May Flowers Can't be Stopped!

Primula sieboldii

Happy Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - the day that blogger extraordinaire Carol Michel invites bloggers from around the world to share what's happening in their gardens.
So what's up in my garden this mid-May day? The bad news is that the mosquitoes are back.
But the good news is that, this time of year, plants are popping into growth spurts on an almost hourly basis.

Primula sieboldii is one of the easiest primroses to grow. If given plenty of moisture (mine are in a low spot), they will take quite a bit of sun.


Rhododendron 'Ken Janek'

Rhododendron 'Ken Janek' is one of my favorites, with nearly spotless foliage and consistent blooms in mid-May. I love how they pop open slowly, one bloom at a time until they resemble a frilly party dress. 

When we first planted it many years ago, it was beneath a sizeable pin oak tree. When the tree fell down, it eventually came to thrive in its new, sunnier situation. It's backed up by Rhododendron fortunei, a Chinese species that has nearly reached its stated size of 10 feet tall. Last year, the three Rhodos in this grouping all bloomed at the same time, but the R. fortunei isn't even trying to bloom yet. Oh well, it's not a bad thing to stretch out the bloom sequence.


'Princess Chiffon' is the earliest tree peony to bloom in my garden.



I'd just been thinking how nice it was that the tulips were carrying on for awhile until the early tree peony opened up when I noticed it had.
From yesterday's tightly furled bud with a hint of pink at its tip to a full-blown show of compressed petals in a 24-hour period is what a May garden is about.

Both lilacs--'President Lincoln' and 'Beauty of Moscow'--are gifting our noses with the epitome of May fragrance, but Viburnum 'Aurora' is no slouch in the scent department. We moved it to its current location last fall, but it's still managed to throw out a few blossoms.

Viburnum carlesii 'Aurora'

If you have a spot with great drainage and lots of sun, I hope you're considering Dianthus. While some of the newer hybrids are not known for their fragrance, 'Red Beauty' won't disappoint. It's a sport of 'Firewitch' but more heat tolerant.

 

Lilac 'President Lincoln'



Dianthus 'Red Beauty'

Promising bud of peony 'Roselette'

 

As for the mosquitoes, the people at ThermaCELL sent me a portable mosquito repellent appliance last year and it really works! I used the appliance that covers a 15 by 15 foot square area, which was perfect for use when relaxing on the patio. I liked that there was no strong chemical scent that I would have to wash off when I got inside. These appliances are available at lots of chain retailers for under $30, well worth the price for enjoying the outdoors without those buzzing, biting little blighters.

It's Geum Cocktail Time!

Geum 'Tequila Sunrise'

I love these little plants for their cheerful blossoms and healthy-looking summer foliage. They typically open at the same time as mid-season tulips, perennial bachelor's buttons (Centaurea montana), many deciduous Azaleas and short, mid-season Iris.

Last year Brent Horvath of Intrinsic Perennials sent me some of his newest Geum cultivars from his Cocktail Series, and this year, they're doing swimmingly! Named for adult beverages, they include 'Tequila Sunrise', 'Alabama Slammer' and 'Mai Tai'. And if you ever thought all Geum are orange, you should take a look at these little marvels.

Geum 'Mai Tai'

Depending on the stage of bloom,Geum flowers of the Cocktail Series start out with a deep coloration  that contains varying degrees of red and yellow and then fades to a beautiful shade of peach, pink, or gold with subtle highlights. Each flower is a work of art and, if possible, the plant should be as close to eye level as you can get it or at least near a well-traveled garden path.



Geum 'Mai Tai'



Geum 'Alabama Slammer'

Plant Buying Trip Part One

Once again, Lake Michigan is providing us with some April-esque weather, and I don't mind it a bit. We've been on this seesaw before--cold and dry, then cool and wet, and finally warm and sunny. This sequence of weather patterns seems more than a little schizophrenic, but I'll take it over a sustained heat wave any day.



Dicentra 'Burning Heart' planted with Galium odoratum.

Last Monday, my neighbor Lesley and I drove to Sunrise Greenhouse in Grant Park, IL and drove home with a little space to spare in my Saturn Vue. I'm happy to say I found some real gems, including a little bleeding heart I fell in love with called 'Burning Heart', with cherry red flowers hovering over blue fern-delicate foliage.

In keeping with my lifetime goal of trying everything once, I purchased a single pot of each plant that caught my eye. (If I still love it after an entire calendar year, I will buy more.)

The little bleeding heart's placement beneath Magnolia 'Pink Charm' is to eventually provide a wonderfully layered color echo. If the Dicentra remains in leaf throughout the season, I can't think of a better match for the deep pink of the Magnolia flowers.



Magnolia 'Pink Charm'

I considered planting Rodgersia 'Cherry Blush' beneath the Magnolia, but it might grow a bit large for that and possibly upstage the Magnolia. I'd tried growing Rodgersia before but had no luck with it. Persistence pays off in gardening, however, and the Rodgersia henrici I planted last year has come up and even looks as if it will bloom! 

This is the Rodgersia 'Cherry Blush' I just bought.

Last year's Rodgersia as it emerges from the ground.

Great Combos: You Can Grow That!

The most wonderful time of the year in my garden is peony time. And although I have finally succeeded in having something in bloom or looking colorful throughout the season, it's from mid-May through early June when things get downright take-my-breath-away gorgeous. With more than 40 herbaceous peonies and a few tree and intersectionals, I could concentrate on just the peonies. But every plant, no matter how breathtakingly beautiful, can look even better when partnered with another plant or plants. I've captured these peony pairings because timing is everything and the range of bloom times for peonies is, on average, about five weeks.

 

Peony 'Mme Ducel' with Iris siberica 'Baby Sister'



Peony 'White Wings' with Dianthus Bath's Pink



Peony 'Paladin' with Helianthemum 'Hartswood Ruby'

Peony 'White Cap' with Penstemon 'Prairie Twilight'

That's it for now, just enough to get you started. Each year I add more to the mix, but haven't captured the happy couples on camera.

 

Make sure you take a look at what other garden bloggers have come up with for this month's...

Garden Benefits from Refrigeration

Bouquet with Tulip 'Exotic Emperor', narcissus and one
tulip 'Miami Sunset'.

Depending on which way the wind puffs, I'm either donning or doffing my sweatshirt. And I'm sitting inside. I swear I'm hearing a fog horn but we're at least three miles from the lake. It's one of those days when Lake Michigan acts as a giant refrigerator--the old-fashioned kind that comes with plenty of frost. Even three miles away, our spring weather is governed by this huge body of water, the second largest Great Lake at approximately 118 miles wide and 303 miles long.

But you won't find me complaining while the lake temperature hovers at around 41 degrees F--a good temperature for keeping things mild yet still springlike. It's been a great year for spring bulbs, and Lake Michigan can take much of the credit. The first tulips to open, 'Exotic Emperor', are still looking good, while 'Miami Sunset' is as fresh as when it began to open a week ago. I'm glad I planted tulips last fall, even if the deer decimated a good number of them before they'd even formed flower buds.

Tulip 'Miami Sunset'

Maurice the Hammy Cat sneaks
up on the camera.

The bulbs aren't the only plants benefiting from our natural fridge. The Hellebores are as perky as ever, and Pulmonaria blossoms are providing a great blue counterpoint to the warm shades of yellow, peach and orange.



Tulip 'Analita'
 

And I've promised myself I'd actually weed the whole garden before the peonies start to bloom. It just might happen this year, as I'm governed in summer by mosquito season, which officially begins after just one day of 80 degree temps.

Tulip 'Exotic Emperor' is dramatic inside and out.

Temperatures of late are perfect for my new gardening ensemble - Garden Girl gardening pants and Muck Boots gardening shoes. I'm liking the Muck Boots for their semi-tight fit around the instep for keeping dirt out of my shoes. And no matter the temperature, I haven't felt them to be either too hot or too cold. I had a size conundrum at first, as they don't come in half sizes and I happen to wear an 8 and a half usually. I ordered a size 9 so I could wear wool socks with them in the cold weather. When they came in there was too much slippage at the heel even with heavy socks. I exchanged them for an 8, and while I can't wear heavy socks, I can easily wear thinner ones and still have a great fit.

Muck Boot shoes even look good while relaxing.

As for the Garden Girl pants, they were sent by the company for me to try, which is a good thing, because I honestly would have a hard time paying over $90 for a pair of pants to wear while crawling ab out in the mud. I'm not really sure what size I have, as it says they are roomy. I can say that, if you get the right size, they fit great, especially with the stretchy elastic panels on each side that extends from waist to upper hip. I like that the ankle cinches closed with Velcro so the legs don't get caught on things or admit the occasional creepie crawlie. There is plenty of knee room for kneeling, and they even offer removable knee pads, which are to be inserted from inside the pants. This just seems incredibly awkward, so I don't use them.


Deer Deterrant / Raccoon Restriction

It might look like bare dirt in the VegTrug, but I'm expecting to be eating lettuce and beets some time in the future. I planted Big Boston lettuce, Golden Beets, Flat of Egypt beets and European Red and Green lettuce mix. That's all. Last year, my first with the VegTrug, I tried to plant too much and nothing ended up doing that well.

When the plants start developing enough size to become tempting for the deer, I'll put a cover on it. I have a choice between the greenhouse plastic or a screen.

Raised veggie beds by Leslie and Jeremy



Our neighbors fell in love with our VegTrug last year, and decided to create their own version as part of their deck. When I heard the rhythmic sound of wood staples, I had to go and see what they were up to. This marvel of design using inexpensive materials like chicken wire, is accessible from both sides and features latches on each hinged door to keep out everything from raccoons and deer to the neighborhood cat. Leslie plans to grow tomatoes and zucchini in this, one of the few sunny spots in her garden.

 

Daffodil Season at Brincka-Cross Gardens

We found some wonderful surprises at Brincka-Cross Gardens in Furnessville. It was cold and wet, but color could be found both up high and much closer to the wet ground. It was well worth it.


White-flowered Pieris blooms on 8'+ shrub

There is no longer a breathtaking swathe of Narcissus once called "Daffodil Hill," but there are still plenty of varieties to enjoy as individuals. The list found in records kept by Bill Brincka included around 300 different varieties of Narcissus--more than enough to enchant both casual observer and passionate collector.

 

 

 

 

I have no way of knowing which is which, but I am guessing those blooming right now are of the mid-season types. According to Brincka's list, most of the daffodils are mid- and late-season varieties, so there should be at least another week to 10 days of blooms, depending on the weather.