Monticello Inspiration

Inspired by our trip to Monticello this weekend!  Picked up a few plants for sale there at there gift shop and a few more here.
Clematis Pitcheri--this is an old-fashioned, native kind that blooms in little bells; related to the Clematis Texensis I used to grow, so I snapped it up at the Monticello gift shop.  Also found a similar one at a local nursery: Clematis Roguchi (although this is a newer Japanese varietal).  Another vining plant, this time for partial shade is the Dutchman's Pipe Vine--this is an awesomely cool plant and I had one in TX but gave it away when we moved.  Another native, this will attract Pipevine Swallowtails.  "Nora Barlow" Columbine--the tiny, very ruffled pinky-green flowers on this one are adorable!  Observe the one I brought home:

Aquilegia vulgaris 'Nora Barlow'

Final purchase at Monticello's garden shop was Dwarf Crested Iris.  Back in town I found Cornflowers or Bachelor's Buttons at a local nursery and bought a pot, since they were growing abundantly in the flower beds of Monticello, as seen here:

Cornflower: Centaurea montana in Monticello flower bed


Plus, you must admit, these flowers are like some sort of alien life-form:

This is pretty early for a perennial to bloom--and not only that, be in full bloom.  The one I bought has buds about to pop, so it'll definitely be among the earliest perennials, joined only by my heuchera right now.  Hopefully, my peonies won't bloom while I'm out of town next week--a couple of them do have buds.