With all the rain in the last few weeks, the foliage of the perennials this spring is quite lush and humungous! It gives the garden a very tropical appearance. This Iris germanica 'Interpol' has just opened and adds color to one of our many sun beds. German irises require a well-drained fertile soil and grow fine in full sun to part shade. Their rhizomes should be exposed to the air and sun to avoid soft rot. Therefore do not plant them too deep. They also prefer fertilizers that are not too high in nitrogen. If you need to divide them, it is best done after it finishes flowering.

Aquilegia canadensis or our native columbine is blooming throughout the garden. Tall-branched stems rise from masses of blue-green lobed foliage to support numerous bell-shaped flowers. Other varieties of columbine like Aquilegia vulgaris 'Nora Barlow' and 'Raspberry Tart' are also bloom.

Clematis integrifolia or bush clematis has been attracting a bit of attention lately. It looks rather unusual with its blue bell-shaped flowers rising above the slightly mottled foliage. After the bloom fades away, a silvery seed head will remain.

This yellow mass is called Sedum kamtschaticum and is located in the xeriscape bed. It makes a wonderful ground cover in full sun and is at home in any rock garden. The pink star-shaped flower clusters belong to Lewisia cotyledon, which was originally discovered during the Lewis and Clark Expedition in the northwestern part of the U.S. This evergreen perennial is happiest grown in between the crevices of rocks which help to keep the roots cool during the heat of the summer.