Ode to a View and a Shoe

The raised bed is coming alive with blue! The delphiniums and blue cornflowers are starting the show. The sea holly (Eryngium alpinum) was planted this spring but doesn't look like it will flower this year. Oh yes, and the blue irises: mine were bought as "Caesar's Brother", though they certainly look lighter in color than other siberian irises labelled as such.

I aimed to have predominantly white, blue/purple, and yellow in this bed but it seems that the colors have secluded themselves to seasons and I don't get to enjoy the colors simultaneously! Here is an opportunity for some head-scratching and redesigning for next year. First project: add more dianthus species, since they provide such bright colors and are blooming now when I have too many white flowers.

Here is a bright morning picture of my large raised bed. The clouds of white are the towering bells of Campanula persicifolia and pink is Dianthus gratianopolitanus "Firewitch". You can see Lac La Ronge through the trees near the left of the photo.

Isn't this an attractive garden ornament? Would you like one? I found this in the forest behind the house while walking the dog. It seems that runningshoe mesh makes a fabulous growth medium for mosses. One might even comment on the attractive combination of the rust-colored mossy bits and the robin's-egg-blue leather trim. I call this the La Ronge "Chia Sneaker".