Remember the old song “Buffalo Gals Won’t You Come Out Tonight”?

Well, I guess these Rosa ‘Buffalo Gals’ will oblige.

I am really liking the way the colors are working out in this bed, so I’ll show you the overview before zooming in on a few of the individuals. See how the Acaena inermis ‘Purpurea’ ground cover echoes the color of the Acanthus flowers, with Verbena bonariensis weaving through the berm with its perky lighter purple blossoms bouncing along on stiff, long stems? Two kinds of Eremurus introduce amber through orange, with a bright orange geum that you can’t quite see in this shot and the acid green of the Euphorbia ‘Ascot Rainbow’

Here’s a closer look at the Acanthus spinosa.

Eremurus ‘Cleopatra’ with the much shorter ‘Ruiters Hybrid’ just peeking into the frame lower left.

Looking at the east berm from one end, there’s a whole lotta yellow for someone who started out shunning that particular color. The tall thing front and center is a volunteer Verbascum, with Lysimachia ‘Alexander’ trying hard to cast off its variegation to the left and Phlomus russeliana barely showing, stage right.

I am crazy for the architecture of the Calla Lily. Is it still properly called Zantedeschia?

I turned a little bit to the left, standing in the same spot where I took the last picture to snap these plume poppies, Macleaya cordata, happily wrapping themselves around the foundation of the house and nodding at us through the second story windows when we are inside, looking out.

We trimmed back some limbs on the cherry trees to let in more light, and so the water lilies have consented to bloom.

This makes me think of the story of The Ugly Duckling. That funny looking Allium (which I love, by the way) is called ‘Hair’. I have several of them scattered about, but I especially like it mixed in with its more conventional cousins, the drumsticks (Allium sphaerosephalon).

More yellow…guess I’m hooked. Hypericum ‘Brigadoon’ blooms yellow on nearly yellow foliage. It makes a stunning ground cover, giving the tall lilies the shade they like at ground level.

This is something new I picked up from Means Nursery: Campanula punctata ‘Pantaloons’. It was a five gallon plant. I put it in the ground at the woodland’s edge. It immediately began to droop and wither despite careful watering. Richard dug it up, to find that the gophers had been at it and eaten right up the middle. He put it in a big pot with lots of good soil and stuff and it seems to be recovering. Maybe I will put it into a wire basket to replant it where I want it next spring. Isn’t it cute, with its double flowers?

This hydrangea, ‘Preziosa’, is one of the few that came back strong after the harsh winter. I like the bronzy tones in the leaves, the deep maroon stems and the many different subtle colors of the blossoms.

This nearly black hollyhock, Alcea rosea ‘Nigra’ is putting in an appearance just in time for bloom day.

Rosa ‘Dortmund’ is blooming madly, but I like glimpsing its masses of single blossoms through the tall foliage of the Joe Pye Weed.

Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’

Irish moss

It takes a long time for Hydrangea petiolaris to take hold, begin to climb and flower (six years is about standard) but when it does, look out. This one is ready for another training session.

Some of the blossoms hold the promise of good eating ahead, like this lemon cucumber blossom.

Speaking of promises, May Dreams Gardens keeps the promise of connecting you with blogs of blooms on the fifteenth of every month. Try it, you’ll like it.