And maybe a few leaves too.

I’m not very funky. I’m not so sure what it is to be “funky”, but I’m not, I can assure you.

But I know funky when it comes to flowers. And so, late May through June must be the funky season, because the garden is full of flowers that are more than just colorful. Their shapes and markings are complex and beautiful.

Peruvian lily (Alstromeria), my new found favorite, had to be inspired by an art class exercise painting a surrealistic flower. Its markings can’t possibly be real, but there it is. Marginally hardy in my Virginia garden without special attention (an unrealistic expectation for me, I know my limitations), this one is coming inside for the Winter.

Much tougher, but only slightly less beautiful, is Iris. I’m far from a collector with only a handful of varieties (perhaps a few more than that), but they are irresistible, and planted in shallow water and boggy areas, are quite carefree. Siberian iris is followed by Yellowflag (Iris pseudacorus), then a handful of Japanese iris (Iris ensata), each as delightful as the other, so that there’s an iris of some sort blooming in my garden for almost two months.

The structure and coloration of each flower is magnificent. What purpose this beauty serves, I can’t tell you, but though their bloom is short lived, they are a worthy plant in any garden.

Exceptional beauty is not limited to flowers. What could be more delightful than the new leaves of Forest Pansy redbud? Small pink blossoms are followed by polished burgundy leaves.

On the opposite side of the garden are two more redbuds, Hearts of Gold, and the variegated leaf Silver Cloud. No small tree can be more beautiful in bloom and leaf.

You might question my alliterative description of any flower as “funky”, but by any definition these choices are interesting and stunningly beautiful.