Shades of Spring - And Fall

 It doesn't take much to figure out what my favorite colors are in the garden this time of year. 

 The cool, misty mornings we are used to having in late spring have returned and the lovely purple and mauve flowers seem to add to the peaceful serenity that is punctuated by the birdsong and fluttering butterflies that they attract.

 Heavily scented blooms and soft textured foliage add to the sensual delights of the garden in the early morning.

 Soon these spring flowers will be joined by the more intense shades of summer as the weather warms up.

But suddenly, somehow there are rusty orange and brownish mums scattered throughout the garden beds! I was rather perplexed as to what these autumn flowers were now doing mixed in throughout my lovely purple spring perennials when I realized that they were a well-meant surprise from my garden helper who had rescued them as temporary three inch indoor plants from the compost pile last fall after I had tossed them when they had outlived their usefulness in my Thanksgiving house decor, and coaxed them into bloom only to replant them throughout the spring garden beds, where they add a "punch" of rusty color to my spring color scheme.

I must say I am touched by his quest to save every plant all the time (in my own defense, I usually do put them out to be replanted in a corner of the garden somewhere, it is just that I am running out of corners and I was very busy last year), and I realize he was just trying to help, and I should point out that I kind of have a vision that includes a color scheme (that evidently has escaped him) and that maybe we can find another spot for the lovely warm colored Chrysanthemums that shouldn't be blooming in the spring in the first place.

Until then I am just glad that my garden isn't on any garden tours this year!