Mid-May 2013 Blooms

In this last week of May, I admit to having posted nothing for an entire month.  Let me remedy that by showing off what was happening in my yard two weeks ago.

I'll start with the annual disappointment:  clematis.

 

Why are these disappointing?  Well, this color is not particularly showy, as far as clematis go.  I've tried others over the years, but I can't keep them alive.  I think this one came with the house. Why else are they a failure?  The three blooms, plus the foliage (about 4ft off the ground) are the full extent of blooms and foliage for this plant.  That's it.

 

Moving on to happier plants, here's the baptisia in the terrace garden (straight-up Baptisia australis, no cultivar), in not-quite full bloom.  I love this plant, but have trouble photographing it to its advantage.

 



I planted the baptisia about four years ago (maybe five...).  Three plants, which have all thrived.  It's making babies, too, but they tend to sprout in the veggie garden where they obviously can't stay.  So I still have just the original three.

Here's a columbine in the "neglected terrace bed". 

Of all the columbines, this one has the largest flowers and the most upright blooms.  I think it is also the smallest plant.  I don't know how it does that.

Over on the patio, my jumble of plopped plants is taking over. 

Virginia sweetspire and penstemon blooming, along with Echinacea foliage.  Together, these plants have managed to outcompete the columbine and obedient plants that once shared this space.  The original penstemon was "husker's red", but its offspring are sometimes not red.

Also on the patio, some Wisteria "Amethyst Falls" in a pot.  Year three, and I still don't have the trellis it was intended to grow on.

Around to the front yard, now.  Mid-month, the peonies were just starting to open.

Along the front walkway, coreopsis blooms among the old daffodil foliage.

In the lower front border, two types of catmint and an iris.

That's "Walker's Low" on the right, and an unidentified passalong plant on the left.  Quite a difference in growth and flowering habits.  (Can't see the iris in there?  It's all the way on the right, also purple.)

Mid-month, the Kousa dogwood was still a bit green, but showy.  It is full-white now.

Along the driveway, blackberry flowers promise tastiness to come.

Other mid-may blooms, not pictured: more columbine (purple and A. Canadensis), geranium, bearded irises, viburnum, Centaurea, rue, strawberries, Tradescantia, hellebores.