Friday, May 15, 2009

May I Show You Some May Flowers?


It's Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day for May and we're transitioning into summer. How did that happen so quickly? The garden is bursting at the seams with color. Not quite like it does in June and July, but it's kind of amazing how many things are blooming when you consider how comparatively few we had last month.

So let me show you some of what I saw when strolling through the gardens yesterday:



Yes, there are still some tulips looking good in the garden. These were a purple and white mix I'd purchased at Lowe's last fall.


This Passiflora (cultivar unknown) spent the winter in the basement greenhouse, doing nothing but losing its leaves. Then about a month or so ago, it started putting out leaves again. How did it know that spring was going on outside, when it was inside?


May is Lilac season and my very favorite is this Syringa vulgaris "Sensation." I've got two of them, by accident. I'd gotten one in 2007, purchased after its bloom period was over. In 2008, I purchased another one and planted it before bloom time. When they both bloomed, I realized they were the same. Sometimes accidents turn out well!


Most of my peonies don't bloom until the first of June, but the Fern Leaf 'Rubra Flora Plena' (Paeonia tenufolia) starts off peony season in May. Next will come the tree peonies (Paeonia suffruticosa), then the herbaceous (Paeonia lactiflora).


The quirky, fluffy blooms of the Dwarf Fothergilla (Fothergilla gardenii).


I have never had the best of luck growing herbal rosemary, but this bog rosemary (Andromeda polifolia) does just fine for me. It's actually a heath, hardy to zone 3 and as you might guess, likes moist conditions.


My favorite of the annuals I'm growing this year is this Marguerite Daisy (Argyranthemum frutescens) in Madeira™ cherry shades. They're very much an attention-getter.


I learned about this Chinese Primrose (Primula capitata) from my mom and promptly went to Laurie's Naturescapes to get some for my own garden. I love the glaucous foliage and the lollipop flower form. It's hardy to zone 5.


The Pasque flower (Pulsatilla vulgaris) has been blooming in purple and burgundy for a month and is still going strong, but now it has some of its characteristic fluffy seed heads. I like these as much as the blooms.


Known as Silver Bells or Star of Nature (Ornithogalum nutans), this late spring bulb flowers with gray-green blooms.


Dianthus superbus 'Kawara Mix' self-seeds and its first bloom this season is from one of the results of self-seeding from last year, nearly two feet from the original clump.


I planted Anemone coronaria 'Harmony Mix' last year because the red, blue and white were so pretty. I knew they could survive our winters here in zone 5, but I wasn't counting on it. The white one made it, but the blue and red ones didn't. I purchased a new red one and blue one a few weeks ago, to give them another try.


Allium 'Gladiator' is in its third year here.


While it can spread vigorously, this Ajuga really glows in the spring garden. Its runners and resulting new plants are easy enough to tear out if they get out of bounds.


I've grown Centaurea montana for years, as well as the 'Gold Bullion' cultivar. This year, I added this 'Amethyst in Snow.'


Columbine is one plant that I never hear Romie complain about when I buy more - it's one of his favorites. This is 'Origami Red & White.'


There are many other things blooming, too numerous to mention. Let's just say that when I'm doing a walkthrough in the gardens, I'm humming, "Happy days are here again!"



Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day is hosted each month by Carol of May Dreams Gardens. Visit her website to see who else participates by posting photos of what's blooming on the 15th of the month in their gardens.



20 comments:

My Veggie Garden said...

Incredible color reproduction. Did you use your Canon Powershot SX10 IS for these photos?
Cheers
Stewart

Helen/patientgardener said...

Thanks for sharing your blooms. I do like those silver bells

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hello there Kylee girl !
We share Sensation Lilac .. mine haven't quite opened yet .. but they are gorgeous aren't they ? .. I love those dramatic tulips against the graying fence .. that was a perfect shot : )
All your blooms are very pretty girl !

Janet, The Queen of Seaford said...

Great purple Kylee! Love the Allium.

Janet, The Queen of Seaford said...

I missed the passion flower the first time I looked at your post!! Really striking colors! They are very interesting looking blooms. Mine was a bit on the invasive side.

Aunt Debbi/kurts mom said...

Beautiful Kylee
Love the columbine

Catherine@AGardenerinProgress said...

So beautiful! I love that columbine, it's very different. Did you start it from seed?
I see that my new camera is the same one you have. I hope my pictures will be as nice as yours once I figure out all of the settings.

Cathy S. said...

Kylee, you have such beautiful flowers, and I still don't know why the garden centers won't sell the chinese primroses over here? I am in zone 5b.

Lisa at Greenbow said...

Oh Boy... I can't wait to see all of these gorgeous blooms up close and personal...

Rose said...

So many beautiful flowers, Kylee, and so many of them different from anything I've seen anywhere else. I can see why Romie likes the columbine; the Origami is really eye-catching. But most of all, I do like those Marguerite daisies; it would be hard not to notice them! Our lilacs and tulips have since faded away, so it's good to see yours still blooming.

Kylee Baumle said...

Stewart ~ Yes, these were taken with my Canon SX10 IS. I love this camera!

patientgardener ~ The Silver Bells are rather unique in their coloring, aren't they?

Joy ~ Thanks! Really, at this time of year, everything is pretty! Everything is new, and all are so fresh and lush!

Janet ~ I noticed that there is a lot of purple in the garden right now, too. That's okay though, because I love purple in the garden!

I don't have any Passion Flowers that are hardy here. I tried one over the winter (Maypop), but so far, no life emerging from the ground, so I'm thinking that didn't work so well.

Debbi ~ Thanks! :-)

Catherine ~ No, I bought that columbine. I can't remember just where right now though.

Our cameras can do so many things, can't they? I don't use a fraction of the features, but hope to check more of them out, so I can!

Cathy ~ We're in zone 5b too and I've never seen the Chinese primrose before this. So maybe you'll find one yet!

Lisa ~ I can't wait for you to see them in person either! Last night's storms and today's winds have some of them looking a little worse for wear, but there's something else to look forward to - the 'Sahohime' tree peony is nearly all opened up! (all 42 blooms!!!) You'll get to see that! :-)
Safe travels and see you soon!

Rose ~ Thanks, Rose! Bloom times are kind of weird this year - not typical, that's for sure. Lilacs are still looking good, but most tulips are done. My fringed tulips are still fine, as are these later ones. Next week, I think they'll be gone though.

Shady Gardener said...

Kylee, I kept saying "Oh!", "Oh!" :-)

Your photos are postcard perfect! Just beautiful specimen. Great post for GBBD!

Kristin said...

You garden Is BEAUTIFUL :-) I OOHed and Ahhed at every photo. I have never seen Silver Bells before, I think they are just so subtle, and I was surprised by your passiflora flower, because I have one too, but the colors are totally different - mine are white with a bit of yellow - I have never seen this variety before.

Nutty Gnome said...

Wow Kylee, what a great range of flowers! I love the aliums, but the fern leaf peonie is something else and that pasque flower is wonderful - I've never seen one of those before. Great tour - thanks!

Dee/reddirtramblings said...

Happy Bloom Day, Kylee! Love your flowers against the old wooden fence and trellis. I have a similar fence, and I think it makes a nice foil.~~Dee

EAL said...

Gorgeous. The colors are amazing. I like how so many of your flowers have white with another color. It really makes them pop.

Muum said...

love your origami clematis, what an apt name! and I've got to get some Centaura.. those are great.

Herry said...

Beautiful Flowers........ It's a great work. The color combination of the flowers and plants so beautiful....

TC said...

My goodness! what lovely blooms you have! "The better to garden with my dear," the big bad wolf gardener said. ;~P

Anonymous said...

Thank goodness some bloggers can write. Thanks for this piece of writing!!

blogger templates | Make Money Online