Bulbs: I bought way too many bulbs, 1 by critterologist

critterologist wrote:
Funny you should ask.... LOL

I do have a photo a little later in the year when the lavender is in full bloom, which I'll post below.

There's a 'Knockout' rose that pretty much takes over the area where the red tulips are in the first photo.

I put in various annuals where the grape hyacinths are -- one year, it was a bronze speckled leaf lettuce, which made a really elegant border, and almost nobody twigged to the fact that it was a veggie. Also, just behind the grape hyacinths I've put in irises, but they haven't bloomed yet.

The tufts of foliage marching up the center of the bed are a burgundy lily of some sort from a friend. I fill in the center with edible ornamentals like purple pepper varieties (leaves have purple on them, and blooms are lilac, too cool) and with scented geraniums (pelargonium; they're tender perennials that I overwinter inside).

The walkway to the door has dianthus on one side ('Microchip Mix', which was very short for the first 2 years and then got taller!) and creeping thyme along the other side. I plant Torenia in the shade under the bench, and in addition to the hostas that you can't see in front of the windows I grow Balsam Impatiens that come back from seed every year.

LOL at how far off topic I've gone here... I'll have to post some of this over in the new Cottage Garden forum! I'm trying to learn to think in "sweeps" and "layers" of color, with repeating elements, rather than my usual style of trying to cram together every plant I fall in love with and bring home.

Thanks for the compliment about the house colors... the builder had particular shutter/door colors chosen to go with each house color... DH really liked this blue (me too), but it was "supposed" to go with a very light siding color, and the darker siding that I liked was "supposed" to have forest green trim... so we did a "custom change order" and voila! :-)