I wish I could say that this garden combination was the carefully-constructed plan I had in mind all along when planting this space, but this is one of the many happy accidents that occurs during the life of any garden. The hydrangea – which is blooming for only the second or third time in its decade and a half of life – forms the backbone and was there first. The Japanese painted fern in the lower right was planted several years later. Finally, the hosta in bloom in the lower left seeded itself there a couple of years ago and is blooming for the first time. Together, they are forming a lovely little nook of coolness on such a hot day.
Cool hues, cool tones, and cool flower shades conspire to create a softer and, duh, cooler effect, something especially gratifying in the garden right now. Many of us, and I include myself first and foremost here, seek out those flowers with the brightest and most garish hues, looking for things to pop and explode in the high heat of summer, forgetting the power and elegance in something more somber and subtle.
At a time in the garden when the cup plant is about to start screaming its canary yellow heads off and the butterfly weed burns bright flaming orange, scenes like this douse the figurative heat, giving our senses a respite of relief, even if it’s only in our eyes and minds.
