May Bloom Day-This And That

Returning home after being away from the garden during the month of May is a nearly traumatic experience…

…for this is the time of year when the blooming shifts into overdrive. (Shown above Campanula persicifolia.)

The passalong herbaceous peonies always show off for Mother’s Day each year.

We would hate to miss their brief shining moment.

Roses too are a Mother’s Day favorite. (Shown above Rosa ‘Touch Of Class’.)

Clematis such as this C. ‘Multi Blue’ on the post down by the street are the perfect compliment to May roses in bloom.

Directly behind the clemmies on the mailbox/newspaper box posts is a plant that is not used nearly enough in perennial gardens, Filipendula vulgaris aka Dropwort.

Joining roses and peonies in the triad of Mother’s Day, which was last weekend in the USA, are the bearded iris. This is a favorite, Tennessee Vol, another passalong from dear departed neighbor Mae who was a solid fan of the University of Tennessee’s Big Orange sports teams for which this iris was no doubt named. As a side note, it took some figuring to finally come to the understanding that the flower is hanging upside down, broken at the stem in this image. We knew the beard should be facing upward yet the background azalea foliage was right side up.

Speaking of volunteers, Nigella and lamb’s ear, Stachys byzantina make a smashing pair in the island bed bordered by the driveway and the street. Self sowing for more than ten years, all that is required of the gardener is oohs and aahs.

Just beyond the driveway resides the Fairelurie, click here-Faireluriegarden-Someday if you need to learn what that term is all about. It seems that the planned sea of blue Salvias, ‘May Night’, ‘Blue Hill’ and ‘Caradonna’ are meeting the vision.

The same scene taken from the other side of the bed features the fall planted Camassia leichtlinii ‘Semiplena’ giving structure and contrast. A big thumbs up to this variety from the Fairegarden is in order. And more will be ordered of these.

It is heartening to see that not too much was missed in our absence. Some things are finished, such as the deciduous azaleas, but they were enjoyed immensely before we left. The array of various Penstemons and their offspring of mixed parentage is just beginning.

Seeing the welcoming front garden was a sight for homesick eyes.

But it’s not as though there weren’t some flower sightings on our travels, since it was the Malvern Spring Garden Show Blogger Meet that was visited among many other fine British gardens. This is just a tiny taste of what is to come in future posts about that trip.

As always, a sweeping bow and curtsy to the royal Carol of May Dreams for the idea of Bloom Day.

Frances

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~ by fairegarden on May 14, 2010.