The purple Setcreasea pallida was the inspiration for the design of the Mailbox Bed. Using pastel colors....pink, pale yellow, white, many shades of purple....sets the stage for the front gardens throughout the growing season.

	Setcreasea pallida is a hardy perennial, spreading slowly below the mailbox for the past fifteen years. It has never been divided.		Tulip 'Angelique' resembles a peony and is a show-stopper beside Verbena 'Homestead Purple.'
	Spring in shades of purple from Baptisia australis, Iris siberica 'Caesar's Brother', Amsonia hubrectii, and Acer palmatum 'Tomukyma.'		Although not a long-lived perennial, Lavendula stoechas or Spanish Lavendar blooms for weeks and is drought tolerant.
	Amsonia hubrectii (Narrow Leaf Bluestar) is a four-season plant; blue flowers in the spring and beautiful foliage throughout the summer.		In October, Amsonia hubrectii's foliage turns bright gold and remains brown and intact for the rest of the winter.
	Aquilegia chrysantha 'Yellow Queen' blooms mid-spring through mid-summer, before the yellow daylily. In addition to its beauty, the clear yellow color is perfect next to purple.		Verbena bonariensis is also known as "Popsicle Plant" because it blooms at the top of its 3' tall stems. Short-lived but self-seeding, it is a perennial favorite of mine and of the Yellow Finches.
	The mailbox bed in June. Self-seeding annual cleome, purple bee-balm, garden phlox, yellow daylilies and Setcreasea.		This is a gorgeous garden phlox, Phlox paniculata 'Delta Snow' which, happily for me, is resistant to powdery mildew.
	From summer to frost, tender Double Purple Datura blooms in the mailbox bed.		Japanese Flowering Apricot, Prunus mume 'Kobai' blooms during our winter months of January and February.
	Aster tataricus 'Jin Dai' blooms in the fall on 4' stems. Not at all bothered by pests, including deer.		Malvavicus arboreus var. drummondii 'Alba' is a new introduction (2009) to the Mailbox Bed. The species is red (view it in the Hangar Bed). Planted this spring, it has bloomed summer through fall...its first year!!!!
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Morning Sun Screen		Cul-de-sac Garden