Detail in the gardens

As my gaze sweeps across the views and borders at RHS Harlow Carr Gardens, I often find I am drawn to stop and study individual plants or small groups of plants, artfully arranged together by the expert eyes of the gardeners there. I was at first attracted to the plant above because it looked like lots of swans heads. ( I believe it is called a gooseneck loosestrife, lysimachia clethroides.)  Then I noticed the butterfly, which I think is a peacock, enjoying the nectar. 

 

One of my favourite small areas is a couple of borders planted with grasses that ruffle gently in the wind. I tried to capture the motion in my photo. 

A sinuous border planted entirely with mauve (Russian sage?) looked like a river. Then there was mauve juxtaposed with orange (sneezeweed/helenium?) ...

And then there was just orange - a bright wall that showed up the wonderful shadows of this plant, which may be a type of fennel.  

Prairie-style drifts of plants in the herbaceous borders are effective. 

 

And no garden should be without a few cheerful sunflowers.