Purple prose: writing that is extravagantly flowery
I admit it, the garden is guilty of purple prose. It is extravagantly flowery this week, especially in shades of purple. 
Now is the time of alliums 
and columbines (Aquilegia). 
The three petaled flowers of our native spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis) opened this morning. 
What potent blood hath modest May ~ Ralph W. Emerson
Not only is the garden extravagant with bloom, it is clothing itself in rich layers of texture and color. The upper garden greets me each morning with flowers and foliage under a cathedral of green oaks. 
The south facing garden in the back is even more extravagant, more “purple”. Let’s enter by the gate.
The hillside garden is in its late spring glory but the color comes as much from the foliage as from the flowers. 
The deep purple and white ‘William Guiness’ columbine stops me in my tracks as I pause on the steps – a dependable self-seeding plant, I love that it pops up everywhere in the garden. (Click on any photo in the mosaic to enlarge the image)
Nearby, Iris germanica ‘Tiger Honey’ blooms near Heuchera ‘Caramel’ and Geum ‘Totally Tangerine’, a lovely color counterpoint to the purples.
As I descend further into the lower garden, the purples get softer surrounded by blues and greens.
The garden bench is closely embraced by the exuberant growth of the rain-rich May garden. 
As I circle back around through the garden, I am captured by the sight of complex layers of woodland and garden intertwining their voices in a vesper song.
As dusk falls, I retrace my steps and view the garden from above. It grows quiet as the last light retreats and the birds settle to their nests. Thank you for walking along with me in the garden and listening to its purple prose.
If it’s drama that you sigh for, plant a garden and you’ll get it. . . If you long for entertainment and for pageantry most glowing, plant a garden and this summer spend your time with green things growing. ~Edward A. Guest, Plant a Garden
All photographs and text ©2019 Lynn Emberg Purse, All Rights Reserved, except where noted.
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