May Bloom Day

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Kousa Dogwood
I don't know about the rest of you but I've been disappointed with spring so far. First, the early bloom display of the yoshino cherries lasted about 3 days and then the same thing happened with the roses! They bloomed really early this year and then were zapped by storms and rain. Normally, our garden is glorious around Mother's Day but this is the first year that I can recall when most of the roses were kaput on that day. We had three days of 90s last week and this weekend has been damp, dark, dreary and chilly. Can there be a happy medium? Sorry for my rant!

Despite the setbacks, I found a few blooms for Bloom Day, a day when bloggers share what is blooming in their gardens. For more gardens, visit May Dreams Gardens.

Some of the roses that are still blooming -


"Super Dorothy"
"Sea Foam"'

"Scarlet Meidiland"

"Nearly Wild"
The hydrangeas are also beginning - 


"Twist n' Shout"

"Bluebird"

"Dayspring"

"Endless Summer"

"Madame Emile Mouillere"

"Snowflake"
Bonfire Begonia

Loropetalum, Thuja "Green Giant", Bamboo

Rose Campion, Lamb's Ear, unidentified rose

Creeping Bellflower (Campanula rapunculoides)

Clematis "Jackmanii"



Euonymous "Emerald n' Gold"'



Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Comments

greggo said…
Like your hydrangea collection. I've added twist and shout, Lady In Red, and Endless Summer to my gardens.
May 15, 2011 at 6:16 PM
Randy Emmitt said…
Phillip,
Roses are over rated anyway. Still many great photos for May so far. I'd be tickled if my garden looked that good.
May 15, 2011 at 7:01 PM
Rainy Day Gardener said…
Your hydrangea's are gorgeous! I'm quite jealous, I lost both of mine this winter. Heartbreaking. Beautiful gardens, Happy Bloom Day!
May 15, 2011 at 7:30 PM
Kelsey said…
Oh, wow! Today we returned from a week vacation and when I returned to my garden I was bummed! We need rain here in Texas terribly and the deer broke into my garden a week or two ago so it is depressing in my garden! Thanks for showing off your lovely photos! It makes me feel better to see such lovelies and keep working toward a great garden! Always enjoy your blog!
May 15, 2011 at 7:30 PM
Ginger said…
well gees Phillip, your garden looks plenty amazing this year to me!!
how do you like that rose campion? I planted it a few years ago and it hasn't done much...might not get the right light.
May 15, 2011 at 7:44 PM
Larry said…
Philip... despite the weather, your photos do look fabulous. I do know what you mean though... we suddenly got 85 degree weather for one day... brought on most all the magnolias quickly... then we got two days of 30-40 mph wind with 50's and probably frost tonight! A gardener just can't seem to get a break! I do always enjoy your posts... Larry
May 15, 2011 at 7:46 PM
Nell Jean said…
Every year is different. I think your garden looks great for May. June will be even better.
May 15, 2011 at 8:45 PM
Anonymous said…
the plant you asked about looks like some type of campanula.
May 15, 2011 at 9:16 PM
Catarina said…
Hi Phillip

The plant you asked the name for,looks like a Campanula rapunculoides. In Sweden it´s a weed, very difficult to get rid of.
I do like your hydrangea collection.
Catarina
May 16, 2011 at 8:43 AM
Lisa at Greenbow said…
Wow, some disappointment. Here it would be triumph. I do know what you mean by this spring being so mixed up and WET. UGH... At least the hydrangeas are liking these conditions. Happy GBBD anyway.
May 16, 2011 at 8:57 AM
Fishtail Cottage said…
Your garden is looking fabulous! You have a beautiful mix of evergreen & perennials - love it! i'm in my fourth year of having dogwoods in the garden & still have yet to see a bloom appear.... it's fun to see yours! xoox, tracie
May 16, 2011 at 9:40 AM
Anonymous said…
Your garden is so pretty. Very intimate.
May 16, 2011 at 9:42 AM
Phillip Oliver said…
Greggo, I think you will like them.

Thanks Randy!

Jenni, I think they will be very nice this year.

Kelsey, I hope you get some rain soon. I know how it is to be in a drought.

Ginger, I really love the rose campion. I can keep it for several years but then have to replace it after a while.

Larry, I will appreciate the roller coaster weather when we start getting never-ending 90s later in the summer.

Thanks Nell Jean, Tracie and Lisa!

Catarina and Anon, thanks so much. I think you are right.
May 16, 2011 at 11:13 AM
Mr. McGregor's Daughter said…
Too bad about the roses. It's tough when all year you look forward to a special plant's blooms & you almost miss them, they bloom such a short time. This has been a weird spring here, with bloom times of some plants, like the Forsythia, prolonged, and others delayed. Your Hydrangeas are all so lovely. I have Twist-N-Shout too, but it's a sad looking thing at the moment, just starting to leaf out, and it blooms a bright pink here.
May 16, 2011 at 2:30 PM
Rosedale garden said…
I'm with you on the crazy weather. It was too wet to plow my garden Saturday and my squash had to be planted. I had misty rain and sun at the same time, so after replacing the seats and springs in my drippy kitchen faucet I head to the garden. Now in between the daylilies and Japanese iris (which are blooming now) are my squash and cucumbers. Grace and I enjoyed our visit last week. Mary
May 16, 2011 at 9:09 PM
Annie in Austin said…
We're all having crazy weather, Phillip, but everyone seems to have a different kind of crazy weather. Sorry about your cherries. Our roses budded up, rushed into bloom and then fell apart quickly in early heat which made me want to rant, too.

I love the loropetalum/Thuja combo... wish I could copy it!

Annie at the Transplantable Rose

"belymmen"? very odd word verification!
May 16, 2011 at 9:30 PM
Les said…
Looks like you found more than a few blooms. I am jealous of the Bonfire Begonia. We first saw them here a couple of years ago, and everyone wanted them. They have been totally unavailable for the past two years. Maybe I will need to drive to Bama.
May 17, 2011 at 4:24 AM
sweetbay said…
Looks like your hydrangea are trying to make up for the roses' short bloom time this year. They are beautiful! I didn't realize there was a blue Campanula that would do well in the South. I'll have to look that one up. It's lovely.
May 17, 2011 at 9:22 AM
scottweberpdx said…
Sorry for your weather woes :-( If it's any consolation, the garden still looks lovely to me...so full and lush!
May 17, 2011 at 10:53 AM
Anonymous said…
I know what you mean Phillip. I think it's this yo-yo weather we've all had. It's hard to predict what the garden will do. But you still have some beautiful blooms!
May 18, 2011 at 4:55 AM
The Redneck Rosarian said…
Great blooms! Sea Foam is on my "list" of must have roses!
May 18, 2011 at 6:34 AM
Rob (ourfrenchgarden) said…
Your Jackmanii is ahead of mine.

Love the rose campion. I had it a few years ago and it dissapeared only to return this year.

I bet the hydrangeas appreciated the recent damp weather. It's too dry over here, send us some rain.
May 18, 2011 at 6:54 AM
F Cameron said…
Our weather changes minute-by-minute, so I understand your frustration.

Your blooms are lovely and I covet your hydrangeas--wishing for more fence here so that I could keep deer away and grow them again!
May 18, 2011 at 12:55 PM
The Brown Recluse (TBR) said…
I want to come take pictures in your garden!!!!!
May 20, 2011 at 6:48 PM
Gail said…
Phillip, Your garden looks splendid to me, but, I know that this spring has been one strange weather event after another! gail
May 20, 2011 at 6:48 PM
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