Friday, May 17, 2013

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day for May

'Nelly Moser'
 
The last couple of weeks has brought a lot of change to the garden. There is enough blooming now to want to walk the garden each evening after work to see what might have opened during the day.
The clematis 'Nelly Moser' is as full of blooms as it has ever been. The temperatures have been mild here in Central Kentucky and there has been lots of moisture.
 


I don't have much luck with azaleas. I have tried to grow them in many different places over the 40 years that I have gardened here with mostly failures. This one has been in this location several years and this is the most bloom I have ever seen.  Is it the temperature and lots of moisture? I'm not sure, but I certainly am enjoying the show.
 
 
 
There are several iris that are blooming for the first time. These were planted two years ago but the late freeze last year damaged the buds, so what few actually tried to bloom were ugly and distorted.
 
 
These were planted at the same time and they also are all full of blooms.
 
 
I have several more iris already ordered to arrive later this summer. Seeing the blooms on these is making me glad that I will have lots of new faces to admire next year too.
 
 
The peonies are just beginning to bloom here. I love their big  blooms and just hope that we can avoid any heavy downpours for a few more days.I don't know the variety, they were plants that came from my mother in law's garden many years ago. 
I planted a few allium bulbs last fall. I ordered only a few so I could see if I would like them. Seeing them bloom the same time as the peonies has me making mental notes to add them to my list of bulbs to order this fall.

Wisteria frutescens 'Amethyst Falls'
 
Finally a wisteria that will bloom for me! This American wisteria, 'Amethyst Falls' is a far better plant for me than the Chinese or Japanese varieties. I had one of the Asian varieties for many years and fought its rampant growth and was repeatedly dismayed that the late spring frosts seemed to always get the blooms. They are beautiful but I just could not handle the maintenance required.  I have been so pleased with this variety that I purchased another one this past weekend.
 
Hope that you are enjoying the blooms that May has given us so far. There is still much to look forward too. For me the roses are just beginning to show color and daylily foliage is growing rapidly. It won't be long before I start looking for scapes to appear.
 
 
 
 

 

Saturday, May 4, 2013

Iris in Bloom

Iris 'Joyful Skies'
 
 
Yesterday morning brought the first iris bloom for this year. Last year the late freeze we had caught this one full of buds. It was its first year to bloom and although it  bloomed but it was really a sad sight. So I was so pleased to see these blooms with their delicate light blue.
 
 
Iris 'Champagne Elegance'
 
 
Also blooming was an older variety that I moved to a new location last summer. It may be blooming a little earlier than usual since it is located in front of the rock wall.
 
There are still lots of iris to bloom many for the first time so I will be checking daily for the new ones to bloom. I bought some last year at an iris sale conducted by a club located in the town where my daughter lives. I took the members recommendations for ones to grow so there will be lots to enjoy this year.
 
 
Iris x hollandica
 
The dutch iris also stated to bloom this week. These are a favorite of my husband.  Because the foliage appears several weeks before they flower the tips of a lot of the leaves were nipped by the cold weather we had a couple of weeks ago which caused the brown tips on the foliage, but the buds were not in sight so their blooms will be lovely this year.