Movement

All gardens benefit from movement. The pond offers the movement of water as it spurts from the frog's mouth into the rock lined vessel. The water ripples amid the oxygen supplying bubbles. There are two very shy fish, Fido and Casey, thanks Gardoctor for the gift of Casey, orange goldfish and white koi, who are residents of this small body of water. They are not to be seen in this photo, for they like to hide deep down in crevices between the large stones at the bottom. Especially when they see a camera.

Can you tell that the wind is blowing these maidenhair ferns in the trough planter? The blurry image is the result of breezes moving the thin, black wiry stems of this delicate looking but tough perennial fern. They are like miniature trees in a primeval forest.

At the corner of the deck is a planting of stipa tenuissima, Mexican feather grass. Underplanting the grass is sedum acre and houttunyia, both aggressive ground covers. The poor little heucheras also living here are being swallowed alive by the sedum. Japanese maple 'Crimson Queen' holds the slope in place and gives a good color contrast. Behind the tree are the daylilies, lilies and various other plants that will give color to this mid summer garden. All of the plants sway in the wind, but the stipa is the true weather man here, billowing with its frothy seed heads just now, as the wind picks up.

A Mother's Day present from the Financier, this is a large specimen of false red yucca, hesperaloe parviflora. Thanks, hon. It's tall stalks move slightly in the breezes. The boxwood hedge of the knot garden and the ever present penstemon 'Husker Red' are in the background.

The wind has picked up even more and the sky is darkening. The view from the knot garden at the top of the hill shows us that a storm is likely. Better get inside, pdq!

Earlier in the day, as the sun was just peeking over the horizon, a gardener with a camera is drawn to the sweetest scent imaginable that is wafting through the atmosphere. Her shadowy figure is apparent as a shot of the white tree peony in front of the split rail fence is snapped. A row of osmanthus fragrans hides the chain link fence and behind that fence is the source of the perfumed air.

Japanese privet, the bane of the garden and Japanese honeysuckle, bane in waiting are in full bloom. These flowers fill the air in the entire neighborhood, as these two exotic invasives have taken over any unused piece of earth here. It is a constant struggle to keep them both out of this garden. Other homeowners don't even bother, and the empty lots that dot this area are overrun with them. But the smell is heavenly. We will admire that aspect as we continue to do battle.

In the vegetable garden, the sugar snap peas have grown way higher than the fence and are being photographed while I stand under their towering presence. I have given up trying to pick the pea pods before they reach three inches, as recommended by Chuck B. of
My Back 40(feet). We will harvest the peas for shelling when the plants are pulled later in the season. There is movement here too, as the wind blows the pea plants over on top of the tomato cages and bean teepees. The reaching tendrils of the peas are now climbing the arborvitae hedge.

More swaying plants, this time penstemon 'Rondo', with the blue and white flowers, blue fescue in flower, some sweet williams scattered about, nepeta mussinii, daylily foliage, and the whole scene backed by a wall of feather reed grass, calamagrostis 'Karl Foerster'. Every one of these plants offers wonderful action when the breezes blow, in addition to the structure they add to the landscape.

When we did the post on the front garden, there were so many plantings surrounding this weeping Blue Atlas Cedar, that it was forgotten, it was not even mentioned. Since then, the front garden has been ruthlessly edited, weeded and mulched. We are feeling much better now about how it looks, and thank all of you readers who left nice comments about the front, the inspiration to get to work. It just needed some tender, loving care, and some mulch. When the winds are strong this rebar staked tree lets its hanging limbs ride the air currents.

We will end as we began, with water in the garden. This copper bowl with a nice rock for bird perching shows a clear reflection of the unknown wildflower behind it. No wind, morning light, blue fescue and gaillardia 'Goblin' complete the scene. The garden is alive in more ways than just the growing plants. The movement of the grasses, taller flower stalks and sweet dreamy scent add other dimensions to the pleasure our little piece of earth offers to us everyday.

~~~

"You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows"

Bob Dylan, Subterranean Homesick Blues
~~~
Frances

First Lilium and Other Tidbits

The first true lily of the season is open. This is asiatic hybrid lily, L. 'Buff Pixie'.
This and another mini lily, L. 'Pink Pixie' were gifts for Christmas two years ago planted in a pot from offspring Semi. We always dig the bulbs given at that time of year out of the pots and plant them in the ground, keeping the pots for other uses. It is easier to keep them watered without drowning them that way. Still a very appropriate gift, and much appreciated. The pink ones bloom later and are not as vigorous. Thanks, Semi, where did you get these, we need more of them, lots more.


Being the first to bloom is always a plus on our garden rating system. Being well ahead of the other plants of the same type gets bonus points. Being this soft apricot color is off the charts.


Here is our little Buff Pixie, one lone bulb amid a sea of daylily foliage, wild crazy sedum acre that came with the property, heuchera 'Silver Scrolls', dying tulip foliage, phlox paniculata foliage, echinacea foliage...you get the idea. A lot of green leaves whose flowers are not yet open surround this sweet eighteen inch tall lily. Something that provides color until the taller lilies and daylilies open is something we need lots more of in this bed.

All the lilies are loaded with buds. The daylily hill is edged in honey to cream colored Lilium Longiflorum- Asiatic 'Royal Heritage'. "Longiflorum-Asiatic ("LA") Hybrid Lilies are quite special. Their thick, waxy flowers are larger and even more abundant than those of the Asiatic Hybrid Lilies. They exude a subtle fragrance of raspberries and roses, reminiscent of their Easter Lily parentage. Of intermediate height, they are perfect for striking clusters in perennial beds. Make sure to include some of these fragrant beauties in your cutting garden for they are also tremendous cut flowers. Top size bulbs: at least 14/16 cm. Height: 2' to 3 1/2'. Bloom time: June/July. Plant 6" deep and 12" apart. Horticultural zones 4-8." This is the description from the Van Engelen website, the source for these bulbs. We can vouch that the hype is true.

These are the buds from a tall, robust dark orange asiatic hybrid lily. Purchased for half price at a big box store as part of a mixture of colors the first year we moved here, 2000, the orange ones of this group have outperformed the other colors, red, yellow and a sickly white by a long shot. The lilies were all pitiful last year after the late hard freeze, and appear to be making up for lost bloom this year, as so many of the plants seem to be doing.

Since you don't want to see more lilies in bud, not flower, here are some other things happening in the garden today. Forest Pansy redbud is looking better than ever, even after receiving damage from a fallen pine limb that tore the tree in half. The surviving half has rallied, bloomed heavily and has now leafed out beautifully. Nothing was done to protect the large scar on the trunk, it may be that the sap system has bypassed the wound. Hope so.

These three peony blooms are just silly. The hybridizers have put so many petals on each flower head, there is no way the skinny stem can hold it upright. While lovely and fragrant, they are barely worth having in the garden. Lucky for them the peonies are all grown by the HVAC unit at the side of the house, rarely gazed upon by the gardener, or they would be goners.

In the same area as the herbaceous peonies are three roses growing against the fence. These are the rootstock from Iceburg that succumbed to the cold in our other Tennessee garden. Transplanted to this house after it was purchased for Semi and Chickenpoet to live in while attending college here, these have never failed to bloom and are totally care free. As we said before, this is at the side of the house with the heater, rarely visited, mostly ignored. It is nice to glance at the streak of red as we come and go.

It has been noted that the readers like to see the whole view of the garden sometimes, in addition to the close ups. I agree. It is more like being there in person. This shot, taken while standing on the path between the shrub border and the garage deck, looking east toward the arbor (not shown), shows blue bellflower, campanula persicifolia falling over onto the path. Blue fescue, butterfly weed in bud, dwarf ribbon grass, wooly yarrow, gaillardia 'Goblin', and daylily foliage are in the closest bed. On the other side of the gravel path is the white/yellow garden, although it contains many other colors too. The red is gaillardia 'Burgundy', the whitish is dappled willow, salix integra 'Hakuro Nishiki' , yellow leafed caryopteris 'Worcester Gold', and just starting to bloom at the rock edge, veronica 'Royal Candles'. Really, there is so much in this photo, I can't name them all, it would only add to the confusion. Click on the picture to see more detail of the plants. The whole garden has become like this, so many things are planted in the beds, sometimes they get forgotten amid the larger specimens. Part of the fun is finding volunteers and given up for dead plantings while weeding on hands and knees. While that part is not fun, but rather back breaking, the satisfaction of keeping the weeds at bay for a short while is pleasurable in addition to the treasures found.

Newly purchased geranium 'Roxanne' has started to fill in by the crossvine where Killer used to grow. We should have gotten more of these. Maybe they can be divided down the road. The blue color is soothing and exciting at the same time.

Finally, this planting in the tall blue pot in front contains alyssum grown from seeds given by Chickenpoet, thanks CP, named A. 'Wonderland Copper'. Planted before the flowers had opened with the copper colored coleus, S. 'Sedona' and seed grown cerinthe purpurascens. The cerinthe is not looking very purple right at the moment but it is still young. Young or old, the alyssum is sort of coppery if you squint your eyes. Eye squinting is a talent acquired through years of intense study and practice. It makes dying bulb foliage disappear, clashing colors complement each other and wrinkles fade from view. If that formula could be bottled, it would make us zillionaires. But we are already rich with the enjoyment we get from the garden and happy with our lot.

~~~

There will be more posts about these flowers as the lilies open. More were planted last fall,including some new ones that we are excited about, as the stalks are tall and there are many buds, even on the first year plants. Hooray!

Frances

Blogger Visitors, In The Garden

(Written May 19, 2008)

An exciting event is happening today. A fellow Tennessee blogger, Tina from
In The Garden, her husband and son are stopping by Faire Garden on their way to visit relatives in North Carolina. An elevated heartbeat and nervous energy are driving a frantic look around the house and garden in preparation for their arrival. She is bringing plants.

Shown above, rosa Carefree Sunshine, a Mother's Day gift from Brokenbeat.

Her visit comes with plenty of advance notice, so why does the house look like a tornado hit? Where did all those cobwebs come from? Who warmed the chili in the microwave without a cover? Where did all this cat hair come from? (Okay, that answer is known.) Why are there papers all over two desks? Where are the organizational skills we preach to the offspring about? Why are there so many questions in this paragraph?

Let's go out into the garden and try to calm ourselves. We feel more confident about the way that looks. After all, several hours a day, nearly every day are spent working out there, paying attention to detail, snatching out invading weeds, smelling the roses. We are between major bloom periods right at the moment. The azaleas, dianthus and iris have gone by. The roses look good though. Veilchenblau, Veil of Blue, a climber, is nearly fully open.
This once blooming beauty is draped over the shed. The recent wind storms blew it off the roof, we used a rake to push it back up to the top. Let's hope for gentle breezes only today.

Heavy fog this morning has given the garden a magical atmosphere. The view is from under the garage deck looking toward the east, where the hidden arbor stands sentinel as it waits for the sun to rise.
Stipa grass and nigella buds are covered with the liquid air. Where did all these weeds come from? How did we miss all those spent flower heads? The roses need pruning, the small lawn of grass needs mowing, and where did all these weeds come from? Okay, take some deep cleansing breaths. The weeds only jump out to the gardener's eyes, visitors will see only the flowers.
The morning light is creating an other worldly appearance with the heavy fog and mists everywhere as we cast a critical eye on the inhabitants outside. The recent rain has beat down a few things, maybe they will perk up later. The penstemon 'Husker Red' is at its peak.

Rosa 'About Face'
~~~
Tina has come and gone now. She, her husband and son were charming and friendly. We were like long lost friends, talking non stop about plants, blogging and family. Mostly about plants. We walked the garden tour and she took a couple of pictures. I was so excited that my camera sat on the table inside the house during her entire visit. It wasn't until she had left that it was realized not a single photo had been taken of her and her traveling companions. Let it be known that they were lovely and nice.

Make that extremely nice, for Tina brought, in addition to plants, this concrete plaque that she had made for the garden. I love it. Thanks so much, Tina, for being wonderful and coming so far out of your way to visit us. Y'all come back now, y'hear!

Frances

Viola Beauty Pageant

Welcome one and all to the annual Faire Garden Viola Beauty Pageant. This event is always held mid May, when the volunteer violas have germinated and grown enough to sport full size flowers. There are lots of beauties to show you today, chosen by visiting judges Brokenbeat and Mashley, in addition to the behind the scenes coordinator of this fun for the family event. Let's begin by letting last year's winner walk the runway with her crown one last time. Shown above is Felicity, 2007's Fairest of the Faire, covered in fairy dust, (pine pollen) she has had a whirlwind reign and looks forward to spending some quiet time with her mate and pet butterflies. Thanks for being a good ambassador for the viola kingdom, Felicity. You will be remembered as a sweet and superb beauty.
Here we present our first contestant, Elspeth. Chosen for her blue coloring in varying shades, her petals are well formed and symmetrical. Her whiskers are well defined, enhanced by a yellow throat. It has been rumored in the dressing room that she also has a lilting singing voice, reminiscent of Joni Mitchell in her 'Blue' days.


Hailing from the brick edging of the gravel, Pearl is a pale purist's delight. That tinge of blue atop her upper petals brought her to the attention of the camera wielding judge. Diversity is important in the contest, the rules of qualification should be revealed to the audience now. No store bought violas are considered for this honor. The gravel paths in the knot garden are the location where contestants must be found. This limits the color range for this particular judging to white, yellow, blue and purple, the original planting colors in the quadrants surrounding the clover leaf shaped center of the knot garden. In the future, more store bought violas of the red shades may be introduced in the quads to add fresh pollen lines to the inhabitants here. We shall see about that next fall. But in the meantime, let's continue with the introduction of the finalists, shall we?


This is Roxey. She has endured some nibbling on her petals, but it was felt that she had a Cinderella, diamond in the rough presentation. Her upper petals have a tie dye look to the blue highlights that reminds us that all of these girls are from the hard luck gravel, not having enjoyed the pampered life of the organically enriched flower bed quadrants in the knot garden. They are street wise, make that gravel wise, and that toughness is among the qualities the judges were looking for.

With an aristocratic air, Isis presents herself with dignity and grace. She was voted Miss Congeniality by the girls, and rightly so, for she was always first to offer a leaf to help with a zipper or give advice for romantic troubles so common to this age group.

Meet Gypsy, something of a wild chick. She wears her tops cropped and her jeans ridin' low and tight. She draws attention where ever she shows up. It has been said that she mixes a mean Margharita, heavy on the salt.

The love child of aging hippies, this is Stream. Her blue veining caused a gasp of delight from the judges, and her whiskers are picture perfect.

Trying her hand at modeling, Agnyss has more experience with make up and hair styling than some of the more quiet girls. She has run with the penstemon jet set, but has settled down some recently, seeing the zen of the slow paced life here.

Named Janet by her mother, but she prefers to be called JaNay by her mates, this blue beauty is very proud of the vee shape at the center of her lower petals, as well she should be.

More of a stay at home, with girl next door good looks, Chessie also sports the vee at the bottom of her whiskers. She may be related to Janet.

With a unique petal shape of the lower petal, Renata offers something a little different for viola fanciers. She belongs to the same crowd as Roxey, shown above.

Judge Mashley with the soft heart was drawn to the floppy ear of Inez. We agree that she has a special vulnerable vivacity.

Last but not least is Jessica, with her purple rabbit ears. Her portrait is not as sharp as we wished, but she was a sentimental favorite with her spunky markings, so she is included here.

~~~

There you have the contestants, gentle readers. If you have a preference, strong or slight, let it be known in the form of a comment. Votes will be accepted for a week, afterwards the votes will be tallied and the winner will be announced. Your participation is greatly appreciated by flower and folk alike.

Frances

Thanks

The votes have been counted and the winners have been named for the 2008 Mouse and Trowel awards for garden bloggers.
Here is a list of the winners:
**Blogging Categories**
Best New Garden Blog: Faire Garden
Best Garden Blog Design: Digging
Best Photography in a Garden Blog: Digging
Innovation in Garden Blogging: May Dreams Gardens
Garden Blogger You’d Most Like to Have as a Neighbor: Carol from May Dreams Gardens
Garden Blog Post of the Year: “Garden Attentions Distraction Syndrome - Do You Have It?”, May Dreams Gardens
Best Writing in a Garden Blog: Garden Rant
Best International Garden Blog: Bliss
Best North American Garden Blog: May Dreams Gardens
Garden Blog of the Year: May Dreams Gardens
**Web Site and Podcasting Categories**
Best Gardening Podcast: Wiggly Wigglers
Best Forums: You Grow Girl
Garden Website of the Year: MyFolia
Faire Garden wishes to thank Colleen for her masterful motherhood and still finding time to handle the awards, each and every voter who picked us for best new blog, and also we wish to thank every voter who did not pick us, but voted for the other fine nominees,
Mr. Subjunctive's Plants are the Strangest People , and
Gardening Gone Wild , a group effort by Fran Sorin, Nan Ondra, Steve Silk and Saxon Holt, professional writers and photographers.

~~~

To all of the voters and to all of the readers, faithful, occasional or this is your first visit, please accept a piece of my scotch moss heart!

Frances

May Bloom Day 2008

*** "Please, won't you come into my garden, the flowers would like to meet you."

~~~

The Sagina subulata 'Aurea', scotch moss, covering the risers is blooming tiny and white. Dianthus 'Bath's Pink and D. 'Firewitch' line the stone steps and a self sown dicentra exima, fern leaf bleeding heart, beckons the reader into the world of flowers.

Rosa Madame Alfred Carriere, winner of the
replace Killer contest is now growing on
the new arbor and this is her first bloom, the palest of pinks. (Click on the underlined phrases to read those stories).

Delosperma 'Mesa Verde', perennial ice plant
The ice plants were added to the edge of the part of the garden that used to be a gravel driveway. As you might guess, this area is a tough place to grow things, even with several additions of mushroom compost and mulch. The delospermas , among others, have been up to the task.


Large flowered marigold
While too common for some gardens, we like the colors added by all the marigold family members to the summer garden. The large flowered ones from the big box store will jazz up the long wall behind the house with splashes of sunshiney yellow. The flower form reminds one of zinnias.

Thunbergia alata, black eyed susan vine
One of two vines, the other is yellow petaled, planted in a large container with a bamboo teepee to clambor up as the thriller element. These have been considered before as possible additions to the garden, but were actually purchased and planted this year. We shall see how they perform, good things are expected from them.


Knifophia caulescens, red hot poker ,torch lily

These evergreen perennials came with the property and have been divided many times as they will form a clump that is quite large. The goldfinches and other finches love the seeds produced by the yellow flowers that open from coral buds and will spend quality time picking them out while perched on the tall stalks.



passalong iris, thanks Mae and Mickey
This orange petaled with dark orange beard is the favorite of the passalongs, maybe even of all the irises grown here.




Allium schubertii
There were five bulbs planted in five holes several years ago, with two Sinopel daffodils in each. The combining proved to be a mistake for both. The daffs are out and replanted elsewhere giving the alliums room to reach their full potential. This is the only one blooming this year, but we have hopes that the expanded bulb growing zone will encourage future blooms that match this in size and lustre, easily twelve inches across.




Digitalis purpurea , foxglove
Seed grown foxgloves were labeled apricot, this more purple color must have been a volunteer from older plantings long forgotten. The spots inside the *gloves* indicate fairy footprints. They must have held a sock hop in this one.

Rosa Ferdinand Pichard 1921

Though classified as a Hybrid Perpetual, one rose authority calls ‘Ferdinand Pichard’ "the last of the Bourbon race." So says the catalog entry from the Antique Rose Emporium, the source for this beauty. Last year was a disastrous one for so many plants here due to the late freeze and subsequent drought, this own root rose was cut all the way to the ground. It responded by growing back stronger and healthier than ever this year.

Dianthus barbatus 'Sooty' with D. Firewitch
This very dark sweet william was originally sown from seed from Thompson and Morgan several years ago. We have many sweet williams here, but this one also has darker foliage, enabling us to select out seedlings to ensure its survival. We need to get it going in the black garden.

Linum 'Blue Sapphire', perennial flax

Seed grown with delicate foliage and the purest of sky blue flowers, this flax opens up with the sun and closes with overcast conditions. The stems move in the slightest breeze, even one's breath, making photos difficult. The color is handsome and the petals shiny, a worthy inclusion in bloom day presentations, even without that close up macro shot.

Campanula persicifolia , peach leafed bellflower

Blooming mid spring with clear blue flowers, these two to three foot stalwarts give the flattering blue color to nearby oranges, pinks and yellows, tying together the cacophony of colors nicely.

Delosperma cooperii, purple hardy ice plant
Along with D. 'Mesa Verde',this has proven a good hardy evergreen edger in difficult sunny spots.

Heliotropium arborescens 'Marine', heliotrope

We are giving this another go in a large concrete container located near the deck. The perfume is reminiscent of vanilla and it is hoped will waft our way when seated on the deck enjoying the garden views and scents., sipping a beverage.

Papaver orientale and allium 'Purple Sensation'
A happy coincidence of good color grouping. The orange of the poppies is a difficult one to include in a pleasing color scheme, for most other flowers that bloom at the same time here are pinks and reds. Normally we just squint our eyes and pretend it looks good. The allium was planted last fall at the base of the multi trunked silver maple, to give a purple boost to that shady area until the asiatic lilies begin and after the daffodils are finished. It was a lucky choice, for the poppies had spread down from the daylily hill near that very spot.

Centaurea cyanus 'Black Ball' , cornflower, bachelor's button

Seeds from Thompson and Morgan were ordered of this to add to the black garden last summer and fall sown. Check this one off as a success, we will save seeds from these and hope they stay true to the parent color, for there are blue cornflowers growing here as well.

Papaver somniferum , opium poppy, breadseed poppy
Passalong again from Mae and Mickey, some are pink, most are single flowered. This one is more double than any we have grown in the eight years since the seeds were so generously shared. It landed in a fortunate place, near some allium, daffodil and lily bulbs that get a twice yearly dose of bone meal. That must explain the size and lustiness of this plant. Seed will be saved from this one for special handling.

Gaillardia x grandiflora 'Burgundy' , blanket flower

Another seed sown beauty, although we were expecting solid red petals these all have yellow tips. Tall and long blooming in the summer garden, these do seed about but are easily controlled. Later in the season yellow daylilies, blue buddleia and yellow asclepias will join the gaillardias to provide delight for butterflies, hummingbirds, and humans.

wild strawberry
A noxious weed here, but the fruit is unlike the edible garden strawberry, entirely red in color and quite striking. After this photo was taken, somebody ate this lovely specimen.

Gazania
An annual that keeps up the flower parade until the first frost, we find the coloring irresistable.

Cattleya 'Jewel Box Scheherazade'
The orchids are nearing the end of their bloom period, most are living outside now on a shady shelf lined with copper screening to keep the snails and slugs at bay. The few remaining bloomers are allowed to stay in the greenhouse/sunroom just a little while longer. Threatened with being moved to the harsh outdoor world, this one has bloomed like never before.

C. skinneri and C. 'Scheherazade'
The two , out of three, catts still allowed to be part of the Faire Garden orchid collection, blooming with more vigor than ever to insure their place remains solid in the heart of the gardener. After their portrait was taken, they were whisked back safely inside until the flowers drop.

~~~

Many thanks to
Carol of May Dreams for hosting what has become a major blogging event!

We hope you enjoyed meeting some new favorites and old standbys that are gracing us with their colorful blooms this month. There are many, many more flowers just now in the garden, those shown are the cream of the photographs taken. Thank you for stopping by, do feel free to comment on anything you have seen here.

~~~
*** (Apologies to Tasha Tudor, the exact quote could not be found).
Frances

Salvia - Full Frontal or Close Up

We discovered this plant just a few years ago, salvia greggii. We bought one at a plant sale, a red one, having never seen it before. The flowers are small, not really showy. It was planted out on the slope, near some caryopteris 'Worchester Gold'. The splash of red with the yellow leaves and blue flowers of the caryopteris really caught the eye while looking up the hill from the house. It bloomed all season, ending with the hard frost in November. To our delight, it returned the next year and was bigger and better than before. We bought more, whenever we saw one for sale. They now line the upper and lower terraces of the slope behind the house. A few are scattered in other parts of the garden as well. They respond well to a good haircut after all frost danger is past to remove any damaged stems. We don't prune them again until the next year, although maybe we should, for they get a little straggly. But we like the way the stragglers weave into their surroundings. Trying to take photos for a picture show has proved daunting. The flowers are difficult to capture for some reason. It has been decided to show the full frontal shot, and the close up, for comparison.

~~~

Shown above, S.

Rose Queen', the uncropped shot with the pond, maple, some dianthus and a few pansies in the background. I always like a blend of gauzy color as a background.

The close up cropped shot of the same photo as above. Out of focus, not as good a candidate for posting as the full frontal.


With the penstemon 'Husker Red', this one is a more pinky colored salvia. Some sedum and an evening primrose to the right are its neighbors, along with some dying daffodil foliage.



Water from the hose, not rain unfortunately, enhances the cropped shot. This one looks better than the full frontal.

The shed, dianthus and cerastium look appealing as background to S. 'Hot Lips'.

She looks pretty kissable in the cropped shot too.

A nice dark red with some hellebores and pansies behind.

The close up shows the fuzziness of the top part of the flower along with the curlique.

Cerastium, red dianthus and hellebore foliage back this S. 'Navaho Purple'.

The cropped close up is awful.

More dianthus, salvia 'Caradonna', the dark purple to the right and the concrete swan planter are the backups here.

The close up of the porous concrete makes this shot worthwhile.

Not much going on here, the ferny nigella foliage to the right looks nice.

Hot Lips are the stars here.

Not a salvia, but a good example of full frontal versus cropped. The stony path makes a perfect backdrop for the dianthus 'Frosty Fire'. The scattered small weeds even look good. Very rugged looking.

Not sure, but the full frontal Frosty Fire had more going for it with the rocky top ground in evidence. What is your opinion?

Frances