Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Slow Down a Little May

 
Can you believe that May is almost gone already? It is just speeding by. Maybe because with the warm weather this year everyone is busy in the gardens it makes it feel like it is in warp.
And the gardens are flourishing by leaps and bounds.
I got a few tomato and sweet pepper plants planted up into containers and the rest of the annuals planted out. So planting for the spring is done here now.

Washtub_Purple2
I got the new washtubs planted and the amaryllis bulbs planted into window containers and pots. I hope the amaryllis will do well so I can bring the bulbs in into the basement this fall and replant them for winter blooms indoors this year. If this doesn’t work gang it is off to the trash pile for those bulbs. The amaryllis are in containers behind the tubs and the coons have already dumped them all once already investigating to see if they were something good to eat. Those pesky coons may get some bb shots directed at them if I catch them at it.
In the tubs I planted a few snapdragons, zinnias and petunias and a couple sweet pepper plants in the back row. In the front long container I planted Gerbera daisies that were grown from seeds indoors this winter.

Iris_Monets_Blue   A couple more irises are in bloom now. This one is ‘Monet’s Blue’ and it is really blue and not purple. Yeah!

Iris_Monets_Blue2

A beautiful powder blue all over from its standards, beards and falls.
I am loving this one…but…

Iris_Fit_For_A_King 
‘Fit For a King’ is a charmer also. With its deep purple falls and light lavender standards and beards it looks royal.

Iris_Fit_For_A_King3

Fit For a King

Allium_Moly_May22 The ‘Moly’ yellow alliums are now blooming. They have spread and are getting bigger each year since they were planted.

Alliums_Moly 
‘Moly’ allium

 Polemonium_Jacobs_Ladder
The polemonium, Jacob’s Ladder decided to bloom….

Polemonium_Jacobs_Ladder2
but what is up with the just one tall stock of blooms? LOL!
Oh well, the blooms smell like grape jelly so it is not all bad.

 Astilbe_White
The astilbes are starting to bloom. I have them stuck all around into shady spots to add some color. These white ones are always the first of the astilbes to bloom in my gardens.

Bidens_ferulifolia
While looking around at the local Amish Greenhouse I kept smelling this wonderful aroma and finally my nose tracked it down growing in a hanging basket. So I grabbed up a smaller container of these yellow Bidens ferulifolia to bring home to add to one of my hanging containers.
I wish I had known that Bidens were so aromatic because they will now become one of the annuals I plant every year.
Have any of you tried to over wintered them indoors? If so let me know.

Clematis_Florida_Seiboldii_May20
The ‘Florida Seiboldii’ Clematis is blooming well in its second year of creeping. So next year it well be its leap year and it should cover the trellis. White Iceberg roses are growing in front of it.

Blueeyed_Grass This is a lousy picture but the Blue Eyed grass is blooming. These were volunteers that came up in the woodland bed late year and I moved it to the Shade bed this spring. I found two more down in the woodland bed last week and I may want to relocate them later. The green grass with the tiny blue bloom on the ends of the blades are so cute and they are a true blue also.

Lilybed
The lilies are all in bud now and the second of the lilies  to bloom is the red Asiatic lilies along the woodland bed.Lilybuds_Red

Lily_Stella_De_Oro
Next to bloom is the ‘ Stella de Oro’ lilies. This lily will grow anywhere and will put on a few blooms after the first flush of blooms over the summer into fall.

Shedbed
The ‘New Dawn’ climbing roses are blooming and growing over the roof of my little garden shed. This rose is loaded with buds and blooms this year. The whole garden is doing wonderful this year compared to the dismal year we had last year in the gardens.

Geum_chiloense_Avens_Red_Dragon
I planted a new Geum chiloense, Avens ‘Red Dragon’ last week that was picked up at the Amish Greenhouse. It has picked up its dropping head now and looking better.

Campanula_Waterfall_May19 ‘Blue Waterfalls’ Campanula

Salvia_Bluehill_May21 Salvia ‘ Blue Hill’.

Salvia_Rose_Queen_May20 Salvia ‘Rose Queen’.

Peony_Pink_Sorbet_May19
The ‘Pink Sorbet’ peony is finished now and the blooms are dying.

Heuchera_Crimson 
‘Crimson’ Heuchera growing in the Shade Garden.

Dianthus_Vintage_Pink Dianthus ‘ Vintage Pink’ was grown from seeds a couple of years ago and it is starting to spread now.

Poppy_Bolero_May21 And my very first bloom from the ‘Bolero’ poppy.

Rose_CrimsonBouquet_May22 My favorite of all the roses is this ‘Crimson Bouquet’ floribunda rose. I have had this one for years and the aroma is a strong perfume. It is a wonderful rose to dry the blooms and use as potpourri or just dried rose stems for the winter months.

Crimson_Bouquet_Rosebush
It is disease and black spot resistant and a very hardy rose.
Veronica_Blue_WoolySpeedwell2
Veronica Blue Woolley Speedwell is just starting to bloom with its tall blue spikes.

Petunia_Coral_Reef_Wave Wave petunias ‘Coral Reef’ grown from seeds with ‘Diamond Frost’ Euphorbia graminea.

Scaevola_aemula_Fanflower Blue Fanflower Scaevola aemula 

So as you can see from all of these pictures that there are new blooms every day now in the garden when I go out each day to walk around.
Everyone have a lovely week in the gardens and
Happy Gardening,
Lona

15 comments:

Jean Tuthill said...

Your flowers are all so beautiful!

Diana LaMarre said...

wow, Lona, so many beauties! I have many of the same flowers, but mine are no where near blooming. Nice true blue iris, too.

I do love the big wash tub planting. It is going to be a stunner when all those petunias start doing down the sides.

Cherry Lane said...

My jacob's ladder (about 3 years old) has never bloomed, so I envy you yours, even if it is only one spike. And those irises are stunning! I love anything that's actually blue. Blue Flax (Linum perenne ssp. lewisii) fits the bill for me.

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Lona girl all of your flowering plants are way ahead of mine !
But mine are going to catch up eventually .. fingers crossed for the roses to especially because that aroma is divine : )
I did not know Bidens had a scent .. now I have to go find some so I will blame YOU when husband sees more plants coming !! hahahaha
Beautiful pictures girl !
Joy : )

Patrikswim said...

Great pictures as always!

I am always happy to see gardeners growing astilbe! I think it is definitely one of the most under-appreciated perennials out there. I planted some new ones last fall and am looking forward to them blooming soon.

Gardening Under The Influence said...

I love the bearded Iris, so next year I will have more of them in my garden. Then I saw the geum....Oh I love those too, so I'm going to plant more of those. Then I saw the Peony...I must have those!!! I need a bigger garden.

Sunray Gardens said...

The garden tub is already looking good. That blue Iris is definitely blue and lovely. Your Peony is lovely. I never could get a good shot of mine and now it's done with. Things are really looking good there.

Cher Sunray Gardens

Nadezda said...

Lona, your iris Monet Blue is gorgeous! I love this clematis Florida, it's very nice.

Jane Doe said...

Once again, I'm sighing for the beauty in your gardens. Love the pink sorbet peony, but the powder blue iris is a must have! I'll be looking for Monet's blue.

Stella said...

Love the blue iris. I have a washtub in my yard that is a twin to youra. No plants in it this year since i am house bound.

Patsy said...

Looks like summer at my house and very dry.We are doing that happy watering.
You have so many lovely flowers,I enjoy see them.

Floridagirl said...

LOL, the coons and armadillos are always uprooting my amaryllis. Those bulbs are tough, though. One particular bulb went missing for an entire year once, then I found it when pruning the thryallis. Couldn't believe it! I though the critters had done ate it! Anyway, it was healthy as a horse, and I planted it back where I had originally put it. Today, I have five more just like it. : )

Your rose over the garden shed is just lovely. I saw that here at a garden center and wondered if it would do well here...I love climbing roses, but roses don't usually like Florida.

Oh, and I have to say I love, love, love that 'Pink Sorbet' peony! That is my fave of all peonies, none of which I can grow here, of course. : (

Corner Gardener Sue said...

You sure have lots of beauties! "Wow!" came out of my mouth when I got to the poppy. I love that blue iris, too. Of course the washtubs were what caught my attention first. I'm not sure if I have any quite like yours, but I do have a few white ones that I love.

I think the yellow flowers I'm not sure about in my curb bed may be those alliums you showed. I'll have to look again.

Unknown said...

Oh my love love love the iris and such beautiful blues. I used to have an iris that smelled of grape koolaid, I hope to find it again.
Gosh you have so many beautiful flowers though.
Oh and your post reminds me I need to find a new Blue Eyed grass and plant it where I can't lose it!

Splendid Little Stars said...

gorgeousness!
I have or have had some of these flowers. some I've never heard of, but I'm making a note to look for them--like Bidens ferulifolia.
I was given an amaryllis a couple years ago and it hasn't bloomed since till just now. For some reason, I didn't discard it.