Of the three plants from seed generously given to me by Linda, this is the only Eryngium giganteum blooming for me. One plant was pulled into his tunnel by a gopher as I looked on. The other is thriving, but I will need to wait for next year to see it flower. If you click on the link to Linda’s post, you will see what happens once Miss Wilmott finds a place to her liking and decides to start her family there.

I love the fuzzy stem and large flowers on the only Verbascum that I have ever laid out cash to procure (it’s other name is ariaphaenum), but it failed to get a grip and toppled over into the V. chaixii surrounding it.

The volunteer Verbascums that pop up here and there are made of sturdier stuff. The architecture of the plant is stunning, though the flowers are nothing to write home about.

After two years of struggle, the Romneya coulterii is beginning to hit its stride.

Flowers are mostly an afterthought in this garden, but not in this case. Here’s a close-up to show you why.

The early stages are best when the Sempervivums decide to bloom. Here they are in bud…

…and again as the flowers begin to unfold.

This is the first time the Rhus has produced these fuzzball flowers. Maybe it’s a keeper after all.

In sunny spots, the flowers of Creeping Charlie are exactly the same color as the foliage, but in shade it’s a different story.

When I showed off the foliage of Lychnis coronaria, I promised to show it in flower, so here it is.

The Clary sage is another windfall from Linda.

Fillipendula rubra will erupt into a froth of pink, but I like it best in bud (guess I say that a lot).

Verbena bonariensis is one of those peek-a-boo plants that allows us to see what’s behind it. Good thing, too, because it has a habit of popping up everywhere. The other players in this combo are Stachys ‘Helen Von Styne’, an orange geum and Acanthus spinosus.

Speaking of playing peek-a-boo, the sunlight is having some fun here as it plays off of the flowers and foliage of Heucheras, Astrantia, Persicaria ‘Purple Shield’ and Hydrangea ‘Limelight’.

Finally, here are a couple of flowers you will not find in nature…part of my floral series of banners.

That’s it for me…more here.