May 23, 2017
May 9, 2017
Two weeks of ample rain and a three-day heat wave have created the perfect conditions for growth in the garden and beyond.
Allium aflatunense ‘Purple Sensation’ have begun blooming and A. giganteum are nearly so. The heat burnt its foliage– too much, too soon. With the ground still cool, excessive transpiration wilted many plants.
Much to my surprise a few of my parrot tulips survived the voles over winter. Tulipa ‘The Destiny’ (formerly ‘Estella Rijnveld’) and one ‘Green Wave’ have been my delight this past week.
German and Siberian Iris, old-fashioned coral bells (Heuchera sanguinea), Veronica ‘Crater Lake Blue’ are budding and the daylilies are robust, as are the lamb’s ears (Stachys byzantina).
Thin straps of Allium azureum have come back with the promise of June blooms and self-sown Nigella need to be thinned – so much to do, so little time!
Allium aflatuense ‘Purple Sensation’ after the rain
Thanks to Cathy at Words and Herbs for hosting The Tuesday View, a meme showing the view of one or more of our gardens over the course of a growing season.
Eliza Waters 
Getting so, so pretty!
🙂 Thank you, a happy season!
I know! Isn’t May a splendid month?
It’s my favorite of the whole year! ❤
Mine, too!
Gorgeous parrot tulips, Eliza! I stand in solidarity against the voles…
Hear, hear! Thanks, March. 🙂
Allium have moved to the top of my flowers list to plant – I have never had any, but they are just spectacular!
Growers are expanding their inventory (some great species and hybrids) because they are deer (and rodent) proof… and as you know, the deer populations are booming, challenging the homeowner/landscaper to find things they don’t eat.
Some to consider: Allium ‘Gladiator’ has a flower 6-8″ wide and A. schubertii looks like Sputnik. There are so many different ones it is hard to choose!
I’ll take anything the deer won’t eat – that I have a choice in it makes it that much better!
How wonderful it is to see the revival of your garden!
Thank you, Anne. I love the renewal, it always seems like such a miracle!
So lovely Eliza!
Thank you, Cindy!
Such a beautiful palette of colors and textures, Eliza. I always have loved parrot tulips, so snazzy. What a delight~~
Thank you, Jet!
Wow…so pretty! My one allium isn’t quite all opened up. It is a wonderful season….I have so many milkweeds coming up in the grass & everywhere else the seeds blew…so funny…now for some Monarchs! Friday, after a forest walk, my daughter & 2y 8m old grand daughter came back to her house, the Bridal bush was a bridal suite with a male & female Black Swallowtail “hugging & snuggling”…never seen butterflies do that….they were together for a long time….way over an hour….we got lots of photos!
Thank you, Alice. The monarchs are one generation away from arriving. I just read a post of larva in Missouri. ‘Ours’ are in the Mid-Atlantic, hopefully finding lots of milkweed.
Your granddaughter must have been so cute seeing the butterflies. Glad you got shots to remember the encounter. 🙂
She is very verbal…kept asking “what are they doing?”….we were so intent on getting photos. And they have 2 day old wild bunnies in a “thyme” nest in an enclosed very large vegetable garden.
🙂
Wow, am always amazed how quickly everything grows! Looking good:-)
Thank you!
It’s all so lovely Eliza! I can never believe how quickly it happens here either! Green Wave is a lovely tulip. I planted quite a few more alliums last autumn, but they have almost all been eaten by my slimy friends… Hope you have time to get some gardening done before it rains again and the weeds start showing up! 😉
Yes, the dandelions are self-sowing all over!
So beautiful! Ah…nature in its glory!
Thank you, Carrie!
Looks so healthy and vibrant after the rain 🍀🍃🌷
Thank you, Karen. It’s promising to be a beautiful season. 🙂
You can almost see ’em growing! 😀
I think I can hear them at night! 😉
So glad to see your garden blooming again. Its lushness will only grow from this point!
It’s always amazing to see it burst forth… Looking forward to a summer full of flowers!
AND vases full of them. 😉
YES!
That Green Wave is beautiful. I wish the chipmunk and squirrel population would allow meto plant tulips. I had one tulip survive this year – one plain red one. Thanks for sharing your beauty. 🙂
Thank you, Judy. A few bloggers have shared tips with me, which I can pass on to you… A natural product called Repel and another suggests planting them with garlic or other alliums. It is interesting to note that ‘The Destiny’ was planted with the purple alliums, which may be why they survived.
Your garden is beautiful! Loved seeing it today xx
Thank you, Christy, the best is yet to come. 🙂
I miss those tender New England flowers; colors like a watercolor painting. Though I do love planting here, as everything grows and rarely dies! When it does, I accept defeat and simply plant again. My garden is always shifting 😉
It must be a whole new adventure gardening in that climate!
For sure. Hard to put the shovel down, even for a day. Discipline! 🙂
Ah, thank you for explaining to me why my allium foliage tips are “burnt.” I just planted Sensation in my garden. It is a sensation. Your garden view is beautiful Eliza! I’m sure glad those tulips survived, they are also a sensation. I sense a bit of “Mayhem” stress? It does grow so fast and such a short season.
Extremes in weather is stressful for plants, they can’t get up and move somewhere better!
So so green! I remember when my family moved from Arizona to California, and I thought California was a lush green paradise! Hahahahahahaha. Yours is a paradise.
Thanks, M. We’ve been getting LOTS of rain, so the green is amazing! Lushness everywhere and the waterfall/streams flowing. Paradise indeed. 🙂
Ummm, we had a bit of clouds & light mist this morning. So it’s Thanksgiving Day here!
I bet the plants drank that mist right up! Dearth and plenty – our opposite climates. 🙂
So green and with other vibrant colors too! Now it’s not only April showers, but also May showers. 🙂
Thank you, Hien, we have been getting a lot of rain this year!
Ha. Allium may be deer and rodent proof, but my pups have been using mine as hurdles. We finally had to fence off the perennials and I’m hoping to get some blossoms. Everything looks lovely down your way. May is magical.
Thank you, Brenda, May is magical, for sure. I had to laugh imagining the antics of those two pups in your garden. No limits!