Now that our gardening skills have progressed to the point where we only kill some of the plants some of the time, it is time to try new things. Placing plants in proximity so that attractive color combinations present themselves seemed a good place to start. Dark Landini lilies have proved hardy here. White Simplon lily bulbs were planted with the Landinis. Both lilies survived the Mother's Day freeze so expectations ran high that we would see dark and white lilies bloom together. As in comedy, timing is everything. Simplon lilies are in bloom here now. Landini lilies finished blooming here weeks ago. Both were beautiful in their solitary displays.
The purple flowers are wood betony, Stachys officinalis. In the photo the combination of purple and white looks sharp. In the garden the white lilies are chest high while the purple betony is ankle high. Prior to the photo I never saw both colors together.
Red and white are easy colors to mix. Cardinal flower, Lobelia cardinalis had planted itself in this spot. The location has proved a good one producing enough plants to transplant elsewhere. Adding the Leucanthemun "Fiona Coghall" seemed worth a try. Since both plants have been here long enough for us to know their bloom time, this combination worked. I guess the lesson learned is that it is easier to succeed if you have some actual information to anchor your plans.
