Posted on by Donna

Sweet Memories of May

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

 

With May just ending in my garden, certainly the flowers and veggies are growing quickly as we move into June.  There is so much to show that I can’t possibly show it all in one post. So I will continue with flowers for this post.

I am still moving slowly in the garden, but at this point I will take any forward movement.

 

 

Lovely Verbascum added some wonderful flower stalks to the late May/early June garden.  Mine are not very tall, but are perfect for my small front garden.

 

 

I planted tall Camassia bulbs along the outside of my fence and I rather love their striking appearance.

 

 

Aquilegias or Columbines are also beautifully blooming everywhere as I allow them to freely seed.  This is a pale pinkish-purple Cameo variety.  And you can see a red Barlow variety at the top of the post.  Many of my Columbines are hybrids of the originals I planted years ago.

 

 

This is a pink pagoda variety.

 

 

And this one is affectionately known as Granny’s Bonnet part of the Barlow Columbines, and could be ‘Dorothy Rose’.  

 

 

And my favorite Barlow variety, ‘Nora Barlow’.

 

 

The alliums are quite amazing this May into June, and have multiplied profusely.  So I decided to use some Alliums and columbines for a vase.

 

 

I used Dorothy Rose, and both the pagoda pink and Cameo Columbines

 

 

The airy alliums fill it out, along with some Lady’s Mantle foliage…..perfection!

 

 

Pansies are lasting into June even with the all the heat in May.  June is starting out very cool by day, and cold at night so they will love it.

 

 

I think growing them from seed has helped to prolong their blooming.

 

 

The Lily-of-the-Valley (LOV) were also late blooming.  Years ago I put in a few of the pink variety and now they have grown in beautifully between my trees in the back center garden. 

 

 

Another pink bloom flowering all over are the native Geranium maculatum.  A pollinator favorite and a favorite of mine too.

 

 

And the non-native hardy geraniums are blooming too, as pink is taking over the garden.

 

 

Cutting a few pansies, some native hardy geranium and those precious pink LOV makes a perfect  ‘Farewell to May’ vase.

 

 

I added a few Lady’s Mantle new foliage to complete the look for this vase too.  What a scent.

 

 

The snapdragons I also grew from seed bloomed sparsely at first, but once cut they have now become bushier and are blooming even better.

 

 

Tall irises were beginning as May ended so I thought I might do a post just for them as they are everywhere in June.  So look for that later this month.

 

 

And what would May be without the water lily blooming.  The frogs are enjoying the pond as much as I am.  I’ll update a bit about our critter visitors this spring later in June.

 

 

I have many spring flowering ground covers in my front gardens, and one of my absolute favorites is the Veronica, ‘Waterperry-Blue’.  It is great for those hot dry spots unless the voles get at them and rip them out.  I have had to move some clumps around to replant in areas ravaged by the pesky voles.

So that is a small snap shot of the end of May and the beginning of June in my garden.

 

What’s happening in your garden as one glorious month ends and another begins?

 

The latest edition of RURAL on-line magazine is out for spring.  The spring edition is aptly named, Replenish.  I have a poem, and couple of meadow pictures in this edition (snapshot below).  You can now buy a print copy as well as view it free on-line soon.  If you would like to order a print copy, you can do so here.

 

I am joining Cathy@Rambling in the Garden for her wonderful In A Vase on Monday meme. The pictures shared here were created with my iPod Touch camera and two free apps, Pixlr and Prisma.

I will have another blogger interview next Monday, and look for a veg garden update in a few weeks.

I am posting poetry, almost weekly on Sundays, on my other blog, Living From Happiness.  You can read my latest poem here.

All original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Gardens Eye View, 2010-2018.  Any reprints or use of content or photos is by permission only.

40 Replies to “Sweet Memories of May”

  1. Spring is indeed an exciting vibrant time – and over too quickly every year.
    On this side of the world I am planting Oriental liliums and Chinese Ground Orchids for a later display. The spring bulbs are in, but we desperately need rain (and are under permanent water restrictions).

  2. I cannot believe it is already June, Donna. Reeling! Thank you for providing the name of a plant I have that escaped me – Veronica Waterperry-Blue. Love that little bloom that creeps everywhere. I may have to have a patch at the lake. So many beautiful blooms Donna! I am excited about your pond. Can’t wait

    1. I am so partial to those colors too which is why they dominate my garden I suppose…though I don’t think I consciously thought about it when I put it together.

  5. Your garden is making up for lost time, Donna! Both your vases are lovely but I adore the second one containing the pink lily-of-the-valley. I so wish I could grow those!

  6. Hopefully winter is a distant memory now with all this going on. I can’t keep up with the speed it is all happening and need to be everywhere all at once!
    That is a very sweet vase and the pink LOV is a delight.

    1. Yes winter is a memory but seems it is never too distant though. Trying to not think too far ahead as the garden is just so beautiful right now….I love that pink LOV too!

  7. I loved seeing all your blooms today, Donna, enhanced as always by those amazing apps. You have some especially pretty columbines

    1. Thanks Cathy….I do feel especially lucky to have the columbines reseed and continue to bloom and grow all over my garden.

  8. Aah, how lovely! All thiose gorgeous different aquilegias/columbines! And they look so pretty with the alliums. Your spring is certainly in full swing now! 🙂

    1. It sure is swinging right through although with this cold snap it might slow for a few days. Glad you enjoyed the vase!

  9. I love columbines, yours are all so pretty! My Alliums are looking pretty glorious right now, but all my columbines are finished. Interesting how different our areas of the country are from each other. I’m moving slowly now too with various projects, trying to balance redoing a bed with weeding and keeping up with maintenance. I wake up every morning aching, probably from arthritis.

  12. It’s a magical time in your garden! So many blooms & they’re very well used in your gorgeous arrangements!

    1. Thanks so much Peter….it is has been fun trying to consider what to show and what to use as so much is blooming now. Glad you enjoyed the vases.

  13. Hi Donna, I love all your beautiful blooms, but most especially your columbines. Columbines have a special place in my heart. I inherited a handful of “Granny’s Bonnets” from the original owner of this house, and they have faithfully reseeded themselves through all the years we have lived here. Sometimes I get purple ones and solid pink and ones that are not as ruffled, but the frilly pink and whites are my favorite. I love how you combined them with the allium. Best wishes to you for a wonderful summer!

  14. Hi Donna – what a wealth of colour – all much loved familiars to me (especially hardy geraniums) but I did not know of Camassias – which are somewhat like Alliums without the ball – and captivating. Found a UK heritage supplier but could not provide the damp soil they prefer – another for my wishlist gardening!

    1. I had never thought of Camassias as allium like but they are….I have the ver tall variety that make quite a short-lived statement.

  16. What a beautiful selection! I like your use of Lady’s Mantle in your vase – it gives both rich colour and a lovely shape.

    1. Thanks Ciar….I am trying to remember foliage in vases especially with smaller blooms. Love Lady’s Mantle in my garden.

  17. Your Camassia look so much better than mine? Do you know what species they are? Did they take a while to fill in and look floriferous?

    1. Jason I believe they are CAMASSIA LEICHTLINII CAERULEA from John Scheepers. They came up the first spring after I planted them in the fall looking gorgeous…and filled in more after two years. They are tall, beautiful but not long-lived. They are in spot that is sunny in spring and moist.

      I should dig some up and spread the wealth.

  19. All those blooms, how wonderful! I don’t have anywhere near the variety that you do, but still enjoy bringing a few flowers indoors for the kitchen and powder room. It felt like a long time coming this year.

  20. Such beautiful blooms, and I love the filters you put on your pictures. So pretty! It’s a busy time of year in the garden, but I enjoy everything that is starting to bloom.

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