May 2025 Bloom Day

Along my front walk.

Azalea 'General Semmes'

In the last couple of days my Zone 6B garden in Virginia has received over five inches of rain! Most anxiously welcome after such a prolonged drought, with this rain my garden is verdant and lush for May Bloom Day, hosted by Carol Michel's May Dreams Garden blog. Welcome to my May garden!

Starting along the front walk, I had moved all the plants that were on the porch and rear deck back indoors and to places under my cherry tree in front. My contractor was supposed to start on Monday to refurbish the back deck and do other exterior chores, but the predictions of rain forced them to re-schedule. It was too much trouble to put everything back where it was, so the plants will stay here until the contractor finishes.

My azalea 'General Semmes' is still presenting one last inflorescence while the Amaryllis bulbs are mostly finished blooming, though a few buds persist. The tropical Salvias and white Heliotrope along the front walk will bloom later in the year.

The first bud of the 'Red Double Knockout' rose is opening.

 

First bud of  "Red Double Knockour' rose.

 

Starting along the east side of the house, my 'Blue Barlow' Columbines didn't have as much bloom as on other years, but still a respectable amount.

 

Columbine 'Blue Barlow' with Japanese Hakone grass.

 

Surprisingly, the Lamium 'Orchid Frost' is starting to bloom in the woodland garden under the Japanese maples. Here's hoping it will spread.

 

Lamium 'Orchid Frost' with Allium moly beyond.

Lamium 'Orchid Frost' with Ajuga 'Black Scallop'.

Moving toward the back yard, Herb's bed is looking wonderful with the Allium christophii planted last fall and peony 'Duchesse de Nemours' starting to bloom. The Foxglove Pentstemon in the same bed is also opening up. Later, the Clary sage there will start to bloom in June.

 

Allium christophii with Clary sage and "Duchesse de Nemours; beyond.

Peony 'Duchesse de Nemours'

Foxglove Pentstemon.

 

The Thread-leaf blue stars (Amsonia hubrichtii) in the Little Indians bed are blooming and the butterfly weed in front (Asclepias tuberosa) is in bud.

 

Amsonia hubrichtii with Asclepis tuberosa in bud.

The Ninebark tree 'Coppertina' is blooming in the badlands, and the Kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa) is sporting its blooms too. A few red Columbines (Aquilegia canadense) persist  in the shade of the back bed. The deer ate my Thalictrum, so no blooms this year.

 

Ninebark tree 'Coppertina (Physocarpus opulifolius 'Coppertina')

Kousa dogwood.

 

Native Columbines in the back bed.

In the back bed, the abundant spikes of the Verbascum 'Southern Charm' that were so pretty earlier in the week, are splayed out under the weight of the rains, but Salvia 'Pink Profusion' is offering more blooming spikes.

 

Verbascum 'Southern Charm'

 

Salvia 'Pink Profusion'

 

It was a nice surprise was to see that my still-small Mock Orange tree (Philadelphus 'Cheyenne') had produced some flowers--last year the deer ate every bud. Its flowers aren't as showy as some other cultivars, but still lovely!

 

Mock Orange (Philadelphus 'Cheyenne')

 

The long island bed has a marvelous display with deep purple Dutch iris, red honeysuckle 'Major Wheeler,' some blooms of double-flowering quince, Clematis 'Walker' and bearded iris 'Victoria Falls.'

 

My back yard on May Bloom Day

Dutch iris

'Major Wheeler' red honeysuckle with double-flowering quince beyond.

Clematis 'Walker'

 

Iris 'Victoria Falls'

 

Another variety of Blue Star (Amsonia montana) is blooming  in the bed with the Yellowwood tree, with white Salvia and yellow Helianthus beyond.

 

Amsonia montana

White Salvia with Helianthus.

 

Another Ninebark tree,. 'Amber Jubilee' is blooming in front of the Japanese maple 'Amber Ghost.' No signs of buds on the Yellowwood, I'll have to wait another year for a glimpse.

 

 

Ninebark tree 'Amber Jubilee' with Yellowwood tree in back.

 

On the west side of the house, the spikes of Salvia 'May Night' make a contrast with the yellow Helianthus, and Catmint Nepeta Walker's Low' below Clematis 'Appleblossom' climbing up to the deck railing.

 

 

Salvia 'May Night' and Helianthus

Catmint 'Walker's Low' with Clematis 'Appleblossom'

 

Viburnum 'Cardinal Candy' is about to open its buds, while beyond is a native witch hazel, getting taller. Toward the front by the garage there are more Dutch iris, Allium moly and a pink peony in bud. My young  white Forsythia (Abeliophyllum distichum) is growing well amidst the Dutch iris, but my prize lace-leaf maple 'Viridium' suffered badly from the early April frost just as it was starting to leaf out.

 

 

 

 

Viburnum 'Cardinal Candy'

 

Dutch iris with Allium moly with young Abeliophyllum.

 

Pink peony in bud.

To complete the circle a round the house, the strawberries 'Mara de Bois' along the front walk continue to bloom and are starting to yield some luscious berries.

 

 

Strawberries 'Mara de Bois'

 Happy Bloom Day!

 

 

A Rainy May Bloom Day

Peony 'Bartzella'

Peony 'Bartzella' in the "Little Indians" bed

It's raining here today in my Zone 6b Virginia garden, a soft and gentle drizzle making our fields and gardens so green and lush...  Bloom Day is hosted by Carol Michel's May Dreams Garden Blog on the 15th of every month. Happy May 2024 Bloom Day!

My 'Bartzella' peony is in its full glory right now, and holding up well in the rain, for which we're so grateful. Last year I separated the old-fashioned iris behind it, but this year's blooms have been very disappointing. 

 

Iris 'Victoria Falls' with double flowering quince beyond.

 

Purple Dutch iris with Sambucus 'Black Lace'

My irises are just finishing their display for the year, although some of the late varieties are still blooming; now the peonies are coming into their own. 'Duchesse de Nemours' in the Herb bed is just starting to open.

 

Peony 'Duchesse de Nemours'

 

A flowering spike of the Texas yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora) I planted two years ago has appeared, I'm looking forward to seeing the flowers close-up. The spike is impressive in height thus far, let's hope the flowers are equally pleasing.

 

Flower bud of Hesperaloe parviflora

Both of my Ninebark trees are blooming at this time, as is the Asian dogwood, which has recently been re-named Benthamia kousa, replacing the old genus name of Cornus.

Ninebark tree 'Coppertina' (Physocarpus opulifolius)

"Coppertina' with Kousa dogwood behind

Kousa dogwood (Benthamia kousa) in bloom

 

The native iris (Iris versicolor) under the Redbud tree has produced one bloom thus far; last year it flowered so abundantly, I don't expect anything as profuse this year. The Verbascum 'Southern Charm' was looking much better before the rains, but what can one do? The Salvia 'Pink Profusion' near it was a new addition last fall, but it's not living up to its name yet.

 

Iris versicolor

Verbascum 'Southern Charm' with Salvia 'Pink Profusion'

The other Ninebark tree 'Amber Jubilee' near the Japanese maple 'Amber Ghost' complement each other so nicely. Beyond are some Willowleaf starflowers (Amsonia tabernaemontana) with the Anise Hyssop I planted last year, a sedge, and some white Salvia.

 

Ninebark tree 'Amber Jubilee' with Japanese maple 'Amber Ghost'

Amsonia tabernaemontana

I have another variety of Amsonia--hubrichtii--growing in the "Little Indians" bed, but these don't seem to be blooming as well as in previous years--they probably need to be broken up and re-planted farther away from the Korean boxwood. They seem to be re-seeding themselves as well.

Amsonia hubrichtii

The bed on the west side of the house has some nice color--Catmint, Salvia 'May Night,' red Dianthus and a yellow flower that I've forgotten the name of. The Clematis 'Appleblossom' climbing up to the deck still has some blooms

Bed on the west side of the house.

West side of the house with new backyard vegetable enclosure.

Another late-blooming bearded iris variety, 'Wine Festival' offered just one flowering spike this year.

Iris 'Wine Festival'

The pink peony is getting ready to open in the front, by the driveway. The purple Dutch iris are just starting to fade as the Allium moly gets going.

Pink peony with Allium and irises beyond.

Dutch iris and Allium moly

My front yard appears to have the fewest flowers at the moment--the last flower of a lone white bearded iris spike and the red 'Double Knockout' rose. The Double Knockout rose was decimated by sawfly larvae, and I didn't see them until it was too late--the poor rose looks as if it had bronze foliage, but it's only the skeletonized leaves.

 

White iris and red 'Double Knockout' rose

A blast of color is provided by the last of the red Amaryllis flowers opening on the porch.

Red Amaryllis buds.