Scott Calhoun is a big-name garden designer, author of Designer Plant Combinations (Storey Publishing, 2008), whose name (and book) popped into mind this morning as I walked through my suddenly-beautiful garden. (The sparkling weather may have something to do with this perception but I'll take it!) Sometimes, without even meaning to, we create lovely color combinations, such as this one of spikey catmint or Nepeta 'Walker's Low" and geranium ground cover. Catmint is a favorite pathway liner at my house. It grows fast, reblooms after a haircut and fills the gaps nicely after even one season. It also gets by with no watering.

Calhoun has some stunners in his book. He pairs hummingbird mint (Agastache cana) with Russian sage and 'Moonshine' yarrow - coral-pink/purple/gold. Round-blossomed, pink garden phlox is planted successfully with Russian sage, too, and I realize, after a few pages, that this is a plant I have a love-hate relationship with. Its outline is dramatic, purple wands every which way, but when I go out West I see it everywhere. It's drought-tolerant and basically no care, thus, in demand, sometimes to the exclusion of all else. And with all that sun, it can look unruly and bleached out. But you have to admit. It's an easy plant to work with.

Calhoun also likes ornamental grasses planted with red sages or globe thistles or - I love this one - purple verbena and rust-colored coleus. And it sure helps when you have masses of each. Which perhaps explains why my humble combo struck me this morning. These plants have been steadily growing for a few years now and suddenly seemed big enough and worthy enough to admire. I guess this is why patience is a virtue, especially in the garden.