Tuesday, May 15, 2012

A Rainy May Bloom Day

Maries' Viburnum Viburnum plicatum tomentosum 'Mariesii'
It is Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day and the rain is coming down in buckets. The crazy 2012 weather gave us no snow in January or February, record-breaking high temperatures in March, March winds in April, and April showers (actually downpours) in May. Makes me wonder what the summer will bring. I took some pictures yesterday when the rain was lighter, but because of the drizzle -- or my inept ability as a photographer -- some of the photos are a bit blurry like the one at the top of the page.

I love Bloom Day because I can compare my garden over the years. Last year on this date the crabapple was in full bloom, so were the lilacs, and I still had daffodils and primroses. All those blooms are gone already this year, and the bluebells, rhododendron, azalea, honeysuckles, strawberries and blueberries are blooming at least two weeks early. As I said, it's a crazy year!

Let's take a walk around my garden:

I am pleased with the viburnum I planted last year.

SHADE GARDEN:

Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost'




Tiarella sp. 'Foamflower' (center) with lamium, ferns and hosta.
Calycanthus floridus 'Sweet Shrub'




I recently discovered I had this sp. of Calycanthus with red blooms

I planted a Chinese Mayapple two years ago, and thought it was dead. I am happy to see it survived ...


Podophyllum delavayi 'Chinese Mayapple'




Dicentra 'Bleeding Heart'

WOODLAND WALK:

The bluebells along Bluebell Creek lead us into the Woodland Walk...

They don't look very blue in this picture -- I blame the rain.
Pieris japonica x florabunda 'Mountain Fire' and Pulmonaria



Pulmonaria Lungwort

Unfortunately, our Woodland Walk has many invasive species which H.H. labors to remove each year. One of them, the Russian Olive, is blooming today, and it's heady scent pervades my garden ...




Elaeagnus angustifolia Russian Olive

COTTAGE GARDEN:



In the cottage garden there are many 'firsts' ...

First iris



First peony




First clematis




First water iris to bloom




Cerastium tomentosum  'Snow-in-summer'


ENTRANCE GARDEN:

Spirea cantoniensis 'Bridal veil spirea'



Bridal veil spirea and azalea

First rhododendron blooms




The honeysuckle arbor leads from the entrance garden to the shade garden.

VEGETABLE GARDEN:



Blossoms on the strawberry plants.

Future blooms: marigold seedlings in the potting shed




Chives




Thanks to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for hosting GBBD on the 15th of each month! Let's go over to her wonderful blog and see what's blooming around the world.

I hope the weather is being kind to you and your garden.  For me it's 'Rain, rain go away!'

Love,
Pamela x


Nice weather for frogs!



~~ 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.

19 comments:

  1. Pam, tour garden is so lovely in rainy day! I like dicentra,drops hang from her flowers after the rain

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  2. Hi Pam!

    Lovely to see what all is up at your place. Things are really in the swing of things. I probably won't have time to post today, but I love GBBD!

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  3. Beauty of a 'bridal veil' Spirea, lovely tour..thanks!

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  4. The weather here is just as crazy. We are officially in drought with hosepipe bans since the beginning of April & it's not stopped raining since!!! The wettest April for years. Crazy Crazy crazy. Your garden is looking great x

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  5. We have been having a lot of rain as well, but it does not seem to be too much. I have had time to get out there to work. With the strange weather this year, I also wonder what our summer will be like. Your strawberry bed is excellent. I have mine in pots, but I need more room. This may just be the idea.

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  6. The bridals veil and azalea look so amazing in their white! I love them both... but I think I love that Viburnum even more. It is a new one to me since our trip together to Carolyn's.

    We have been a bit soggy too, but it is nice to be able to move plants around without worrying about them so much.
    Happy GBBD Pam!
    ~Julie

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  7. It was rainy last weekend for me, too. I didn't venture out to take photos, but you made the most of it.

    Russian olives are invasive in Santa Fe, too. The nurseries stopped selling them a while back.

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  8. Love the little froggy picture. This year's weather is so odd, our's is very similar to what you've experienced, though with probably more rain. My strawberries are flowering too, I just hope the frost doesn't catch them.

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  9. That was a fabulous garden tour. I just adore your beautiful shade garden, and the woodland walk is brilliant. I'm also rather partial to your pretty cottage garden too. It's amazing to see the differences from one year to another, and one month to another.

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  10. What fabulous plants you have in your garden, Pam.

    I loved seeing inside your potting shed.... I now have potting-shed envy!

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  11. It rained the last couple of days here too, but the plants have LOVED it. I like the pictures of rain drops on your flowers. We have sunny skies today, I hope you do too!

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  12. Its interesting as you have more or less the same things as I do in bloom here in the UK. We have had strange weather too but then I think that is what is interesting about gardening

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  13. I've stumbled across your blog twice in once day! Once via GBBD and again via blotanical. :) I recently moved into my great grandmother's cottage house, and I am looking forward to learning about your cottage garden!

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  14. Even on a rainy day, such beauty is always found in your garden. Love the moss growing around the stones along the edge of your pond. Hope you and your family are well.

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  15. So much going on in the garden this time of year that it's almost hard to keep track of it. Your garden looks beautiful despite the rain.

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  16. love the drops on the iris and peony. There's something about a rain drop rolling off a bloom that bewitches me. Am slightly jealous of the honeysuckle arbour. Such a divine scent that must linger over your head.

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  17. Hi Pam
    Your garden is looking so lovely! It's nice to see all your plants leaping into action as mine are going to sleep for the winter. It's been raining here today too but we have wintery winds to go with it! I'm happy staying inside looking at your lovely summery garden.

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  18. So much in bloom despite the weather. Hope it has improved by now. Here in Ireland we are having beautiful sunny weather...almost too hot to garden!

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  19. The potting shed looks cosy and snug on such days. Despite/because of the rains, you have a blooming lovely garden Pam.

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