May Showers and Flowers

I'm not sure how much rain we got in April, but it's been raining a lot in May, and the temps have been unseasonably cold.  It was sprinkling off and on while I was taking these photos, on the 12th, then a couple hours later, a thunderstorm rolled in.  I needed to take the photos for Carol's Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day and Tootsies' Fertilizer Friday early because I have a lot going on this weekend.  The weather was much nicer today, the 13th.  The sun came out, and it got up to 61.  The weather man laughed, saying he doesn't remember people being so happy when the temperature was 10 degrees below normal this time of year.

I don't remember  how long the bleeding hearts usually stay in bloom, but I've been enjoying these for at least a month.  They are almost finished.

The pink one has fewer blooms left.

The different kinds of dinathus are at or approaching their full bloom stage.

I have several clumps of English daisies, but I had thought they were an aster of some kind.  There are several different colors. I don't think they bloomed last year, and I was going to take them out this year if they didn't.  They have lots of flower buds on them, so they must be trying to please me and earn their spots in the garden.

The leaves of this one don't show.  That is yarrow next to the bloom.

This is the first of the old fashioned ox-eyed daisies to bloom. 

Orange hawk weed can be invasive.  It may even be illegal to grow in some states, but not mine. I have it in a spot I can keep it under control by pulling the plants out that have gone farther than I want them to.  The little rain drop covered buds will open soon.

This is a native verbena of some kind.  I just looked it up, and it appears to be rose verbena.  I had some a number of years ago that lived quite awhile, but disappeared one year.  I've tried the Homestead verbena, but it doesn't survive winters for me.  A friend from church had some of this in her flower bed there, and I asked her about it.  She lives in the country, and said she has lots of it, so she dug me a clump.  I am so pleased!

I think someone identified this reblooming iris for  me last year.  I looked up German reblooming yellow irises, and found one called, 'Harvest of Memories'.  That sounds familiar to me, and they sure look like the one in the photo.  The luneria still has some blooms along with the cool seedpods.

This is the photo I had ready to post next.  Here's a link to the Iris germanica 'Harvest of Memories' I found on the internet.  (This is not an advertisement.  I know nothing about this company.)  I'd say they are a match!  The fun thing about these, is that they are full of blooms now, and in October, will be blooming again.  Last year, they still had buds when the freezing temps hit.

I think these are called, 'Imortality'.  They bloom again towards fall, too.

The irises I got from a neighbor are full of blooms, as are the catmint and perennial geraniums next to them.

They smell good, too, as do the other ones I've shown.

Most of the perennial geraniums are either full of blooms or buds.

The woodland phlox are almost finished blooming.  They are one of my early spring favorites.

I have one more pasque flower deciding to bloom.  The candytuft and sweet woodruff are still going strong.

The other daylilies I  have will bloom in late June and July.  These from a friend are a treat this time of year.

There is a little more color on the baptisias.

The catmint in the east bed and in the curb bed will be clipped back as soon as they finish blooming.  In a few weeks, they will be more compact, and bloom again.

The dwarf comfrey is almost finished blooming.  You'd never know it was moved there from another spot when it was small.

The perennial bachelor buttons have just begun to bloom.

There only seems to be one of the several sweet rockets my sister gave me left.

Lovage is an herb I forget to cook with, but someone who was cooking a meal for one of those clubs where they dress up in old time clothes came and got some one time.  The alliums are looking good still.

My beloved amsonias are beginning to bloom.

More rescued iris are blooming.

They are darker "in person".

I'm always sad when these early bloomers are finished.

I think this iris is one of my favorites.

Here's a view from the other side of this curb bed.  The shed, house and side garden are in the background, across the driveway.

I like this white dianthus and the awesome euphorbia.  I found a similar one to add to this bed in front of the veggie garden.  I'll do that when the soil is dry enough.

The gas plant is one of the last to come up in the spring, and one of the quickest to grow to blooming size.  In a few days, these buds will open.

I was really enjoying munching on the kale buds, but they got away from me, and are blooming.  I think I caused more blooms to set.

I'm enjoying the columbines.  They never used to live more than a season or two for me, except for a big yellow one under the tree in the front yard, which isn't blooming yet, and the wild ones I had in another yard.  I'm glad I tried them again.