May 17

When the numerous frosts of May were finally finished, the gardeners leapt into action, it was finally time to get serious. Some of us planted too soon, happily I was not one of them, I was warned at the end of April that May 10th would bring a low of thirty degrees. Whatever weather app. my source was using was darn good. So here we are on May 17th, the coast looks clear, my tomatoes are in, the tenders are going in and I'm planting until it's too dark to see, life is good!

This morning I took a look around, the wonderful Sunday morning walk about. With the super mild winter and my  "believe in averages"  bias, I suspected that we might have a long cool spring and planted lettuce seed on March 5. The results have been terrific, especially after a lot of homework on new varieties, as noted in a previous blog. Many of these are miniature head types that mature quickly. Here are Romaine 'Truchas' (the red one) with R. 'Dragoon'. 

Mr. guinea fowl has discovered my lettuce beds (which are all raised) and munches away, eating only green leafed varieties and ignoring any red or bronze leaf types, an interesting tidbit, in case you have chickens or guineas.

My gardens did not suffer any frost damage, although I waited until this week to plant tomatoes, peppers, and tender annuals. At Oak Hill we have some lilies that will not flower and damage to numerous shrubs with their soft new growth. Japanese maples and hollies were hard hit.

Peonies don't mind a bit of cold, and mine are glorious as usual. Here are some other photographs from my garden with notes.

Peony 'Scarlet O Hara' is a winner, super tough, has outlasted most of my others despite amsonia encroachment. 

Amsonia tabernaemontana with it's soft blue flower which are gorgeous with peonies.

In that mix I have a reseeding aquilegia that is perfect here. I think the seed came from my grandmother and in isolation it will remain true, growing just tall enough to make an impressive display above peony blooms. 

Beside lilies for later, I also have the hardy bulb Nectaroscordum siculum or Mediterranean bells. 

And my bearded iris are here, many have disappeared, viola pressure or root rot. The survivor is 'Immortality', a rebloomer in fall as well. I love tight macro shots of bearded iris beards.

A new purchase is for experimentation, Nepeta subsessillis 'Blue Prelude' (the subsessil means there is no petiole, the flower is directly connected to the stem) is supposed to get three feet high and wide. I'm keeping an eye on its spread, a good gardener is not afraid of getting rid of thugs.

The mild winter was kind to Salvia greggii 'Burgundy Seduction', this plant will often regrow from almost ground level and usually takes awhile to be beautiful again, but not this year. Hummingbirds love it.

In the wild garden I have Silphium terebinthinaceum or Prairie Rosinweed. This one will be big, flowers can be nine feet tall and the leaves are impressive, now and in fall when they are one of the last to succumb to freezing temperatures. In fall the leaves turn a dark chocolate brown.

In my shade garden there are some remnants from the plant farm, I often laugh when I see my little tiarella that has never spread. The inside joke when I had the nursery was finding the true Tiarella 'Wherryi' named after Doctor Wherry. Year after year I would proclaim that I had finally found the true tiarella named after the doctor and then the plant would spread and it would be time to search again. This goes back to the eighties (he passed in 1982). The common name is foam flower and most are spreading, groundcovering plants. I am so happy to have this little perennial that I truly believe is the real thing.

I am much more receptive to cut flowers in the house after the lecture I gave on unusual cut flowers several years ago. This weekend was a marathon house cleaning effort and my reward is always a bouquet or two from the garden. It really doesn't take much.

Take care of yourselves.

 

Comments

[Leslie Woodzell]

Subscribing to feed

[Scott]

Doing our best. Same to you! :D

[Scott]

...and thanks for the photos!

[Kirsten]

Love the photos!

[Laura]

had such a great day in the yarden yesterday... can't wait to get my 'rona driveway garden planted this weekend. virtual tomato tasting party this year?

[Karen Rexrode]

A virtual tomato tasting party, great idea!!!