Deck Garden Pageant

A Parade of Beauties

It’s that time of year again, when I traipse off to my local big box gardening store and load up on all kinds of floral goodness to fill my summer deck garden. This year, I hit the color jackpot, with all kinds of brilliant hues and shades that light up the still-gray and gloomy Seattle sky. I haven’t kept super-good track, but I think I planted a few weeks earlier than normal this year, which may explain why we’re still in the middle of the pre-summer chilly slump.

In all of the potting chaos, I always lose the little plastic flags that tell you what the flowers are, so I just end up making up names for them. Here is this Spring’s lineup:

Goth Pansies

I call these Goth Pansies, because they are a very deep shade of purple, almost black-purple, that reminds of vampire bedroom décor or an article of clothing I would have worn as a teen had I grown up in the Goth era. (That was a bit before my time.) I love the fine detail on the petals, too, almost as though they were etched with a very fine pen in skilled hands.

Clown Pants

I call these Clown Pants, because, I mean, look at them. I love the contrast of fuchsia and yellow, and how the patterns form little red hearts on the petals.

Orange Royalty

I call these Orange Royalty, because there is something regal and stately about them. And I love the brilliant peach, salmon and mandarin shades, and the way the leaves appear to be flaming wings in that one on the end.

Purple Frecklies

I fell instantly in love with these speckled purple charmers, mixed in with the lovely, delicate lavender blooms. If I didn’t feel a need for color variety, I would just do an all-purple garden every year.

Blue-Eyed Beauties:

I didn’t make that name up; these are officially called Blue-Eyed Beauties, although I really think that their eyes are much more purple than blue. But I’m not going to argue with the flower-naming officials. Buried in among them is something called Nemeses, or similar, that has the same blue, purple and yellow patterns. I thought these were breathtaking, and I was instantly captivated by their joyful spirit.

Also, the decorative oregano we brought in over the winter has been hung out again, and I’m really hoping it returns to full bloom as promised by the gardening sites. There are some green sprouts emerging, so I’m hopeful for a full comeback. Now it’s just a matter of waiting for summer to catch up with my court of brilliant blooms.

—Kristen McHenry