to give it space since it will grow quite large if it survives.
Echinacea purpurea Harvest Moon™ 'Matthew Saul' PPAF is one of the patented varieties. The photo doesn't do the color justice as it is more soft yellow than white. It looks great with daylilies or coreopsis.
Echinacea purpurea Sundown™ 'Evan Saul' PPAF is a new favorite. I have it (and the 'Sunset') planted in the butterfly garden along with agastache 'Blue Fortune' (just starting to bloom), asclepias mix (not yet in bloom), crocosmia (red and orange not yet in bloom) and a vitex (Chaste Tree just starting to form blooms since the frost damage).
Echinacea purpurea Big Sky™ 'Sunset' PPAF is truly stunning. It looks pink in this photo, but shows up blue/orange in the garden and goes great with the blue agastache. I have planted masses of these along with the 'Sundown' coneflowers and agastache surrounding the chaste tree in the butterfly garden.
