Thursday, May 15, 2008

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - May 2008

Green is the dominant color here in our spring garden, and what a welcome change it is after the monochromatic tones of winter.

Plenty of things are blooming outside for this May Bloom Day, but perhaps the most exciting of all for me is seeing blooms on the crabapples. They're not a mass of blossoms, but last year we had none at all, so any amount is welcome.

They make a lovely bright spot against the greens of the hills and hedgerow across the road.

The red leaves make it hard to distinguish the 'red' blossoms....

.......so we need to walk closer for a better look at these gorgeous flowers. Posted by Picasa

My gardening friend, Marie, gave us this lovely little crabapple with softer pink blossoms. It's done well since being planted last summer, and is blooming profusely. Isn't it pretty? I'm tickled pink with it

At the base of the biggest crab, in the little fence garden, the forget-me-nots are proclaiming "Spring!" There are whites mixed with the blues, but I've yet to find a pink. Posted by Picasa

Do dandelions count for Bloom Day? We certainly have plenty! Our lawn is a sea of yellow between mowings, and even though the bright yellow weeds quickly pop back up after being mowed off, I like to see their cheery pom pom faces.

On Monday I noticed the first purple Iris had opened behind the fringed tulips.

Hello there!

When I came home from work today 4 more blooms had opened!

Here's the lovely Rasberry Blast Petunia basket I bought last Sunday with my Mother's Day money from my son and his family. Posted by Picasa

The Bleeding Hearts (Dicentra) are looking brighter and are beginning to open more of their beautiful chain-of-hearts blossoms. The smaller bush in front of the big one still has branches bent to the ground from that recent hard frost, but it's looking much better and is also opening new blooms.

Exquisitely shaped pink and white hearts!

The white bush is always a little later to start, but here's the first bloom.

Forget-me-nots are at their feet.

And Arabis (Rock Cress) shares this garden too. Posted by Picasa

Brunnera 'Jack Frost' is blooming with tiny blue forget-me-not look-alike flowers. I planted this last summer. Aren't those leaves gorgeous?

Pulmonaria (Lungwort) is a passalong from Marie, also planted last summer. I love the combination of pink and blue blossoms and the lovely spotted leaves.

This creeping Phlox was given to me by my son and his wife last summer. I thought it was a different color to the one I already have, but it looks the same. Nevermind, now I have it in the front garden as well as the back.

Aren't these Delta Beaconsfield pansies gorgeous? Posted by Picasa

Vinca Minor makes a pretty ground cover.

Lamium spreads well as a ground cover too, and also looks pretty mixed with other plants in a container.

These creamy white tulips bloom a little later than most of the others.

There's a clump of bright blue grape hyacinths (muscari) close by. Posted by Picasa

This close-up shows the lilac in the photo above is budding. It won't be long before we'll be enjoying the wonderful scent of the lilac bushes.

Here are the Van Eijk tulips again, with Johnny-jump-ups behind them.

These little guys jump up all over the place!
I eventually become ruthless and pull a lot of them out to make room for some annuals and perhaps a few new perennials, but their early color is a welcome sight, and who doesn't love volunteers?

The beautiful red tulips are still looking good.

See the yellow at the base of the blooms? I love these tulips! Posted by Picasa

But I don't think I've ever met a tulip I didn't love


This is one of my favorite photos. The peony bush is growing in leaps and bounds. It's always the most vigorous of all the peonies. Posted by Picasa

This lonely little double daffodil is one-of-a-kind where there used to be a clump.....

.....and this sweet pale pink tulip is close by. Both are lone survivors from long-ago plantings.

The Abutilon grew very nicely during the winter in the warmth of the house, and has just begun to bloom again. It will be planted outside again soon. I haven't quite decided whether it'll go in a container or a garden.

I was pleased to successfully overwinter this lovely trailing Nemesia, and will plant it in a mixed container soon. Posted by Picasa
Well, that's more than enough blooms for Bloom Day! Now I'll be able to catch up on everyone else's offerings for May. See you soon!
You'll find more Bloom Day posts over at Carol's May Dreams Gardens blog.

38 comments:

Julia Erickson said...[Reply]

I loved your seeing your garden.

Carol Michel said...[Reply]

What great views. I have a much better appreciation for where you gardening after seeing these pictures. It looks like a beautiful place. Those crabapples are pretty in bloom!

Carol, May Dreams Gardens

Anonymous said...[Reply]

They are all so beautiful but none as beautiful as the backdrop of those rolling hills surrounding your lovely garden. Good job on the overwintering of the nemesia.

Alice said...[Reply]

Wonderful splashes of colour throughout your garden, Kerri, but I can't place that background colour at all.

It's something like I recall from years gone by. In fact, I think we used to have something like it in our garden a few years ago. I'm not sure how you get that colour. I'd certainly like to have some of it here. I remember now that there was lots of it in England, and the sheep looked so white in comparison. Oh, that's right, I think it's called GREEN. I wonder what causes it? Would it be rain, do you think? If so, then I don't expect to see it here for a long time to come.

So, I'll just have to keep checking your blog so that I can get my fill of this mysterious colour called GREEN. Please keep posting your fantastic photos so I don't forget it altogether.

Have a great weekend, Kerri - I hope you can spend it where you are happiest - in your garden.

The Diva said...[Reply]

One of the great things about blogging is that I can see how different everyone's climate is. Your garden is where mine was a month ago, while southern Texas is a month ahead of me.

There are so many things you can grow which don't like our heat.

Happy Bloom Day.~~Dee

Giddy said...[Reply]

I love the color variety in your garden! Every year, I swear I'm going to plant more spring bulbs, but somehow, when October and November arrive, I'm just too tired to do it. Your photos have inspired me to plant them this year - for sure!

Cris said...[Reply]

Your garden is on top of my list! And I dream of walking these paths with you one day, wouldn't it be wonderful? :-) Have a great weekend!

Jeanette said...[Reply]

Hi Kerri. Just popped in to see what was flowering in your beautiful garden. OHHH I love all those splashes of colour against the green hills.Its a delight to come and see...

Annie in Austin said...[Reply]

It's so beautiful, Kerri! I like the way you show us a perennial/bulb garden where the plants bloom in turn... so that Tulips are in full bloom as iris are budded, the peonies are unfolding leaves while the daffodil foliage begins to retreat and all the tiny flowered perennials like Brunnera, forger-me-nots and Pulmonaria make frothy nosegays.

Even the dandelions look more picturesque than weedy in your garden!

Annie at the Transplantable Rose

Lisa at Greenbow said...[Reply]

Your later spring than ours certainly hasn't slowed the amount of beautiful blooms you have this spring Kerrie. Just love seeing them all.

Linda said...[Reply]

Oh Kerri - I just made my husband come in here and look at this post. Breath-taking!! It also makes us a teensy bit homesick for upstate NY. You do such a beautiful job. Thank you for sharing your lovely blooms.

Lavender and Vanilla Friends of the Gardens said...[Reply]

Kerri, you must be so pleased and happy when you look over your garden and everything flourishes and looks so beautiful. I think your plantings in the middle and the dandelions dotting the lawn around it looks very charming.

Cherdecor said...[Reply]

Kerri, I have sat here and looked and looked at your pictures while enlarging them to see the details. Those flowering crab apple trees are so beautiful! Our neighbor has one that in on our property line and I just love it!

The picture of the red tulips with the barn in the background is so picturesque. It looks like a painting.

I notice that your tulips actually LOOK like tulips. Mine would look like tulips in the cool mornings then by noon, they looked like POPPIES! No kidding! The sun was getting pretty hot a few days like in the 80's.

I have some ground cover like yours. I am glad that you put up the name of it. (Vinca Minor) I didn't know the name of it. How in this world do you remember all the names? You are a walking botanical encyclopedia, girl!

I have enjoyed strolling through your gardens today. Knowing me, I will be back to look again!

Judy Birmingham (Seeing Anew Blog) said...[Reply]

Your photos from Bloom Day were a feast for the eyes! Those rolling hills in the backgound of the crabapples look like they should be in a Constable painting. Just gorgeous!

Robin's Nesting Place said...[Reply]

Your late arriving spring certainly caught up quickly! You have quite a generous May GBBD offering. Beautiful!

Marlene Depler said...[Reply]

Such a visual feast!!! I love the colors of spring.

I haven't been to your blog in such a long time. Trying to catch up! I had surgery, then the kids came home from Bosnia, and now I am recovering from a nasty bronchial infection.

My youngest daughter came over and planted by flower pots and my husband bought a hanging basket for me. A little outdoor color always lifts my spirits!

Hope all is well in your corner of the world.

Midlife Mom said...[Reply]

Oh Kerri your blooms are gorgeous! You are sooooooo far ahead of us, at least a month. We do have buds on our crabapples and the lilacs are just starting to bud. Have a few white violets that are blooming but my bleeding hearts are just barely peeking their heads out of the ground. My rose bushes are all leaves at this point but have promise of a lot of blooms this summer. Thank you for sharing all of your beautiful plants with us!!!!!

em said...[Reply]

kerri, your garden looks so beautiful! worth the wait!

Charley "Apple" Grabowski said...[Reply]

It's funny to me how we live relatively close but things don't necessarily bloom at the same time. The crab apple trees here are nearly done and the lilacs have been blooming for a week. On the other hand I think I'm days away from any iris blooms and the lamium has only tiny buds. The hummingbirds returned just
yesterday.

You always have so much color no matter what season! All your pictures are wonderful but I especially love the one of the pink bleeding hearts.

Debbie said...[Reply]

Wonderful, Kerri! What a nice selection of different plants you have and so early too. I really need to work on spreading the color throughout the growing season. I seem to have fits and spirts of color.

Anonymous said...[Reply]

Your tulips are still stealing the show. But all your flowers look beautiful, especially against the backdrop of those lovely green hills.

Terri said...[Reply]

Your yard and gardens are as beautiful as ever! Will you make jelly from the crab apples?
God bless!
Terri

verobirdie said...[Reply]

Kerry, your garden is very inspiring. You are very clever in your compositions.
This morning, I saw one day liily had a first bud forming, and it brought my mind to you, after all, seeing pictures of yours was one of the reasons that started me blogging :-)
Have a very nice week.

Barbara said...[Reply]

Your Spring garden is rich on beautiful flowers (some of them are also growing here). Excellent pictures which make me feel, as if I were walking myself through your green and lush flower paradise.

Pam said...[Reply]

Oh, your views! And your huge garden! I want to be you! Sulk.

Lovely to see, though.

Amy said...[Reply]

It's all so breathtaking and gorgeous! Thanks so much for sharing more photos - very inspiring!

Elzie said...[Reply]

Every time I visit this place you show us lots of lovely pictures of flowers. They look awesome all of them. I just love Bleading hearts and have both a pink and white one. Will have to cover both them and the peonies tonight as we're expecting night frost again.
Hope you have a great week.
Love Elzie

Mr. McGregor's Daughter said...[Reply]

Wow, that Iris is amazing! I can't think of one that I like better. What is it? I would have been crying if the freeze last year zapped the Crabapples. You must be enjoying them doubly this year. Ours have been outstanding this year, although a little later than usual. Don't you love their fragrance?

david santos said...[Reply]

Very nice, Kerri, very nice!
Colors fantastics.
have a nice week.

Jane O' said...[Reply]

Your garden is going gangbusters. Wow, what a lot of blooms. I like your color combination around the pruple iris. It's very appealing to me.

Chica, Cienna, and Cali said...[Reply]

you live in a paradise...and the best part...it's all your doing :)

loved the riot of colors ...my fav. has to be the delicate Phlox that your son and his wife gifted you ..does that say anything about me ?? :)

kate smudges said...[Reply]

There are so many lovely flowers in your garden - the tulips are incredible, so are the forget-me-nots, the pansies, the Bleeding Hearts and the Iris.

The photographs showing the wonderful hills in the distance are so beautiful. You are fortunate to live where you do.

I'm awaiting a picture of the peonies when they burst into bloom.

Naturegirl said...[Reply]

Kerri so-o-o-o-o much beuty surrounds you! Love the images of the mountains the barn simply wonderful backdrops to your garden exploding in color!
Simply gorgeous..you are blessed!
A nice visit with you today..
hugs Anna

Val said...[Reply]

I am always astounded that, although your spring starts so far behind mine, within a few weeks we have exactly the same flowers in bloom!

Apart from the fact that I dont yet have any brunnera planted (its on my To Have list) and my lilac is a week or so ahead, I could be looking at my own Dorset country garden.

Your photos are increasingly lovely, you are becoming a skilled photographer - not just precise but capturing the essence of each flower.

I must update my blog - I hope to have time soon, but the evenings are long and light (it doesnt get dark till after 9pm) that it seems a waste to spend it at the computer!

Best wishes!

Anonymous said...[Reply]

Kerri! I saw a comment by you while looking at some photos by Judith Polokoff, and had to come over and see if it was really you. LOL I have so miss seeing your wonderful photos and reading the account of happenings on your farm.
I won't bore you with all the reasons I have dropped out of the blogging circle . . . more like "dropped out of life." :-(
But it is so good to 'see' you again. I simply have to get back to my blog or at least start visiting my favorite ones.
Keep up the good work, everything looks soooo beautiful!
Fondest regards,
Norvona

Diana LaMarre said...[Reply]

Your flowers are looking so beautiful.

I've been seeing a lot of that Brunnera 'Jack Frost'. It's new to me and I really like it. I am going to try to remember to look for it around here.

Your bleeding heart bush looks huge. I wish I could grow them like that.

I am waiting for my crabapple to bloom. It only blooms every two years, so I always enjoy it's short burst of pink blooms.

cmah said...[Reply]

Nice blog!.. the flowers in your garden are so wonderful..

Anonymous said...[Reply]

What a beautiful garden. I love to look at all the flowers that we can't grow in subtropical, Brisbane, Australia. We hardly have seasons at all and I feel it must be wonderful to have a garden that has so many different personalities throughout the year.