This week, one of the Rockettes (Wednesday volunteers) said to me, “Kris, I finally read your blog … –You’re so chatty!”

I blushed and couldn’t think of a coherent reply…

To prove to any readers who might assume from my “chattiness” that “quiet” is difficult for me, here’s a post of pictures (mostly. pretty much.). Remember, inside every wallflower beats the heart of a social butterfly!

My morning walk took me through the cutting garden first: (hover your pointer finger over the pictures for names and click for a larger image)

A week or so ago I promised a picture of Phlox ‘Natural Feelings’ in bloom:

A hummingbird visited me in the Idea Beds and then lit in the bamboo where I shot its portrait. Can’t find it in the picture though…

Ketzel Levine in her blog Talking Plants says not to plant this. (It does have poisonous seeds…)

In the water garden, every step I took at the pond edge was accompanied by a sound like a dog’s chew toy as the frogs sqeaked and dove for cover.

Yesterday someone asked me, “what’s your favorite perennial?” and although I have a different favorite just about every day, I answered without even thinking about it, “Lavender!”It’s my all-time favorite perennial no matter what other daily favorites grab my attention. It’s got everything: a scent I love so deadheading is a pleasure (even if it does take an age — unless you shear, which I don’t…); it thrives on benign neglect – poor -well draining- soil, no fertilizer and little water, and it’s a honey bee magnet. In a nutshell, it’s my kinda plant! Anyone else out there care to share what’s your tried and true all-time-favorite number-one perennial? (Enquiring minds want to know!)