I'm always touting foliage, foliage color and foliage shape. Of course the truth is it's the flower that most often takes our breath away. Blooms come in all kinds of shapes, sizes, colors and textures. When choosing a plant for a particular spot, the texture of the bloom can be very important.
In this shade planting I rely on the Hosta foliage to carry me through the season. Just look at how nicely the soft blooms on the Astilbe and the Alchemilla (Ladie's mantle) compliment the more structured foliage shapes.
Every year I moan over the fact that I don't get a good shot of Astilbe. I've got to admit that I'm pretty happy with this one even though I don't know the name of this specific variety. If I had to guess, I'd say it's 'Deutschland' but I'm really not sure.
Soft, fluffy blooms are hard to photograph. Out in the very front of my gardens is a nice big clump of Thalictrum flavum subsp. glaucum (wow, try to say that three times in a row). I've had this plant for many years, it gives me a few seedlings here and there. When I'm done typing this post I'm going to do a "plant profile" on this beauty on my Melanies Perennials blog.
Right next to the Thalictrum is a large clump of Filipendula. Another wonderful fluffy bloom, just about to burst open and such great foliage too! Last year I went crazy photographing this plant, if you type in "filipendula" in the search line at the top of this blog it will take you to that post.
Here's a pale pink variety of Filipendula further along in bloom, doesn't it look like cotton candy?
Spirea blooms and Heuchera blooms, more fluff-n-stuff... The bees were all over the Spirea but I just couldn't get a clear shot. We've got overcast skies right now so I'm heading back out there to take some more photos...
