What a lovely surprise. The deer ate a few of the first native and cutting garden-type plants I put in what I’m calling my wild bed.

I was most saddened by the loss of the tops of my three delphinium plants. There’s just something about Delphinium and Larkspur that I find so beautiful and free-spirited (as if all flowers weren’t free spirited!).

So imagine my surprise this weekend when the Delphiniums were back — more blue and beautiful than before.

I didn’t capture the rich blue hue very well because I took the photo too late in the day, but I like it nonetheless.

And their neighbors, the mail-order Rudbeckia Prairie Sun with no brown are blooming and multiplying profusely. And they’ve been joined by Texas Betony blooming red and Mexican Oregano with it’s lavender blooms.

It’s so exciting to see something you’ve sweated and toiled over come to fruition. And while the Blackfoot daisies don’t seem to be happy there and several of the 5 transplanted Lantanas failed to come back, I’m calling it a huge success.

And Ms. Artemis is oh-so-happy to have the pretties for company!