I could not let May end without mentioning my foxgloves.
I consider them fascinating.
Each thimble is designed to guide a bee into it.
The spots inside are like little landing lights.
The tall spikes of blooms and fluffy leaves below create perfect balance.
I have planted them many places from which they disappear, only to reappear somewhere else.
Seeds sown in the fall will sprout in spring and bloom a year later.
They are self-sowing biennials. Enjoy them wherever they choose to grow.
Flow
Sarah waits patiently while the other peonies finish their performance.
Her buds have been on hold for the signal to start.
Then they all open almost simultaneously.
They start in attire of white with taffy edges.
The petals slip into a ballet slipper pink as the blooms open.
She is worth the wait.
Sarah Bernhardt is the star of my garden.
Bravo!
Flower
May is definitely circus month for my Amaryllis.
The clowns are putting on their biggest show ever.
Monte Carlo has on its brightest red and white costume. Pink Surprise is pretty in flashy pink. Apple Blossom is the rice between spice.
Minerva has formed a crowd above the stone wall.
Charisma has toned down the contrast of its costume with a blending of pigments.
Monte Carlo refuses to blend in with the surroundings.
Apple Blossom has too much dignity to clown around and show off.
I consider it the amaryllis for all locations.
I love each amaryllis for its own character.
Stay tuned. There are more beside the pond surrounded by ferns.
The show will go on!
Flow
I know that I have referred to these as my garden clowns.
They are too big and too bright to fit into the landscape.
The truth is they are crazy happy outside and grow bigger and better than they ever could in a pot.
I give myself a different one each Christmas.
I have lost some in the past, until I developed a method of planting that protects them from rotting or being eaten.
The secret is lava rocks. I make a nest of rocks around each as I plant it.
This “lava rock nest” improves drainage and discourages diggers and munchers.
Now they survive and thrive in the garden.
All the other flowers pale in comparison to these show-offs.
I need their audacious blooms in the winter, so I keep collecting them.
They continue to grow and multiply and upstage the other flowers in May.
I do love my bold and beautiful garden clowns.
Stay tuned for more clowns and a famous actress.
FLOWER
I was given a few pieces of this epiphyllum years ago.
It has grown slowly.
It hangs in my sewing room among the drying laundry during the winter.
In the spring, it gets moved into a Crepe Myrtle.
It is stingy with its blooms, but each is spectacular.
The bloom is lovely from every angle.
I see why it is called an “orchid cactus.”
FLOWER
I blog about these same poppies every May. I hope that continues.
My poppy population gets smaller each year despite my efforts to save and share seed.
I would hate to lose these treasured flowers from an old friend who is no longer here.
Bill Troutman gave me these seeds decades ago.
The singles bloom first, only a few doubles have appeared so far.
I cannot imagine a more beautiful plant, bud, bloom or seed pod.
This is one of my most valued plants.
I hope it will continue to dazzle me every spring forever.
I have been telling folks that my daddy has been sending bluebirds to check on us.
It makes my friends smile, but I doubt they believe me.
Two evenings ago, while I was sitting in one of my “Spy Chairs” here comes one of daddy’s bluebirds.
It perched in the tree about eye-level to me and my camera.
Then there was a blur and another tiny bird perched beside the bluebird.
I thought it was a humming bird that I had been taking photos of earlier.
When I downloaded my photos and zoomed in I saw it was a warbler instead.
Maybe daddy is trying to tell me I need some new glasses. Ha!
FLOWER
Eco-print; feijoa leaf on silk. Image: Su Leslie 2019 This week’s Lens-Artists Photo Challenge ask us to focus on the details, so I’m going to take you on a wee journey through a very cool fibre art process I learned recently. This is not a lesson in technique (I’m a total novice here), but a […]
It’s all in the detail — Zimmerbitch
There is no finer flower than a double peony.
The singles may produce many more blooms,
but every double bloom is a delight.
The blooms need to be supported, especially during rains.
They are worth all the work.
I love everything about every one.
My favorite blooms late so you will have to wait for her.
She demands her own grand entrance, just like the famous actress she is named for.
Flower
