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!

 

 

April Showers

The back yard in April.

 

As the garden resurrects with much-awaited April showers, the seasonal sequence of flowers continues to unfold: the Forsythia, daffodils, narcissus and other early spring bulbs, then as those are beginning to fade, the flowering trees start to display their loveliness. This week the Redbud (Cercis canadense) in my back yard has unfurled its rosy boughs and the plump buds of the double flowering quince are opening.

 

Double flowering quince

I still have the deer barriers up, so the quince can't be admired as it should be, but I don't want to take any chances until there's enough other vegetation for the deer to browse--otherwise they will pounce on my gourmet "salad bar" in favor of the more ordinary grub found in the woods.

The Kwanzan cherry tree in front has yet to fully open, only a few blossoms have opened so far, while the white dogwood, which hardly bloomed last year, is loaded with blossoms opening much earlier than usual. Last year the cherry bloomed in the first week in April, but then came two hard frosts that blighted many a tender shoot.

 

Front yard

Earlier this spring the thermometer dropped alarmingly low for two nights, just as my beautiful yellow Magnolia 'Butterflies,' whose buds had already shed their fuzzy winter coats, were starting to open. The flowers were completely ruined! Mother nature can be so treacherous at this time of the year...

 

Ajuga 'Black Scallop'

Still, life goes on in the garden... the Ajuga 'Black Scallop' planted last year is spreading nicely and starting to bloom. The tiny bells of the Carolina Silverbell (Halesia tetraptera) tree are unfolding, and the Allegheny Serviceberry (Amelanchier laevis) is in full bloom. It will be some years before the Serviceberry attains enough growth to make much a of show, but it's making progress.

Carolina Silverbell tree (Halesia tetraptera)

Allegheny Serviceberry (Amelanchier laevis)

One of my Bergenias (AKA "Pigsqueak" in these parts) managed to survive the frost and produced flowers, while the buds on another plant just a few feet away didn't make it. Why would that be? This one was closer to the house wall, perhaps the wall retained enough heat to help the buds survive?

 

Bergenia 'Winter Glow'

The dwarf iris 'Bluebeard' has come into bloom so early that it's coinciding with the flowering of the grape hyacinths. I have several varieties of  grape hyacinths: the ones with the light blue caps are M. aucheri, the ordinary purple are M. armeniacum, and some white ones, M. armeniacum 'White Magic.'

Dwarf iris 'Bluebeard'

Grape hyacinths (Muscari aucheri and M. armeniacum)

The Fothergilla shrub is starting to open its honey-scented blossoms, and so many other shrubs planted last year are breaking dormancy now. I'm planting a number of annuals from seed this spring, as well as the usual bedding and potted plants. I'm curious to see how these new ones will enhance and fill my flower beds this year.

 

Fothergilla gardenii

 

 There's so much more to come, I can hardly wait!