I finally got over my Gardener's Block this past weekend and stopped marvelling at my purchases and started actually planting them!
I tried my best to start with the perennials. Afterall, they're the ones that will more or less occupy their spaces for a long time to come.
First off, my order from Breck's. Pictured first is the Little Blue Wonder Sea Holly. It's a smaller, bushier version of the original Blue Sea Holly, which I purchased from Michigan Bulb last year. While not much happened with the larger version last year, they are coming up really well so far this year.
Isn't the bloom interesting? Not only the extreme blue color, but the feathery petals really caught my attention too. Anyway, I thought I'd try the smaller version just to see which one I like better. It got a nice placement by the Lighthouse and is just starting to break the surface right now.
Next up is the Astilbe in Amethyst. I already have 3 Astilbe's in pink, red and white in my shade garden and couldn't resist this lavendar version. I've had great luck with these. The Astilbes provide a really nice follow-up to the Bleeding Hearts when they fade. Yes, another shade-loving plant that actually blooms!

And, finally, the Columbines. Described as "a beautiful plant with graceful flowers that are highly attractive to hummingbirds," Columbines will bloom from spring to early summer in our area. They average 1-3 ft. tall and about 1 ft. wide, do well in partial shade to full sun, and adapt to a variety of soil conditions.
I've never tried these before, but always liked their intricate-looking blooms. So instead of easing into it, I decided to go whole hog and get a bunch! My order consisted of the Giant Blue Barlow and a separate Giant Mix of six assorted Columbines. And if that weren't enough, I bought three more established Columbines at Glick's! One with a pretty pale yellow/pink bloom whose actual name escapes me and 2 William Guinness Columbines (pictured above) that feature a gorgeous dark purple bloom edged with white!
And speaking of hummingbirds -- we had our first tiny winged visitor Sunday afternoon. We spotted him on the patio tending to the unplanted annual Red Salvias! Remember, if you plant it, they will come ... take time to enjoy the wildlife that your garden attracts. Every garden provides an environmental habitat for something!