Light At The End of The Tunnel? Perhaps.

Our 'Seafoam' roses are in full bloom. This sprawling rose is 2' tall and 4' wide and has an "arching habit". It is definitely a strong, reliable bloomer although it can take up a lot of "real estate". We had ten planters today (volunteers) and swept thru another 1,500 annuals or so. Tuesdays are a little light for grounds staff but our volunteers again made it a highly productive day. The yard is emptying out and we should be on track to have seasonal plants finished in the next two weeks. We start picking up some "freebies" from generous, area nurseries and will use those to fill any gaps immediately and we always stockpile back-ups to be utilized as needed.
Again with the yellows and blues! Of course. The grass in the foreground in one of my favorites. The blue oat grass (Helictotrichon sempervirens 'Sapphire') has wonderful form and a nice shade of blue. It doesn't get over 24" or so in height but does prefer full sun. This grass is considered a "cool season" grass as it emerges early in spring and prefers the cooler months for the most active growth. If you get in to ornamental grasses to any degree, do a bit of research on the differences between cool and warm season grasses. Rick Darke wrote some wonderful books on ornamental grasses that are a must have (look for the one by John Greenlee too). The perennial behind it is the golden meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria 'Aurea') that while blooming white, is mainly use for foliage. This combination works well.

To the right is one of the last of our "puff balls on a stick". The giant ornamental onion (Allium giganteum) blooms at 3-4' in height with a very substantial, tight flower sphere (umbel). This is fall-planted as a bulb and is perennial to zone 4. This is a good candidate to leave up in the garden even after the color fades to an amber/brown. The stem will be rigid for weeks or months and you can even spray paint the blooms as an architectural element. I've seen it done quite effectively. This is one of the latest blooming alliums that will go dormant shortly after blooming. See below. Despite the flooding in our "wishing well" garden, we're going to keep planting space as the flooding goes down (hopefully soon).

By the way, always patronize your local garden center first. While the "box stores" may carry some quality items at a reasonable price, it is our duty to support the local growers, garden centers, "ma and pa" establishments, etc. Service at these places is frequently better and worth a couple more cents.