New plants, new thoughts, and strange sculpture

I divided up one of my planting beds into two smaller ones because I just couldn't resist walking through the middle and planted a nice selection of plants around the alligator juniper and mountain laurel. The mountain laurel has bunches of new growth, so I think it either likes it's new friends, the rain, or the bevy of new beneficial insects these new flowering perennials attract. I'm seeing bees everyday and am now actually finding earthworms in the soil. I am also seeing new birds not just the nasty grackles.

In the beds, I have planted black dalea, purple skullcap, calyophus, damianita

, hymenoxys, and flame acanthus. I also planted another dessert willow. It is a different variety from the one I already have. Realizing that I will probably have quite a bit of leaf drop from the desert willows, I've decided to forget about stone or gravel pathways in the backyard and stick to mulch of some kind. 

The cover crop is now flowering and about a foot tall or more. I was planning on cutting it down in November, but I've found a really good explanation of cover crop/green manure and living mulch in Smart Permaculture Design by Jenny Allen and if I wait until seeds and flowers the cover crop won't have as much nitrogen to give back to the soil, but will have more carbon. Not sure what I am going for .

I made this weird sculpture out of tree limbs and the metal folding chairs that came with the house. I've planted coral honeysuckle and snapdragon vine. One day when there is more time and money to spend I think I will put an arbor here, but for now I have this place holder. It will be interesting to see how it develops and if it can withstand winter weather.