The “crazy bed” is faring well in this heat and drought. All plants are established- nothing new planted this year- so I have not watered. This why we plant perennials!

Notice the low-growing plant with blue feathery foliage and green-yellow flowers. This is some type of very invasive Euphorbia- please comment if you know the name as I certainly don’t. Plants with invasive tendencies can do wonderful things when situated appropriately, i.e. not in a bed with prized perennials that aren’t as vigorous. In this case, this Eurphorbia has  spread throughout this bed, filling in gaps, and squeezing out weeds and invasive grasses. I couldn’t be happier with the valuable service it has provided in this most challenging context. There is still plenty of quack grass in this bed, and I’m coming to terms with the fact that I’ll never ged rid of it. Euphorbia will keep it at bay, at the very least, if not eventually overtaking it.

There aren’t any plants in this bed that can’t hold their own. Winecups, coneflower, Joe Pye, Burnet, Queen of the Prairie, aster, phlox, ditch Soapwort, AND orange ditch lilies, for which my love and appreciation grow each year. I think they look great planted near pink phlox and coneflowers, and I plan to put more in once it cools down a bit.