Sunday, May 15, 2011

Crabapple Blossoms On May Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day


 "The world's favorite season is the spring.
All things seem possible in May."

-  Edwin Way Teale

Spring arrived very late this year, but was worth the wait. After nearly a week of warm, dry, sunny weather the crabapple burst into rosy bloom.

Crabapple Malus sp.

 The red azalea at the front of the house bloomed, also, and the white azaleas have flower buds ready to open.


Korean Azalea Rhododendron yedoense var,

Around the pond, spikes of ajuga make mats of jagged purple.


Bugleweed Aju

One pretty veronica plant blooms in the perennial border.


Veronica Veronica 'Christy'

The heady smell of lilac fills the air. The wren must be intoxicated by the lilac blooms at her front door.


Lilac Syringa vulgaris
In the shade garden, the lamium's purple flowers carpet the ground ...

Deadnettle Lamium

... and sweet lily-of-the-valley blooms there.

Lily-of-the-Valley convallaria majalis

Most of the daffodils in the perennial border have faded, except for the tiny, white ones that my mother called jonquils.


Daffodil Narcissus

But May is not only about blooms, it is about important garden work. This is my busiest month of the year, necessitating several trips to the garden center. On one such trip, to purchase mushroom compost, I found this lovely cast-concrete flower-fairy. More expensive than I was prepared to pay, I noticed she had a broken wing, and persuaded the storekeeper to sell her to me for $20.



I found just the spot for her with her back to a wall, so you cannot see the broken wing.




H.H. and I set to work mulching the rose bed ...




... and the perennial borders.


I decided to extend the shade-garden into the corner by the picket fence, building up the corner using a no-dig (lasagna) method: layering newspaper, compost, and peatmoss, just like making a lasagna. The completed new bed will house three large hostas that I must relocate into a more shady spot than their current home.



Talking of hostas, the bed planted by H.H.'s mother promises to grow higher than ever this year-



But May is not just for flowers, blossoming trees, and spring-garden chores. I look forward to the birds' morning chorus, as I take my early stroll around the garden each new day.  I watch the tree swallows checking out the blue-bird boxes, looking for a place to build a nest. I see butterflies and bees, again. The frog sings to his ladyfriend. They think they are completely hidden in the parrot's feather plant.



Every afternoon, in the top field, a red fox pup plays and rolls around, until his mother makes him return to the shelter of the woods.




In the kitchen garden the promise of summer lies in the first strawberry flower.


Strawberry 'Allstar'

Spring came very late this year, but was worth the wait. After a spell of warm, dry, sunny weather the crabapple tree burst into rosy bloom.



Now it is time to visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens to see blooms around the world on this Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. Please join me there!  

Pamela x



~~ I love reading your comments. I hope you leave one so I’ll know you visited!
I look forward to visiting your blog in return.

44 comments:

  1. Your garden is looking a real picture. The Crab Apple bloosoms are just beautiful and the Veronica is so, so pretty. It was lovely seeing those tiny little Lily Of The Valley flowers and I adored your white Daff. The angel looks perfect in that spot ... well chosen!

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  2. You have beautiful gardens. I love your wildlife pictures too! Spring is very late/slow here in the Pacific NW too. I don't think I've ever seen Veronica before. Gorgeous color. Cheers, Jenni

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  3. The crabapple and azalea are stunning! But I think the frogs and the fox are best of all.

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  4. Thank you for opening your garden to us. It amazes me how much of what thrives in both our climates.

    Happy gardening!

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  5. Your garden and blooms are all beautiful, but mty absolute favourite was the Frog photo!! Too cute.

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  6. The beauty of PA in spring, oh how I miss it. Your garden blooms are gorgeous. Even your frogs look like they are enjoying it.

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  7. Pam, I don't know where to start, I have so many comments on this lovely post!

    Your flowers are beautiful. Lucky wren to have those lovely lilacs 'by her front door.' Very sweet.

    Beautiful find on that garden angel, she is beautiful and classy and looks perfect where you placed her.

    I did my entire back border by placing newspapers on the ground with mulch over them. I just dug out the earth when I wanted to plant my plants and filled in the large holes with good earth, where I wanted to put them. It has worked out really well. I do the same now, everytime I plant something new or move something. I works really well.

    Have a great Sunday! I'll look for your next post - can't see what you have blooming next.

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  8. Lovely pictures! Is is a pleasure to visit your blog!
    Congratulations!
    My best regards
    María José

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  9. A wonderful post. There are some real beauties flowering in your garden at the moment, the crab apple looks stunning. I love lily of the valley, my own isn't doing so well this year. I love your flower fairy, what a bargain as you can't notice her broken wing in the clever position you have found for her. I love to see all the wildlife you have in your garden, the photo of the frogs is fantastic, but the little fox cub is so cute.

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  10. Pam, So many beautiful blooms. you re just slightly behind us in southeastern PA. Hasn't this been the best spring for flowers ever? Carolyn

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  11. Wonderful photo's. What a wonderful collection of flowers.

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  12. Wow, your first photo was so striking - loved it! Your garden looks fabulous too, such pretty colours!

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  13. Beautiful crabapple, and really should plant myself some ajuga. Happy GBBD!

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  14. Your garden looks wonderful and lush Pam. And the new garden fairy looks like she has been in that spot forever. I can see why you wanted her for your garden!

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  15. Your garden is gorgeous - and all the blooms - oh, my! And what a great deal on your fairy. Way to go! Loved the pics of the frog and the fox!!! I just kept getting more and more thrilled as I scrolled down the post!

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  16. Your photographs of the garden are great Pam. I just wish we could smell that lilac via the internet as I'm sure it must be so beautiful. That crabapple blossom is a stunning colour and you really have such lush leaves from the Lily of the Valley - which I have found so hard to establish even though it has the reputation of being a weed here! Your little white daffodils are beautiful - I have some that colour but multi headed and they are called Thalia.

    I think those hostas are being fed with rocket fuel LOL

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  17. You have so many outstanding plants! The crabapple is gorgeous and I love the veronica. Your hostas look so healthy. And that garden fairy is just perfect in your lovely garden!

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  18. Beautiful blooms in your garden. Now we know why Carol calls her blog 'May Dreams.'

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  19. I love all of your blooms, especially the crabapple. Wow.

    How neat to see the little fox playing and enjoying his life.

    Happy Gardening ~ FlowerLady

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  20. Your spring is late by 2 weeks and mine early by 2 weeks. Your garden is in spring mine in early summer. It is so nice to enjoy spring 2nd time around via GBBD. Your crab apple looks amazing, a much stronger colour blossom than either of mine, there are fruit setting on mine now, this is because we had a cold winter, last year there were hardly any. Thanks for sharing your Spring!

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  21. Lovely! That crabapple is stunning, your shade garden is really lush and peaceful, and that fox pup is so adorable.

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  22. Your garden is so beautiful in spring. The all pink tree crabapple is really special and stunning. Happy GBBD!

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  23. The flower-fairy was quite the find. I think she will add a lot to your garden.
    I just love your flowering crabapple. My daughter just put a photo that she took of a flowering crabapple at our church as wallpaper background on her cell phone. Their unspeakable beauty appeals to all ages!

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  24. Thanks for the virtual tour of your spring gardens...everything is so pretty. :) Those hosta are huge! I loved your descriptions of the critters in your garden, too....I've been watching the tree swallows in my yard as well.

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  25. That white narcissus is breathtaking. It brings me such peace just staring at it. I also enjoyed the photos of wildlife in and around your garden. Happy GBBD Day!

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  26. Your garden is stunning...love the tree in bloom...of course I am a huge fan of fairies and would have carried her home as well...the fox is adorable... Happy GBBD

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  27. Your flowering crab is gorgeous! We are close to having them open... pretty much three weeks past their normal season... what fun to be able to observe the fox... I've very much enjoyed this visit... so many lovely pictures! Larry

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  28. Pretty crabs. Mine are "this close" to blooming. Love the lily of the valley and frog shots. Great.

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  29. Such a sweet time in the garden, especially if you can have a bargain fairy to oversee it all - love the crabapples!

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  30. It's so exciting that you have wildlife in your garden :) For me, when nature's creatures are enjoying your garden too, then you know you're doing something right! Have a wonderful day!

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  31. Pam, Wasn't that week of dry, sunny, mild weather wonderful! In addition to getting a lot of work done in the garden, I also hung laundry out to dry every day. All your plants and blooms look wonderful, but I can see why you chose to make the crabapple the star of this post; it's gorgeous. -Jean

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  32. Hello Pam, so many wonderful blooms and captures from your garden. Yes indeed it's the time for getting jobs done. Good luck with yours :-)

    Although your crab apple looks great its the white daffs that I'm admiring. I also spotted the very pretty bird box that I'm guessing wrens use.

    Always nice to see others enjoying the birds in the garden too. Now... your pond I am jealous of... just maybe next year I'll have frogs in mine-to-be. Just got a dirt hole at the momement :-)

    Happy Bloom Day from Scotland :-)

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  33. Pam Happy belated garden bloom day!

    I love this post it is so cheery, your garden looks wonderful. I love the crabapple blooms and like the little angle and flirting frogs as well....

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  34. Yes, spring has arrived your way, too! Your place is looking awesome! How cool to have frogs along with your other wildlife. Your new statue is very pretty, and looks wonderful where you put her.

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  35. So glad that spring finally arrived in glorious splendor there in your corner of the world. We've had spring, then summer for a week, now it almost feels like winter. *sigh* They are blaming it on La Nina, but I just want it gone!

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  36. Gorgeous photos. Love the froggie! The crab apple is beautiful, I keep telling myself no more room for any trees and then I see a photo like that...

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  37. So glad to see spring in full swing in your "neck of the woods". The white daffodil is stunning.

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  38. I think you should drop by, I've posted sad news about Linda.

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  39. I am so very, very sad to learn that Linda passed away. I thank Darla for letting me know. Linda called herself Rain Gardener, and her blog was "Gardening By Trial and Error". She gardened and blogged in the state of Washington. We followed each others blogs since I first started this journey, and she was one of the first Blotanists to honor me with a fave. Although I never met her, I feel I knew her and her beautiful garden. The last post she wrote was about saving a little hummingbird ... so typical. Linda will be missed by all her friends in the gardening world. P. x

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  40. Hi Pam,

    Wonderful photos, you must be so pleased that your plants have finally began to bloom after having such a long winter!

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  41. Oh my Pam, worth the wait indeed. Felt like a bee diving into those blossoms. Great place for your flower fairy - she will weather beautifully and fill her flower with rain. Interested in your lasagna no-dig and wondered if it means the bed will not be ready for planting for a while.
    Thank you for the Bloom Day tour.

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  42. Blog hopping & just came across your darling gardening blog...I host a garden party on Thursdays & would love to have you link up sometime???? xoxo, tracie

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  43. Pam, our gardens are just so lovely. I could stroll through them every morning with you and see new things every day.

    Spring is so fleeting, especially this year, which makes it doubly precious. I love to see your garden greening up with the warmth!

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  44. Love the rosy crabapple. My dark pink crabs are finally blooming, too! Not as sweetly fragrant as my white Spring Snow crabs, but much more showy. Enjoy yours.

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