Dominant Species

Day 285: This is the Barren Wasteland at its best. Rudbeckia (Black-eyed Susan) dominates the space with occasional pops of colour from Rose Campion, Deptford Pinks, Tall Phlox and (now) Milkweed. A few white Yarrow stems are interspersed despite my efforts at weeding them out, and the odd stalk of peppermint which escapes being made into tea may add flecks of lavender. Already gone are the California and Oriental Poppies, the "orange" phase of the Barren Wasteland's phenological cycle, but the Rudbeckias will persist until after the first light frosts. When a section becomes too crowded with clumps of this vigorous species, I pull them out to make more room. There never seems to be a shortage!