Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day: May 2017

Tulip ‘Angelique,’ the tree peony, the earliest red herbaceous peonies, and the dogwood blooms have all faded. Now my Zone 6 garden is preparing for the next wave of awesomeness.

Starting along the front fence, where passersby are most likely to enjoy the view for a few seconds as they speed past…

The Amur Honeysuckle is in bloom and throwing a magnificent scent.

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day: May 2017

The herbaceous peonies have been ready to pop for a couple of weeks, it seems.

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day: May 2017

The front fence used to be more festive in the spring, until one landscaper a couple years back thought my oriental poppies looked like broadleaf weeds and nuked them with Round-Up, and overmulched my Siberian Irises such that most of them didn’t make it. The ones that did make it got weed-whacked by our lawn guys earlier this spring; apparently, they looked like grass to someone.

Chalk it up to life experience, and the knowledge that gardens are mutable and ever-changing, anyway. Moving on… 

Along the front of the house, far away from the front walk, growing where I’m likely the only one to appreciate it, is a stand of variegated Solomon’s Seal. I take these same photos every year, just because the view always makes such an impression on me.

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day: May 2017

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day: May 2017

Next to the Solomon’s Seal is a new interloper/volunteer. The leaves looked like dockweed at first, but I didn’t pull it for a couple of days… and now I see it has striking purple flowers on tall stalks. I think maybe it’s Lunaria annua (a.k.a. honesty, silver dollar, or money plant), but I guess I won’t know for certain until it goes to seed.

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day: May 2017

This Lamium greets visitors to the front door. It seems extra tall this year, engulfing the few interplanted Angelique tulips that came back this year.

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day: May 2017

Also by the front door are these twin blue planters, designed in a “set it and forget it” style with coral bells and foamflower. They’ve made it through two winters now, so I’m counting that as a win for my first real container planting. (My gardening goal is to keep everything as low-maintenance as possible — replanting seasonal containers isn’t in the cards for me right now.)

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day: May 2017

Moving up the walk toward the driveway, we come upon the front garden (which aspires to be a cottage garden, but I don’t feel right calling it that quite yet).

This is the second year for the ‘Aromas’ strawberries, and they’re producing like mad crazy, as promised. We got one single strawberry in their first year in the ground (mostly thanks to the birds), so we’re looking forward to getting some ripe berries next month!

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day: May 2017

Most everything else in the front garden has either faded (candytuft, Angelique, camassia, muscari, I’m looking at you) or won’t come into its own for a while yet, so let’s go around back.

In the early spring border, the one right up by the house, the alliums provide some great vertical interest.

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day: May 2017

(I’ll never forget back when my son was a toddler and shook one, thinking it was a giant dandelion. The look on his face was priceless. “Oh, no!”)

Finally, way out back along the shady fence, the spiderwort isn’t quite in bloom yet… but I do love its chartreuse leaves contrasting against the hostas and the mossy ground.

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day: May 2017

As usual, many thanks to Carol of May Dreams Gardens for hosting Bloom Day on the 15th of every month!

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