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| Welcome to my May Garden! |
The long awaited month of May, when the garden comes to life with blooms and color everywhere, has finally arrived. After a cold and snowy winter and cool spring, May brings temperatures in the mid-60's to low 70's, which is perfect for designing and working in the garden. After a long day at work, I unwind by taking a walk in the garden to see what is blooming. Come join me in my Long Island garden for a Bloom Day stroll!
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| Weeping Eastern Redbud 'Lavender Twist' |
The first stop is 'Lavender Twist' Weeping Redbud which I planted last summer in the front garden bed. The beautiful blooms are such a joy to see in early spring, followed by its lovely heart-shaped foliage, which provides interest throughout the rest of the season. 'Lavender Twist' is great for smaller spaces, growing to 5-6 feet tall by 6-8 feet wide, and is hardy in USDA zones 5-9.
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| Back Island Bed |
In the back island bed is a combination of evergreens Hinoki gracilis compacta (dwarf Hinoki Cypress), and Mugo Pine with perennials Heuchera (Coral Bells) 'Palace Purple' and Ajuga 'Burgundy Glow'.  |
| Ajuga 'Burgundy Glow' |
The Ajuga 'Burgundy Glow' really announces the month of May with its vibrant purple blooms.
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| Fragrant Snowball Viburnum (Viburnum carlcephalum) |
Here is a glimpse of Viburnum, which is just finishing its highly fragrant blooms in the back garden. |
| Evergreen and Perennial Border |
In the evergreen and perennial border is Salvia Nemorosa 'May Night' to bring in the month of May (as the name implies!) Along with purple Salvia is Peony 'Karl Rosenfeld' (getting ready to bloom), Osmanthus (False Holly), Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar and an assortment of Heuchera 'Caramel' and 'Palace Purple'.
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| Kwanzan Cherry |
One of my most favorite of spring blooms is the blooms of Kwanzan Cherry. This tree, just planted a few years back, gets better every year with its profusion of soft pink blossoms.
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| Girard's Azalea |
Springtime means the Azaleas are blooming. The Girard's Crimson variety shines displays its colorful blooms to brighten the back shade garden.
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| Back Pool Garden |
Along with Azalea are Rhododendron buds forming for the next round of blooms and Japanese Forest Grass (Hakonechloa macra) to add some golden color.
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| Colorful Combo |
Another favorite spring combo is the foliage of Heuchera 'Caramel' and Sedum 'Brilliant' with the blooms of Ajuga 'Burgundy Glow'. The foliage of Heuchera and Sedum will be followed up with blooms later in the season.
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| Helleborous 'Dark & Handsome' |
I cannot believe the Hellebores are still blooming way into May! They just produced another full round of new foliage and more blooms, which seems to be a longer bloom time than ever before.
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| Helleborous 'Dark and Handsome' |
This variety 'Dark and Handsome' from the Wedding Party Collection is the later blooming of Helleborous with its dramatic purple-black blooms. Helleborous was actually the motivation behind my latest book, as I start the month of January with the amazing blooms of Helleborous 'Shooting Star'. I just cannot get enough of this magnificent perennial, which keeps on giving!
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| Sedum Mix |
A new addition to the pool garden is this Sedum collection that called to me at the nursery. I added it to the pinkish-burgundy Sedum 'Dragons' Blood and golden Sedum 'Aurea' that was already there to give the collection a new punch! I love the uniqueness of all the different varieties of Sedum mixed together.
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| Garden Gal |
The Sedum collection borders Garden Gal with Azalea 'Girards Fuschia' in the backdrop.
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| Skylands Golden Oriental Spruce |
In the pool garden, the golden foliage of Skylands Oriental Spruce is surrounded by Azalea blooms.
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| Weeping Norway Spruce Foliage and Seed Cone |
Weeping Norway Spruce is producing its interesting seed cones this time of year...
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| Skip Laurel Flowering |
and Skip Laurel is displaying its soft white blooms for the month of May.
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| Allium 'Globemaster' Budding |
The 'Globemaster' Allium is getting ready to display their huge lavender-purple blooms in late May to early June and I can't wait! Daylily 'Stella D Oro', Spirea 'Limemound' and Weeping Japanese Maple 'Red Select' are in the backdrop.
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| Foliage Combo Back Island Bed |
As you know, I love combing foliage. Here is Mugo Pine (left), 'Palace Purple' Coral Bells (right) and Variegated Weigela (middle). Hinoki Cypress 'Compacta' is in the background. |
| Mandevilla |
I have found the perfect Mandevilla to place by the entry to the back patio. This year I chose this bright red variety which will bring joy all summer long and hopefully attract the hummingbirds like it has in the past!  |
| Bring on Those Tulips! |
Last, but not least, are my neighbor's tulips, which I admire every day as I pass them by. The lady next door, who's gardens were my inspiration while growing up, is now in her later 80's, and continues to add tulips to her driveway border each year. They just have a way of brightening my day, so I hope they brighten yours too!
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| Thank you for Visiting! |
Thank you for visiting my May garden. As always, I enjoy hearing from you and seeing what's growing in your neck of the woods! Special thanks go out to our hostess Carol at May Dreams Gardens, who makes it possible to see blooms on the 15th of every month with her meme Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. Also, special thanks to Pam Penick at Digging who has hosted Foliage Follow-Up for all these years, a meme I will still continue to honor. I am also linking with some other wonderful hosts and hostesses at Floral Friday Fotos, Macro Monday 2, Mosaic Monday at Letting Go of the Bay Leaf, Nature Notes at Rambling Woods, Image-in-ing weekly photo share every Tuesday with NC Sue and Gardens Galore Link Up Party every other Monday with Everyday Living. I am also happy to join the Weekly Photo Link-Up at My Corner of the World on Wednesdays and Garden Affair at Jaipur Garden.
As Always...Happy Gardening! 😊
Author: Lee @A Guide to Northeastern Gardening,© Copyright 2010-2021. All rights reserved.
Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteMy favorites are the Redbud and the Hellebores!
Happy Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day!
Thank you Lea! Your capture of the Pelican is beautiful! Enjoy your weekend!
DeleteI am always amazed and inspired by my visits to your garden. Just beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThank you Dorothy. That means a lot to me!
DeleteWhat a beautiful garden to spend a day in. The evergreen and perennial border looks so inviting.
ReplyDeleteI am glad you enjoyed it Yvonne. Reading your post is like sitting down with a good book that just captures the attention and relays a calm feeling. Thank you for the nice read and tour of your garden at the end of a busy day!
DeleteYour garden is looking spectacular, Lee, not that I expected anything else. I miss Azaleas but they struggled even in my former cooler, shadier garden and I don't think they'd have a chance of survival in my current garden, especially as we're clearly back in drought status (with some scary assertions on the part of some experts that California is facing a "megadrought"). Despite my love of all things floral, my favorite area of your garden this month may be that beautiful foliage combination in your back island bed.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind words Kris. I always enjoy visiting your garden as well. Also, thank you so much for taking us along on your wonderful plant shopping adventure. It was fun tagging along!
DeleteGorgeous gardens, Lee! May is my favorite month in gardens in my region (7a). Most if not all of the spring work is complete, and the annuals changed out. Your evergreen and perennial border shot here is my absolute favorite. You have so many of the same (weeping cedar, purple 'May night' salvia, sedum) or similar (Otto Luyken vs Skip laurel), it feels very much like a landscape here. I was happy to go back to home we sold and see they are taking care of the landscape after a rough first 18 mos. The azalea, roses, iris, and poppies were in bloom and just beautiful, but they pulled the spirea when they opened up the brick wall from the courtyard. :'( I love the globemaster allium and hope to get some for my daughter's flower bed where I transplanted some of my iris.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the walk around your garden. And, of course, the flowering redbud and Kwanzan cherry along with your other blooms are spectacular too!
Thank you Rita! The month of May is my favorite too! I just came from your blog and your table setting is such a lovely tribute to our pollinator friends! I admire your wonderful eye for decorating, each one of your settings is gorgeous, and the vintage bottles with honey add such a nice touch!
DeleteYour May garden Lee is awesome! I love the 'Lavender Twist' color, azaleas, salvia purple, sedums. I'd like to grow more sedums in my raised beds, they are easy to grow I think.
ReplyDeleteHappy Garden blog day!
Happy Bloom Day Nadezda and thank you for your kinds words! I enjoy how the Sedum brings interest to the late summer garden and it is one the easiest of perennials to grow. There are so many varieties too!
DeleteThe redbud looks fantastic since you have only planted it last year. I wish my salvia looked half as good as yours. I need the secret - I struggle just to keep it alive in full sun.
ReplyDelete-Ray
The Redbud really leaved out much fuller this year too! The secret with Salvia is to remove the spent blooms and foliage throughout summer to keep it blooming. It is a great plant!
DeleteAbsolutely splendid. I gardened for over 40 years at three different homes. None came close to this beauty. Gave it up to move closer to the grandsons to watch them bloom into adults!
ReplyDeleteAww...thank you Janice. You just made my day! Enjoy every moment with the grandsons. They grow up so quickly.
DeleteAs usual, I enjoyed "walking" through your gorgeous garden. Love a redbud, especially weeping. And that azalea makes my eyes pop! I especially enjoy all the texture you lovingly plan.
ReplyDeleteAmazing rhododendrons you have! Great post!
ReplyDelete