I went out at lunch yesterday in search of some yellow flowers to break up the pink and purple in the NoMo bed. I got four Rudbeckia ‘Goldsturm’, but I also caved in and got four ‘Sombrero Salsa Red’ coneflower. I doubt they’ll be as popular as the purple ones, but they are pretty, and hopefully they’ll survive next winter (and the next, and the next). I normally avoid fancy cultivars of perfectly good natives because the fancy ones aren’t usually as hardy or as attractive to butterflies, bees and hummingbirds, but it’s not like I don’t have purple coneflower; I have tons, and more on the way (probably tomorrow). Anyway, it was kind of cool outside, but perfect for digging, so I planted them right away. I also threw in a few Rudbeckia ‘Becky Cinnamon’ seeds in the middle of the Goldsturm, and some random Rudbeckia in the middle of the coneflowers. Maybe too late for them to bloom this year, but maybe not. We’ll see.

The few purloined jewelweed that I “liberated” our first spring at Parview have had no special treatment, and I know they’ve been very, very dry in the summer, but that hasn’t stopped them from seeding themselves…in an area much larger than I originally planted them. They’re very welcome, though; I’ve loved jewelweed since I was a kid and used to think they might be goblets from which fairies drank while no one was looking.

The Canadian columbine will be pretty much gone by the time the digitalis is in full bloom, but they’re so pretty even now. A phone camera doesn’t do them justice.

My little (not so little anymore) trooper. Tornado honeysuckle gets aphids every goddamned spring, and they deform entirely too many blooms to suit me, but it’s still beautiful, and really seems to like its big, sturdy trellis (better be sturdy…24″ of concrete holding the posts in place). This is the first non-deformed by fucking aphids bloom. I still haven’t seen any MLBs, though. 🙁