Seven Summer Flowers

There's so much happening in the garden now! I can't possibly show it all -- but here are some highlights.

First, our delphinium, which is new this year, is blooming away. We tried growing one years ago and it got eaten by slugs (or something). The secret to success -- put it in a pot!

The snapdragons are still going strong.

Also blooming for the first time -- the rescued acanthus, or bear's breeches. It sent up an impressive flower spike, with purple-white petals dangling like moths' wings from purple-green bracts.

This purple poppy is a volunteer, growing under a tree out by the street.

Our "Bowl of Beauty" peonies are done now, but this bright magenta one is still going strong.

Also blooming is our Maltese cross, or red campion. This may be the last year we get flowers from this plant, unless we move it -- it's being slowly smothered by an adjacent bay shrub, and it's much smaller this summer than last. We may try to dig it up and relocate it, if we get ambitious.

Of course there's the added complication of whether we'll even be here next summer, given our landlord's recent request. Maybe we'd be smart to put it in a pot!

Finally, our red lupine is blooming. This is a cousin of the yellow one I showed you a few weeks ago. Pretty!