good news/bad news

This weekend, family vistors helped me get rid of a large pile of tree limbs that needed to be cut up and bagged -- if not for the visual ugliness of it than for its unhealthy attraction to mosquitoes.

What is left to plant in the front yard is doable. I will complete this garden this year, have worked out some design problems and figured out what I want to plant.

On the other hand, I am a little tired of what I have. The pink bee balm (monardia) and purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) are spilling on top of each other, the colors too close to let one appreciate the textural difference. And now the brazilian verbena (verbena bonariensis) is flowering, creating a bit of mismash of color and form.

Messiness is ok, but not a riot of messiness. I need some balance of form, height, and color, even in what I suppose could be called a cottage garden.

The larkspur, wonderful that it is, is frankly overwhelming everything in terms of its many broad colors (hot pink, pale pink, white, lavendar, deep purple).

I am discontent and will need to do some thinning and editing.