daisies in all their glory...

...blooming across the front of my house. Planted maybe five or so years ago, with periodic moving, re-arranging, relocating of various perennials as I get a notion they might be happier some where else. The daisy gloriousness started with some I got from my parents' house many years ago, and failed to consider what would make the plants happy. So -  foolish me - I planted them in the dense dark shade under oak trees. Rule number one: put them back in the same environment they were growing in before you manhandled them.

 As you can see - they love the sun, so were not at all pleased with my decision. And proceeded to actually move themselves, a millimeter at the time over a number of years. Determined to get out into the sun, they kept cropping up  in the lawn, and repeatedly mowed over. But not giving in to the abuse. Would bloom on a stem that was about a quarter of an inch tall.

I gradually realized what was going on, after a time of wondering why they did not produce prolific blooms sitting over there in the shade. Dug them all out of the grass and put them along the edge of the driveway in the blistering sun. They do like a lot of water, so there is a soaker hose buried underneath the leaf/pine straw mulch that gets turned on frequently. They are so happy, and make me smile :) every time I come home, pull up in the drive way and see them blooming like crazy.

The red stuff in the bottom photo is some sort of sage. Do you want some? It is not really invasive, but does spread, so I have some to share. It is one of those things the bees, butterflies, and humming birds love, so I keep trimming it back to make it bloom all summer. I actually bought some other sage, maybe the one that is 'black and blue', supposed to be a blue bloomer, so I would have patriotic colors all at the same time.  There is also some agapanthus that will send up tall stalks and blue orbs, sort of  like garlic, but bright cerulean that will show off in May. Yay for the flag!