It’s been a busy month! And it’s nice to come back from tilting at windmills and other kinds of fun to see what’s been going on while away. I always look forward to see what’s blooming on the accent bench, and what’s getting ready to bloom. They’re a cheerful bunch!

I’ve shared photos of accent plants in the past when they begin to get showy, so it’s nothing new that I’m waxing rhapsodic at this time of year. This time I’ve also included a few paragraphs about their care, and some observations on the aesthetic horizons of these special plantings that my teacher Shinji Suzuki was so very fond of.

I’ve not yet fertilized any of these rascals this year, just watered. In early July I will fertilize. Most accent plants like a lot of water, even the succulents pictured here don’t mind it. But then they are from the…