A lot of rain.
Not a lot of sunshine.
I’ll shut up now.
Companions
I didn’t plan this combo of Salvia ‘May Night’ and Packera aurea (Golden Ragwort) as they’ve never bloomed at the same time before. While I’m not the biggest purple and yellow fan, how can I not enjoy this color explosion?
Now this one I willingly tried to pull together. Unfortunately, the blooms of Clematis ‘Scented Clem’ are fading fast and the Baptisia isn’t there yet.
Here’s hoping these peonies bloom before the Lilac flowers are spent.
At least the lilac and the Baptisia ‘Carolina Moonlight’ are putting on a show together.
Here is my first container combo of 2018. I’m kind of proud of it. If the Sambucus ‘Lemony Lace’ really takes off, then this has the potential to look fantastic in a few weeks.
New to the Markowski collection
This is Lysimachia ‘Outback Sunset’. It will be an annual for me in zone 6B but I’m okay with that. I really like the leaf coloring as a one-season groundcover in a spot where I’ve struggled to grow anything.
Gold Leaf Tansy ‘Isla Gold’ has been added to a partially shaded location where I hope it brightens things up a bit. It can be aggressive through rhizomes so I’ll have to keep a watchful eye on it.
One of these years …
I think this is Cimicifuga ‘Brunette’ (Bugbane). For years now it has looked great in spring only to do nothing once the blooms emerge and never actually bloom. The leaves are greener than others I have in different locations but those have yet to ever grow beyond a foot in size.
I just removed a large shrub near this one and here’s hoping a little more sun will do it wonders. I know these take time to get established, but my patience is growing thin after five years.
I’ll save you
Before the deer could get to this Hydrangea ‘Little Lime’, I dug it out and put it in a container on my back deck. We’ll see if we can get this to thrive with those killer light green blooms.
This week in deer
They ate at least 6 of my Allium blooms clean off the stem. They’ve never done this before.
These are the only two I have left. Wah.
I mentioned previously that I’m all in on deer prevention and that still holds true this week. I’m going to try everything and will be diligent about it.
Two plants in particular I want to save since they’ve never reached the point of full development.
The first is Thalictrum ‘Black Stockings’. I friggin love the foliage of this perennial.
And the blooms are fantastic but I haven’t seen them since 2015 as seen in this pic below.
The other plant that needs my full attention is Filependula rubra (Queen of the Prairie). The deer and/or rabbits have nibbled it a ton this spring.
But if I could keep them away from here on out, just look at how damn sexy they are in bloom.  
Ho hum
Your token Lady’s Mantle in spring photo.
We never tire of Amsonia
Amsonia hubrichtii further along in bloom than all of my other Amsonia plants.
Including Amsonia ‘Blue Ice’.
Just around the corner
Nepeta ‘Walkers Low’ (Catmint).
This week in weeds
Help. What is this? It’s everywhere this spring.
Allium ‘Blue Eddy’
I can’t get this perennial to grow beyond what you’re looking at here. But I’m anxious to see what it looks like in the right conditions.
Now to figure out those right conditions.
