Wow!!! Those are some really vibrant colors! I don't think I've ever seen red allium stalks (unless those spiky globed plants aren't alliums). Which kind are they?

I love the colors of your garden. Daylilies are blooming here but phlox is late.

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Here is a link that might be useful: mao tse mom garden

Wow, I would have a crush on you now if it weren't for the distance. That's completely beautiful, and what I would love to have in my garden. I have an overabundance of bright yellow, and a recent post of mine requesting colors to complement yellow brought a suggestion of magenta. I now have some magenta plans for the garden, and your picture gives me hope. Really amazingly beautiful and inspiring.

Lots of color indeed! Did you spray paint those Allium heads?? Your house colors are fun- very unexpected and whimsical (great flower backdrop as well).

Love your collection of water cans too!!!
Thanks for the morning shot of color ;-)
CMK

mao! Fantastic! I LOVE love love all your garden pictures, your lovely path that ends to the greenhouse, and then again to the shed, all the plants and that fantastic collection of old watering cans! The colors are fantastic!

Yes, I spray painted the allium. It's the first time for painting them and I'm loving it. I know it may seem like a cheat but at least they're real. I'll never add plastic flowers, promise. The rain barrow is brand new and temporary. The permanent barrow will be a better color than "roof tarp blue"

mao

Beautiful,beautiful,did i say BEAUTIFUL?? Those are all gorgeous,you really have a lot of beautiful lilies,and all their friends too.That first picture looks like a vase of flowers planted in the garden,good combinations.

Glad to also see more post on the forum today,was beginning to think everyone melted in their gardens with this heat.LOL,LOL
Kathi

WOW! You have such a great knack for mixing colors. Your photos are very inspiring. I love so many of your combinations.

You're NOT cheating by spray painting allium heads!! Look at this picture I just took last weekend at Tower Hill Botanic Garden outside of Boston. You're very creative! I would have never thought of painting allium heads.

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I'll add, also, that I remember seeing daylilies mainly planted in mass with other daylilies. The way you've surrounded yours with other flowers that complement and highlight the daylily colors is fantastic. Really beautiful design. How long did it take you to get your garden to this point, and how much moving around of plants did you do? Did you have many errors before you found the right combinations or did you know from the beginning how to make it blend so beautifully?

"a vase of flowers planted in the garden" What a wonderful compliment, Kathi. The garden is fine. I'm the one melting.

thyme2dig, that's a wonderful picture. If only I could find such nice colors in spray paint. I had planned to use blue but the shades I found were awful.

Deanna- I've never been a fan of daylily display gardens. The season is short and too much of the same shape. I like lots of texture in my garden.

I started the garden in the front yard ten years ago, but it really came together after finding inspiration from "Color for the Adventurous Gardeners" by Christopher Lloyd, and "The Bold and Brilliant Garden" by Sarah Raven. I'm pretty good at combining plants, but not the best plantsmen around, so I've killed more then my share of plants. The last few years I only make changes is accommodate new flowers as I find them and "have" to add them to my collection.

Behind the house was lawn four years ago. I'm finding it slow going finding just the right perennials that only get four to five hours of sun, but that's in the hottest part of the day. I'm open for any suggestion.

Here's pictures taken in May. There's some good examples of textures in these pics... mao

Here is a link that might be useful: Spring garden

I love all those as well.What are the little purple flowers in the 4th picture?? I love the way you mix texture,color,long and short.It all works wonderfully well.

Wish i could grow those pink bleeding hearts here in S.Calif,but i can't,have tried several times.I do have a whitebleeding heart vine with a red center that is also pretty.

But i want some pink ones,waaaaaaaaaa.
Kathi

Those are woodland phlox. I needed something that could take some foot traffic from my grandkids when they were young and these worked well.

I have both the pink and the white bleeding heart. Both are lovely, but I find the pink particularly charming.

mao

Beautiful garden, and spectacular house! There's some nice looking small people in there too.
Mao, do you know the name of the daylily in the photo above? I am smitten.
Renee

Thanks hosenemesis. The daylily is Strutters Ball.

How funny you should mention that book by Christopher Lloyd. I saw a preview of it in a magazine and thought to myself I should look for it. Since it inspired you so much now I MUST check it out!

Thanks again for the pics- I came back for a second look-see ;-D
CMK