Bridges

 In his beautiful book about gardening and poetry, The Wild Braid, Stanley Kunitz said:

     The selection of plants in one tier conditions what will go into the others. The rhythm of the garden is a form of motion, actually. The connection between flowers at different levels of the garden makes a bridge between different parts of the garden and the eye, in motion, responds.

 The purple flower in these photos is Verbena bonariensis, a plant I saw first in the Nyack Butterfly Garden and then noticed in other places, sometimes obviously growing wild. I collected some seed from a plant last fall and scattered it in the garden, completely forgetting about it until I discovered one plant while weeding in late July. This plant grew quickly, sending out many thin, tough branches, filling the space in front of the bee balm and phlox and above the zinnias, cosmos and calendula. It does have a wild look and habit and its deep purple (hard to photograph) is a great contrast to the pinks, oranges, reds and yellows of the other flowers. Butterflies and humming birds are attracted to it.

 

 

In late June I saw this red-flowered plant with a similar habit (maybe a Gomphrena?) growing in a garden in East Cork, Ireland.