This post is mostly pictures. A rose (William Shakespeare 2000)...
...and the charming trumpets of Penstemon pseudospectabilis 'Coconino County'.
As both plants have grown much fuller over the past year, they blend with each other in a pleasant cottage garden profusion.
The penstemon has bulked up quite well, and it has a habit that definitely gives an impression of bulk! The stems and leaves are somewhat succulent; and it sprawls effortlessly along the ground, its flowering stems still held upright to display their brilliant pink flowers.
William Shakespeare 2000 has just begun flowering. I pruned it too early, perhaps; and it sat motionless in the garden over the last four months or so, only to finally send a sudden burst of both foliage and bloom.
The sunlight is already quite intense here, so the color is a bit lighter than its normal sumptuous crimson - more of a cherry pink under the desert sun! But that makes it a perfect blend with the penstemon.
Weather Diary: The weather is worth an extra comment today. Yesterday was very windy but cool; today similar though winds are so far not as high; red flag warnings despite the drop in temperatures, along with blowing dust; High yesterday was 81 F (27 C)/Low was 58 F (14 C); Humidity: 6%-23%
Write a comment
Regina.Cornelia Indartif (Friday, 13 April 2018 15:47)
Flower with beautiful colour
Marcelo (Friday, 13 April 2018 19:45)
Beautiful Rose! you know how much I love roses and this one is absolutely gorgeous. Have a great weekend!
Amy@smallsunnygarden (Friday, 13 April 2018 19:48)
Regina - Thank you very much!
Amy@smallsunnygarden (Friday, 13 April 2018 19:51)
Marcelo - It's a beauty, isn't it?! :-) My cousin used to grow it, and I fell madly in love with hers. Fortunately I was able to plant one when I moved here. It's done well in the heat, though a little shade would preserve the color better! Happy weekend for you!
Kris P (Friday, 13 April 2018 20:56)
They make lovely companions!
Amy@smallsunnygarden (Friday, 13 April 2018 22:03)
Thank you, Kris! It's one of my favorite combinations now... ;-)
Jane (Saturday, 14 April 2018 07:21)
A beautiful combination of plants, Amy. Could the rose be ‘The Prince’? I have one similar in my garden.
Amy@smallsunnygarden (Saturday, 14 April 2018 16:24)
Thank you so much, Jane! The rose is one of my very favorites. It's William Shakespeare 2000 (because it was introduced in 2000) also from David Austin. I fell in love with it when my cousin grew it some years back. :)