Naked Ladies, Pretty in Pink

First echinacea, then 'Rosalita' Cleome...shall we add another layer of soft lilac-pink to our late summer border?

Oh, let's.

My lovely pink ladies were given to me long ago...I don't even remember by whom...I wish I could thank them now for the wonderful element of surprise they add to my garden each summer.



No matter the number of years they have been in residence... I always forget their presence, so soft and unassuming are they. 

Always hiding beneath the skirt of a nearby motherly shrub. Peaking their pretty heads through for just a bit...

as they never last long in the heat and humidity of late summer.


I'm particularly fond of the color contrast between bud and blossom...

and the variable intensity of that distinctive lilac-pink...from almost deep magenta...

to darker pink...and finally...

pale lavender.





I find their straight stems intriguing as well...very elegant and confident...

just the right kind of support needed by the shy flowers they showcase.

Pretty, undemanding, quiet but with a certain panache. (If you like this about them as well, find these old-fashioned ladies here.)

For no reason in particular...just because they do...I think of them...

as the Hawaiian Punch of my late summer garden.