The first black-eyed Susan of the summer has opened under the vitex. This is Rudbeckia goldsturm.

In the opposite corner of the front garden, in full sun, the orange flowers of flame acanthus contrast with silver Powis Castle artemesia.

This small hedge of Mexican oregano is blooming too. Its tubular, lilac flowers will soon completely cover the feathery, fragrant foliage. My Mexican oregano tries to bloom in April, but I shear it back in late spring because it gets so large. It responds well to its buzz cut each spring and just delays its bloom time until early June.

Belinda’s Dream is covered in a second flush of roses, despite the intense heat we’ve been having—95 degrees every day lately, and more to come.

Some of the echinacea have sprawled across the pink skullcap groundcover. Their pinks complement each other, and the contrast between the large, rough-leaved echinacea and the narrow, fine-textured skullcap makes the accidental pairing more interesting. Serendipity!