Tuesday 15 May 2012

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - May 2012

It's that time of the month again.
You know, when the flowers become quite shy.

Self-sown Forget-Me-Nots, in various shades of blue and pink.

Solomon's Seal, a gift from a friend of mine many years ago, thriving in dry shade under a tree. The plant that is, not my friend.

Paeony-flowered Tulips, the yellow and red ones have gone over now, but these are continuing the display.

Iris Eramosa Skies, a dwarf bearded iris, purchased last year from Claire Austin Hardy Plants.

Cymbalaria muralis, commonly known as the Kenilworth Ivy. It can become a bit of a weed if left to its own devices, but it is easily kept under control.

Strawberry Buddy, bought this year from Thompson & Morgan, and the first of my strawberries to flower this year.

Iris Eyebright, another dwarf bearded iris from Claire Austin. Lovely flower.

Bluebells, Spanish ones though, wish I had known that they were so invasive before I bought them. Too late now, my English Bluebells have disappeared.

Clematis, variety unknown, flowering at the top of an apple tree.

Lobelia erinus Superstar, stuck in the greenhouse, eagerly awaiting their escape into hanging baskets. I grew this last year as well, and highly recommend it, blooms all summer.

Lewisia hybrid, also in the greenhouse, but quite happy in there.

Lilac, flowering in my neighbour's garden. What do you mean that's cheating ? No it's not. You see, it may be flowering over the hedge, but it is actually growing in my garden. I had the shrub pruned last year because it had grown too large, but as you can see, one branch escaped.

Thanks to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for hosting the Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. Why not pop over and see what is blooming in gardens all over the world in this month.


20 comments:

  1. Don't you just hate it when your plants bloom in other peoples gardens and look fabulous. You need to hoick that back to your side!!!
    Beautiful photos xx

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    1. I'm going to prune it right back when it finishes flowering, to make the whole plant look more uniform next year. Oh and to make it flower in my garden instead of my neighbour's.

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  2. Lovely flowers! I love Forget-Me-Nots and have done since a child, they seed themselves very freely in my garden. That little Iris is really beautiful! I have a rambling rose which much prefers my neighbour's company ;-)

    I missed commenting on your last post although I read it on the day :-( Being a lifelong besotted owner of dogs I loved the apple story. One of our dogs used to insist on having fallen apples thrown up the garden like a ball and the one we have now brings the little 'June drop' ones into the house, it's not unknown to find them decorating the hall or down the side of the cushions on the sofa!

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    1. Luckily, Joey doesn't bring things into the house; he eats them before he gets to the back door.

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  3. Your garden is full of color...beautiful! I am absolutely blown away by that Iris 'Eyebright' ... it is STUNNING! Happy GBBD!

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    1. I think it's my favourite Iris, must remember to look after it.

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  4. Love all the blue in the garden. Forget me nots are one of my favorite.

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    1. I only introduced them last year, glad I did.

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  5. Fabulous blooms in your garden despite the cool weather which we have been getting. I like the Solomons seal and was thinking of getting it, I wonder why its not your friend.

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    1. No, I meant the plant was thriving in the dry shade. Oh you've got me confused now. Anyway it is an excellent plant. I highly recommend it.

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  6. Lovely photos on what appears to be a sunny day! I am still waiting for all sorts of things to come into flower - the only plant I can rely on at the moment are forget-me-nots.

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    1. No it wasn't a sunny day, just a sunny few minutes. It seems to be getting colder instead of warmer. I've even got one daffodil still flowering.

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  7. Hi,

    Lovely photos, sorry to hear about the native Bluebells... We have some here that I think have come from next door and they're slowly coming up in even the most ridiculous places - i.e. in cracks, seemingly from nothing. I always cut off their blooms so they cannot hybridise with my natives and so far I haven't noticed any hybrids but that doesn't mean the insects won't carry the pollen from next door to mine :(

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    1. I didn't realise mine had hybridized until some of them came up pink. Pink bluebells just aren't right somehow.

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  8. A great variety of colour in your garden. I saw a TV show about the Spanish bluebell recently, they look nice, but out breed the locals. Your red and white tulips are fab. Happy blogger's bloom day!

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    1. I'm quite pleased with the peony-flowered tulips. I put them in two large pots, and they've flowered over a very long period. The red and white ones were the last to flower, worth waiting for.

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  9. I do so hate spanish bluebells for the very reason you state. I inherited some from the previous owner....they have spread alarmingly, this is the year I shall try and remove every one of them. Give me an ENGLISH bluebell any day, such a beautiful colour.

    I think your clemtis is 'Miss Bateman'.......

    I love solomon's seal, one of my favourite woodland plants:)
    Please to hear it wasn't your friend growing there....ha :)

    Have a good weekend and hope the sun shines.....

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    1. Hi Cheryl,
      Thanks for identifying the clematis. I bought about half a dozen different clematis several years ago, but lost all the labels. I do remember that one of them was called Miss Bateman though. And now I know where I planted it. Fantastic !

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  10. What a beautiful spring garden! I love that you have a clematis in your tree. I had no idea Spanish bluebells were such invaders. I planted over 100 of them in one of my former gardens but don't know if the current owners left them there. It's quite possible the owners are gone and the bluebells have moved in! :o)

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    1. Attack of the Spanish Bluebells. They'll be making a movie of that, a sequel to Day of the Triffids.

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