Commonly called ‘Lady’s Mantle’ this popular perennial hold drops of water more beautifully than any other. Its common name is derived from the appearance of the leaves, which look somewhat like the mantle of a lady, back when women wore such fun things. Nowadays the closest things we have are the capes and cloaks from Tom Ford and Dolce & Gabbana – not quite something the average person will wear on the street (even if I would.)
As for the plant, the foliage is not its only fine attribute – it produces clouds of chartreuse blooms in the next few weeks, and they last a relatively long time, making for excellent bouquet fillers, or a simple but powerful statement if used en masse. The shade of the blooms is the perfect embodiment of the freshness of the garden at this time of the year. For these photographs, however, I wanted to emphasize the texture of the leaves, and their structural form.
