firebird

The first blooms on Agastache 'Firebird' are appearing, just as the last of the Eremurus fades. It was a stroke of genius on my part (if I don't say so myself) to interplant them so that the agastache takes over when the eremurus is over.  In the morning, when this photo was taken, the colors look much more vibrant. As the sunlight becomes more intense, the colors fade to soft, muted pastel shades, so much so that the flowers fade into the gray foliage. This is an effect that occurs on most Agastache hybrids with A. rupestris in them.