playing well with others

phlox pilosa, soloman's seal, and azaleas

Do you label the plants in your garden?  No, I don't mean by their common or botanical name; I mean by their behavior.  Sure you do.  We all do. In our gardens, we have "late bloomers", thugs, plants with no sense of  'personal space', ones that need a lot of TLC, top performers, bullies, and true beauties. And there are plants that are dependable, shy, over-active, picky, easy-going, temperamental, and on and on.  Sounds like I'm describing a group of children.  As a retired kindergarten teacher, I know teachers should try hard not to label  children.  But, in every class, there's  always one that stands out.  Sometimes more than one.  And teachers always say longingly, "If I only had a classroom full of child's name"s!  This is the child who always gets a STAR by the designation "PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS".










 Close to 20 years ago, a friend gave me a clump of this pink woodland phlox.  Since then, it has spread on its own, but also with a little help.  Every time I thin out my perennial bed or move plants around, I seem to also have a little phlox moved as well.  Gail of Clay and Limestone calls it PPPP (practically perfect phlox pilosa).  Read here what she has to say about it.  I just say this is a plant that "PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS"!  And I have a garden full!

 Here is phlox pilosa playing with ox-eye daisies.

 Phlox pilosa also likes to play with red dianthus and goldmound spirea in a sunny bed.

Phlox pilosa likes to play with hosta "patriot" in a shady bed.

 Look at that phlox just jumping into the middle of the sedum.

 Phlox pilosa even plays well in an area where not too many other plants are happy - next to the mailbox.

Phlox pilosa snuck in with this group of soloman's seal.  But that's alright.  I'm happy with it wherever it is, especially during the "pink season".  And when it is finished blooming I can cut it back, pull some out, or ignore it.  The other plants will thrive around it.


This pilosa is also called downy phlox, prairie phlox, and fragrant phlox.  Their scent is wonderful.  When in bloom, I always keep a vase full inside.  Hope you have plants that "play well with others"!


                                        I am joining Susan at asoutherndaydreamer for Outdoor Wednesday and Tootsie Time for Friday Flaunt your Flowers.  Please go to these blogs for links to other posts.

In the pink

dianthus - "Bath's Pink"  (cheddar pink)

 According to Collins dictionary, the color pink is named after the flowers called "pinks", in the genus Dianthus. The name derives from the frilled edge of the flowers. Have you ever used pinking shears?  They cut in a kind of zigzag, like the jagged edge of the dianthus.  The word "pink" was first used in the 17th century (OED online).  Pink is thought of as a feminine color, but that has not always been so.  Think about Valentine's Day and you see why pink is called "the color of love".

Lenten Rose (helleborus orientalis) are still hanging on although the blooms have faded in color.

Winter gave way to Spring with the pinks of hellebores, camellias, flowering cherries, redbuds, crabapples, pink tinged daffodils, tulips, flowering almond, and creeping phlox.  Now spring is in full force with pink abounding.

George Tabor azalea

Pink is such a spring color.  It is very easy on the eyes - it doesn't "pop" or glare.  I find pink to be a very soothing color and look forward to the shades of pink in my gardens every spring.

 I didn't always love pink - not until I had a baby girl. I began to see pink in a new light.  It's a sweet color that delights the senses and brings a smile to one's face.


 Pink blooms are like tiny ballerinas in their tutus, dainty and delicate!

cross vine "tangerine beauty"

These encore azaleas  were sold as purple, but look pink to me.

Would you call the color of the crossvine pink?  Maybe so.

knock out rose
  
As with most colors, there are many shades and names.  With pink the shades vary from nearly white to almost purple. There's coral, salmon, hot pink, blush, shocking pink, fuchsia, cherry blossom, and rose - to name a few.

gladiolus communis

rain lily (zephyranthes)

oxalis

weigela florida "wine and roses"

And the star of the pink show this time of year is this phlox that Gail at Clay and Limestone calls PPPP (Practically Perfect Pink Phlox pelosa).  Usual bloom time is mid-April, but Spring has been slow to arrive this year.  It has just begun it's reign.

As the PPPP gently blankets my gardens, I am anticipating the arrival of more pink blossoms: astilbe, hydrangeas, coneflowers, bee balm, spireas, and more.  Awww,  I'm tickled pink it's Spring!  Hope you are too.  Have a wonderful May Day celebrating the beauty of our earth!