Posted on by Donna

May Wildflowers Bloomin’


“Winter is many months of the year
But now at last Maytime is here;
And birds sing from a leafy screen
In the trees and hedgerow freshly green;
And the wood-anemone is out in the shade,
With its blushing petals which too soon fade;
Once more the bracken is unfurling there,
And bluebells gently perfume the damp air.”
–  Veronica Ann Twells, Maytime

Although it is the end of May my wildflowers are blooming as if it were just the beginning of May.  We had one warm, dry week and then it has been cooler and definitely wetter.  But as you can see my creeping phlox has made a grand appearance.  The background picture is actually a photo that I manipulated in a Mac app called PhotoArtista-Oil.  It takes any photo and creates many different styles of oil paintings.  Only wish I had the time to paint the real thing.  Maybe when I retire I will finally have time to really get into drawing and painting.  I’ll add it to the list.

The native violets have come out in full force in many areas of the garden.  I couldn’t name these, but I love the colors and how they just fling themselves hither and yon.  The background picture is a hardy geranium.  One of the first blooming and just gorgeous.

 

This bed is mostly native plants.  It is well protected up against the back of the house which is North facing so it gets lots of shade and stays moist.  A wonderful environment for natives here.  In the bed starting in the back left is native columbine, Mayapple, Aconitum unicinatum or Monkshood, Bloodroot, Yellow Trillium, Carex muskingumensis or Palm Sedge, Twinleaf, Actaea rubra, Virginia Bluebells and Aruncus dioicus or Goatsbeard.  Also in the bed are ferns (some native, some not), Hosta, Bergenia, Lady’s Mantle, Lungwort and Brunnera.  In the smaller photos are all the different trilliums I have scattered throughout the garden in back.  These were not here when we moved in since they stripped the land to develop it.  So I brought in white trillium (Trillium grandiflorum), yellow trillium (Trillium erectum which is an erect yellow flowering form) and the gorgeous mottled leaves of Trillium sessile with its unusual red flower.  The pink trillium is actually how the flower of white trillium looks as it ages and fades.  It is a stunning rose pink color.  The other two flowers are:  Dodecatheon meadia (Shooting Star-white flowers) and Virginia Bluebells close up.

 

Other natives found showing their stuff in May are (clockwise from top left) white tiarella flowers, hepatica, actaea rubra (Red Baneberry) in flower, Vibrurnum dentatum “Blueberry Muffin”, pink tiarella flowers, Heuchera “Miracle”  sporting beautiful variegated leaves and just putting out flower buds and Jack-in-the-pulpit.  The bottlebrush flowers in the center are from the native shrub Fothergilla.

 

As I have been dealing with the loss or under performance of plants due to conditions here in my zone 5 garden, I have begun to add more natives in hopes they will survive the wetter conditions.  In the meadow, we planted two Viburnum trilobum or American Cranberrybush.  It will get wonderful red berries to feed the birds and reaches 10-12 feet in height and width.  These are in the back of the meadow, and will be a great back drop for the smaller native viburnums we planted in early spring.

 

 

This is smaller variety of Cranberrybush called Hah’s which gets to 6-8 feet.  We planted it near the rain garden where it gets wet.  This shrub loves the  moist to wet conditions and clay.  Perfect for my meadow and yard.

 

Finally columbines are blooming with Amsonia (bottom center) just beginning to open.  Top left is wild blue phlox blooming in my white garden.  Looks like we will be moving that once it blooms.

 

Robin Update

Momma robin has started laying her eggs and we hope to see her on the nest and babies hatched by early June.  There are 4 beautiful eggs, and she is staying very close to the nest.  To get the pictures below, I had to endure a stern talking to from momma.  She caught me bending over the tree to take a picture of the nest and her face in the bottom right picture says it all.

 

“The world’s favorite season is the spring.
All things seem possible in May.”
–  Edwin Way Teale

 

Special Note: Come celebrate Wildflower Wednesday at Clay and Limestone and Fertilizer Friday at Tootsie Time this week.

Monthly (usually around the 10th) I guest blog at Walkabout Chronicles.  I hope you can join me for my most recent post and interview.

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All content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Gardens Eye View.  Any reprints or use of content or photos is by permission only.


60 Replies to “May Wildflowers Bloomin’”

  2. I have seen so many end of May posts today. I feel like I am missing something. Is there not a week left? LOL.

    Pretty mosaics, Donna. And even prettier blooms. Love the blue in the robin’s eggs.

    1. Donna I think with the holiday weekend coming up folks are doing theirs now. Mine is for Wildflower Wed. this week.

      Glad you liked the mosaics. i am using a new Mac app for them. The robin’s eggs are so gorgeous we love them too…

  3. It was great to see your native plants garden at the back of the house. I like seeing how other gardeners combine plants … Trilliums – I love them, I must get some for next year … And fothergilla and heuchera ‘Miracle’ are favorites of mine …

    1. Sheila the bed where the native plants are interplanted with non-natives is the best garden. Free of weeds for the most part and healthy…mmmm…..makes me think I need some native ground covers and other native plants in some of my more weedy beds..

    1. Thx Heather. At least those little parts are doing OK…once I clean and clear out weeds and some non-preforming exotics it will be much better…

  5. Hooray! The Robin is back! I’m so happy to hear it. Those eggs look like gems. What an exciting, happy thing. I’m crossing my fingers that they’ll fare a bit better this time around.

    Gorgeous plant photos as always. I especially love those columbines!

  6. Thx Aimee..we are crossing our fingers too…the columbines are just starting and I have some other gorgeous ones I am saving for the next post…

  7. Hi Donna,

    I have enjoied your beautiful photo’s from your different flowers. Real nice to see what’s growing in your garden.
    I am surprised your phlox are blooming already. Mine will blooming not earlier than in june.
    Lovely greetings, Elly

    1. Oh I just love all my columbines..they are just starting and the colors and forms of the blooms are so incredible…you won’t be sorry adding some to the garden.

  10. Donna, I love the idea of the overall photo of the garden bed with all the little close ups superimposed. You have so many wonderful native plants. Have you tried cardinal flower, turtlehead, and veronicastrum in your wet area? I also have good luck with non-natives Primula japonica, P. sieboldii, P. veris, P. x polyantha, pulmonaria, and astilbes. Carolyn

    1. Thx Carolyn. I do use some of these but if it is standing water they tend to die. We shall see what has survived and what has not and then I’ll go from there…I’ll try a few more of your suggestions as well

  11. Your wildflowers of May are lovely, and your mosaics show them off very well! I hope the mama robin successfully hatches her eggs. I look forward to seeing photos of the babies!

    1. Karin we are excited like grandparents..we will certainly be proudly displaying any pictures…the parents are vewry diligent these days and protective.

  13. Your garden is coming along, and the flowers are lovely. Your photos make them even more beautiful. I have been admiring your robin’s nest because I have not ever seen one in person. However, we now have a robin nesting under the deck. She currently has laid two eggs. She has also giving me a scolding as I attempt to take pictures of her pretty blue eggs. 🙂

    1. How funny under your deck. They are getting very protective here as well. Glad you could see what your nest probably looks like…we are so blessed to have them in our yard this year. I will be kicking into high gear soon with the garden maintenenace and redesigns. I find I am never quite happy with some sections.

  14. You are quite brave to endure such a Look from momma robin. She is definitely giving you a piece of her mind! Your tiarella colloge is lovely–tiarella is so beautifully airy, and as I recall from a number of muddy-kneed attempts to get close enough to smell some, sweetly scented?

    1. Stacy I am glad you enjoyed the collages….pappa robin is given us a few chosen words as well these days…

  15. Donna,
    My zone is zone 5 so you too should be able to get bulbs and other things blooming as I have here. I did not realize that we both we in the same zone. Glad you enjoyed the Quickie of yesterday. Jack

    1. Jack I should but my bulbs tend to bloom more with bulbs and then wildflowers and other perennials…especially this year we had such a cold, wet spring nothing but early bulbs were up for weeks…I do get tulips and later daffs with wildflowers…we are still behind by a couple weeks with perennials this year…irises just starting to open…

  16. So many beautiful flowers – when I have more garden space, I will have a wildflower meadow – it is my dream… Thanks for mentioning that Mac app – I will check it out. I am glad the robins are back and I hope you will see babies this time.

  17. hello Dona, I left a comment Monday but when I clicked post a blank page appeared and then when I tried to get your blog again it wouldn’t come up, I just checked and see my comment didn’t go through, now I can’t remember what I said, I do like your flowers, your garden must be looking very nice, so pleased your robin has laid her eggs and love her expression, Frances

    1. Frances sorry that happened. Perhaps the server lsot power since we have had bad storms here in the States. Glad you liked the post and we are awaiting the robins birth we hope maybe sometime around Monday or Tuesday.

    1. Thx Liane…I would say not any busier than you my friend…we need to get together again soon so I can see your garden!!

  19. Hi Donna, I love all your wildflowers. Among my many garden ambitions are to add more native flowers to my garden. In particular, I would love to have some trilliums which the official provincial flower for Ontario.

    1. How wonderful Jennifer to have your provincial flower be a trillium. They are just finishing their flowering along the roadsides here in NY not too far away from you. They take some time to establish. These took about 4 years. Many are still establishing but I’ll take them one flower at a time if I have too…

  20. Lovely post, Donna. If we get any more rain here I may have to start considering what plants will grow in bogs and swamps. My high desert garden isn’t use to such a very wet and cold Spring. Today we have sunshine… I can hear the plants shouting “yippee!”

    1. Thx Carolyn. I know what you mean. I am doing just that…looking for boggy plants at this point…we are getting more rain all weekend with hot temps and some sun…makes for a swampy time in the garden…

    1. Thx Linda and thank you for visiting my blog. I love the trilliums too…they are a labor of love until they grow in and bloom and then they give back so freely….

  22. I love tiarella! Mine did not show up this year, which is rather a puzzle to me. Perhaps they were over whelmed by the crocus foliage?

    You have a lovely display of woodland beauties. You have the collection of trilliums that I aspire to 🙂

    Thanks for all of your visits & sweet comments on WMG!
    Julie

    1. Julie you are so welcome…I love visiting your blog. That is strange the tiarella did not show…was it a dry winter and spring??? Trilliums are such a delight…:)

  24. There are so many wonderful plants growing in your garden. I really like the effect of shooting the photo of the garden bed and then having close up pictures laid over top. Great way to show off all those blooms.

    1. Thx Marguerite…glad you could visit…love your name….I have a sister and a grandmother both named Marguerite…

  25. Hi Donna,
    Congratulations with your bithday on the 26th mai.
    We sing for you a little song:

    Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Donna, happy birthday to you!!!!

    And….we wish many years of health and we give you a lot of flowers from the Netherlands.

    Lovely greetings, Elly and Martin

    1. Oh Elly how lovely..thank you for that wonderful birthday song and greeting. Now you know why I have so many wonderful May flowers…I love May!!

  26. Beautiful native wildflowers and so many of them! You made some great mosaics with your pictures. I very much enjoyed this post.

    1. Alison so happy you enjoyed the post. I have been using a new app for the collages and it allows for lots of creativity.

  27. Moist shade! I dream of moist shade! A wonderful post Donna~Great collages and the mac app has me intrigued. gail

    1. Gail, Yes I do have quite a bit of that moist shade as well as moist sun and some dry shade…too much moisture at times…the app is so much fun…you would love it…

    1. Gabrielle, thx so much for visiting and glad you loved the post…the little birdies hopefully will be hatching all over the garden soon…play with that app…it is a blast…

  29. Your garden is looking lovely – I love the north facing border and what you’ve done there. I can’t wait for mine to start looking as good. And roll on June so we can see your birdies 🙂

    1. Oh Rosie you flatter me…I wouldn’t go that far if you could see the not so well tended beds with all the weeds…but thank you for your kind words none-the-less…

  31. What gorgeous pictures and collages! Have you ever been up my way to Mnt. Cuba Center where natives are packed into a gorgeous woodland setting?

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