Friday, May 13, 2011

Bloom Day

There's a fair amount going on in the garden in midMay, but all I see is potential--and work to be done! I learn so much from checking out other garden bloggers' bloom days.

First, the food plants:
Fava beans, love those spots! Maybe I will get a decent harvest of beans this time. I see a warm up coming soon, though, so I may have missed the timing on these yet again. Once they're done, okra is going here, plus winter squash.
Cilantro--already saw a honeybee and a ladybug enjoying these. I'll let this get established for a continual supply of cilantro in cool weather, and get some fresh coriander seed. Flat leaf parsley is blooming too, another pollinator lure.
My first pea flower! (again, the stress of the warm weather coming may doom these, but my tomatoes and peppers are already blooming on the bright side)
black raspberry (the mammoth blackberry is blooming too--I better get the freezer and canning pot ready):
Now the flowers:
The rose I inherited (I'm meh about it, and it sits in the last neglected corner of the yard). Once I solve the shed problem, this corner will be dealt with, but it really needs a rain garden. There is actually a far prettier rose in the center of this one. Roses perplex me.
Tiarella (foamflower) and soon, behind it, the Itea (sweetspire, my new favorite shrub). I'm thrilled at how the native plant garden turned out. It just needs one more plant (I'm thinking a small Fothergilla tree in the empty spot).
Soon, the lavender I gave a much-needed pruning just in time. This is the bed that needs major widening.
This lavender did not recover from the pruning, but I need this space for a blueberry anyway:
Campanula and Veronica (I like the way flowers look before they bloom almost as much as when they bloom!)
Baptisia (false indigo): Sorry for the blur--trying to catch the ladybug!
Iris!
In the front yard, the new Spirea and Dianthus, soon the Dahlias and Sedum. Still waiting to fill that spot behind the Dianthus and to move some to the other side of house for balance.
native honeysuckle, just waiting for hummingbirds!
Heuchera, soon to be joined by Astilbe and Hydrangea:
the "driveway" garden, full of wallflower, Dianthus, forget-me-nots, and columbines
Allium atropurpureum:
The latest inhabitant of my teal pots at the front door, ice plant:
Note to self: enjoy the blooms, and try not to think about all the work to be done!

3 comments:

  1. I totally agree about the Sweetspire...and the fall color is GLORIOUS!

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  2. And it held those leaves nearly all winter. It has had buds for about a week and I cannot wait for them to open so I smell them!

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  3. I'm also a novice gardener and have found it very helpful to visit other garden bloggers, I am learning a lot. Your garden is neat, tidy and cute! Hope to chat with you more in the future.

    Happy gardening to you.

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