I know flower pictures are boring but it helps to create a record I can look back on to see what was growing and when, so bear with me.
This deep red coneflower was planted several years ago, comes back faithfully every year and is always stunning. Not all the hybrid coneflowers are keepers, growing only one season or just never quite living up to their potential. Unfortunately this one is in the wrong place to be appreciated. It is growing along a path but hidden by taller plants and I don't dare try to move it. They don't like transplanting. Sadly, I haven't seen this variety being offered at the nurseries again so it will stay where it is.
The purple coneflowers are wonderful this year.
This newly planted oriental poppy surprised me with a flower. It looks more salmon than pink but is quite pretty.
How about a white coneflower? It returns but hasn't spread like the purple ones.
Crocosmia are attracting hummingbirds this year.
I'm not sure what to do about this lavender. It is huge. I have to cut off one side to use the walkway. But it is lovely and bees and butterflies find it useful.
It's a bit past it's prime now but this climbing rose was a showstopper a few weeks ago.
We put in a new section of garden where it had been grass (weeds) and awkward to mow. So I've started with rhododendron, burning bush, serviceberry, miscanthus, a hybrid coneflower, a pale yellow daisy, rubeckia and more crosocmia. We'll see how this looks in a year or two.
One of several verbenas I'm trying out. They are doing well in my soil. A purple verbena grew wild sparsely around Oatman and was always a treat to find.
Love the asters too. They remind me of the Mohave asters that bloomed in the desert.
More purple coneflowers!
This is a gaudy dahlia that I neglect in hopes it will go away. This year it's beginning to grow on me though. There are orange butterfly weeds that work with it and the orange and purple flowers are attractive together.
Here is a bee balm I've mistakenly pulled as a weed for the last few years. Because of its persistence I let it grow to find out what it is. Turns out to be a nice addition to the garden.
