Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day & Foliage Follow-Up: Join Me For A Walk Through My May Garden

Welcome to my May Garden!

"It's into the garden I go to lose my mind and find my soul", is a well-known quote by John Muir and one that I live by. As the garden awakens in May, it is one of my favorite months of the gardening season. After an unusually cold April and start to May, the temperatures are now finally rising from the chilly 50's into the 70's and maybe even the 80's by the end of the week! There are new blooms to be seen everyday as the garden explodes with new growth and color. Join me on a tour of my zone 7b Long Island garden!

Rhode Island red Japanese Maple & Salvia 'Blue By You'

The first stop is my Rhode Island Red Japanese Maple, which I cherish. The new foliage is a beautiful and vibrant pinkish-burgundy in springtime, then ripening into a darker maroon throughout the rest of the season. This compact maple is perfect in the patio garden and just keeps getting better with time! Salvia 'Blue By You', a repeat blooming Salvia, stands in front of the maple and is starting to display its purple blooms!

Kwanzan Cherry Bloom

In the southern border, Kwanzan Cherry was full of blooms, a sight I look forward to every spring. I am holding on to every remaining flower as they slowly drop to the ground, creating a sea of pink.

Patio Border

Along the patio border is Weeping Norway Spruce, Dwarf Cryptomeria, Nandina 'Obsession' and Blue Star Juniper. In the backdrop along the fence is newly planted Nepeta 'Cat's Meow' (Catmint).

Nepeta 'Cat's Meow'

I am enjoying the vibrant blooms!

Allium 'Globemaster'

Here are the buds of Allium 'Globemaster' along the pool border, getting ready to explode into an array of large lavender blooms, which should happen by late May into early June.

Spirea 'Candy Corn', Lamb's Ear & Daylily

Along the patio border, the vibrant foliage of Spirea 'Candy Corn', white, fuzzy foliage of Lamb's Ear and spiky foliage of Daylily can be seen, with blooms to follow!

Relaxing in the Garden

Relaxing in the northwestern patio border is a statue I can see year round outside my window, and it always makes me smile...

Peony 'Bartzella'

and in the western patio garden is Peony 'Bartzella, which seems to be loving the snow cover we had this past winter and cooler spring temperatures. It is getting bigger by the day and seems even larger than I remember from previous years. 

Peony 'Bartzella' Bud

I am hoping that the blooms turn out to be even more abundant this year. 

Azalea Girard's Pink

Azalea 'Girards Pink' resides in the back pool border, and as I travel around the winding path in the back garden, the blooms are there to enjoy.

Twombly's Red Sentinel Japanese Maple

Along the patio border is Trombly's Red Sentinel Japanese Maple, an upright and more slender form of red maple... 

Pool Border

and here is my favorite statue of all time, one which reminds me of childhood. It stands among a patch of mixed cultivars of groundcover Sedum.

Cherry Laurel 'Otto Luyken' Blooms

Cherry Laurel 'Otto Luyken' is not only an attractive broad-leaved evergreen, but it also displays lightly fragrant bell shaped white blooms in springtime. Two groupings of three can be seen along the right and left of the main waterfall.

Pool Waterfall

Here is a closer view of the waterfall, with Weeping Norway Spruce, Upright Variegated Boxwood, Golden Pacific Juniper and Sedum. 

Weigela 'My Monet'

In the back raised island bed, Weigela 'My Monet' is getting ready to show its pink blooms along with its variegated foliage...

Front Island Bed

and in the newly renovated front island bed is a new hybrid of Nepeta called 'Chartreuse on the Loose'. It blooms all summer and the foliage remains the color it is now, so I hope it does well!

Patio Planters

Last but not least, are two of the planters by the back entry providing color with Spirea 'Candy Corn' and groundcover Sedum. I started having planters along the entries and patio area years ago, as they can be enjoyed every time one steps out the door!

Thanks for Visiting!

I hope you enjoyed your visit to my May garden. I so appreciate you being here, look forward to your comments and enjoy seeing what you have growing in your garden. 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 had hosted Foliage Follow-Up, a meme I will continue to honor. I am also linking with some other wonderful hosts and hostesses at Floral Friday Fotos, Nature Notes at Rambling Woods, Weekly Photo Link-Up at My Corner of the World on Wednesdays and Garden Affair at Jaipur Garden.

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Until we Meet Again...Happy Gardening!

Author: Lee @A Guide to Northeastern Gardening, © Copyright 2010-2026. All rights reserved.