A couple of late summer garden vignettes

This vignette is at the front of our east-facing house, to the right of the front door. That black daphne is such a rare and gorgeous plant that it actually does get a generous drink weekly, I suppose the surrounding plants appreciate the extra water as well.
Word is that Amsonia hubrichtii likes regular water, so no doubt mine would appreciate a little more moisture, but it makes due. I love the seed pods that form this time of year, just before the bright green begins to turn to gold, and then a slightly more fiery color before eventually falling to the ground.
Powder blue and dark purple are always a winning combination.
Especially when the powder blue has a thin pink edge—Euphorbia rigida is a strong supporting character.
I continue to be thrilled and amazed by this small patch of Bommeria hispida, a desert fern that likes life at the base of an agave.
That brings us to the biggest personality of all, the Agave ovatifolia 'Frosty Blue' on the far right. They all work so well together.
Now we venture to the back garden and the plants sunk into the top of the table under the shade pavilion.
The day I spent watering I took a lunch break in this spot, that's when I noticed the great shadow-play.
The fern is my much loved Asplenium trichomanes, the small succulent in the bottom right hand corner is a Euphorbia caput-medusae and unfortunately I don't know the name of the red spiked cactus on the left, I bought them unlabeled.

I'm so glad we thought to have holes cut into the custom fabricated table-top. I've had great fun figuring out what plants and planters I can fill them with.