May Blooms

The skies opened and blessed us with rain today, nearly all day long.  It was a great day for just sitting on the porch, watching the much needed showers, and relaxing in the cool fresh air.  Between drizzles, I strolled around the garden and found the plants looking as refreshed as I felt.  This desert rose enjoys water as much as any plant, but it will defoliate, if over watered.  

Hydrangeas are beginning to bloom...a beautiful blue.  I don't think it's possible to give them too much water, they're heavy drinkers.

May is the month for Confederate Jasmine, and I look forward to it's arrival every year.  Not so much for the flower, although it is lovely, but for that fragrance that makes you want to linger in the garden.

I have over a hundred feet of Jasmine vine, used as a living privacy fence, alongside my driveway.  These plants run the gamut of full sun to complete shade and thrive nonetheless.

Gardenias also bloom in May, and perfume the garden with their wonderful scent.

  

'Valentine's Day' Rose is blooming by the front gate.

Amaryllis

Glorius May, she also brings Agapanthus blooms!  Every where these are planted, they are just full of buds...it's going to be great year for blue in the garden.

The blues will go perfect with this yellow 'Lemon' daylily...

Back in the shade gardens, my Devil's Backbone is blooming.

Blooms are an added bonus, I always liked this plant before I even knew it could bloom.

Inside and outside the gazebo, Jackmanii clematis is blooming.

I hope your gardens are filled with blooms during this wonderful month of May.  Happy gardening.

Made in the shade...in Central Florida

The good news is, I'm through with the shade garden I dismantled  last week.  The bad news, I have to catch up on the weeding and deadheading that I've been letting go, while I've been playing in the dirt.  To bring you up to date...

We removed the rocks from around this bed, so we could join it to the garden running along the fence line.

After removing the sod and digging out a few, maybe more than a few, roots.

We added some good dirt.

I bought the trellis for less than half price , from a small local nursery.  It's got some rust, and my Honey would have been happy to sand and paint it, but I love it just the way it is. 

Two small Bleeding Heart vines, three hostas, three Persian Shield plants and a couple coleus.  That's all I bought (the first trip)  because there are so many caladiums packed in the bed that I'm going to separate.  I've got plenty more in other shade gardens that are over crowded.  I did go back and buy a few more hostas before I finished the bed.

Don't know how well you can tell from this picture, but there's two Confederate Jasmines on those trellises.  Oh yes, I knew better when I put them there...I'm trimming them every other week, so I'm borrowing them for the new garden.

Two Jasmines on the fence now, didn't lose too much of them.

Trellis in, a lot separated already.  A good overcast day, watered as I went, nothing wilted.

Bleeding  Heart vine on the trellis, looks tiny, but they grow so fast.

Most of my gardens look better in photos than they do in real life, it's just true.  This garden is far more beautiful in real life, it' an awkward corner to photograph.

Loving my new trellis

This garden is so busy, I decided to keep the pot material simple, Spider plants.

Thanks for checking out my garden.  I hope you all are having a great weekend...happy gardening.



Sentimental Garden Journey

Have you ever taken a trip down memory lane and kind of wished you hadn't?  After going through some old garden photos, I was somewhat bummed out, o.k., a lot bummed out.   Ten years ago the busyness of life caused a slow down, a detour if you will, in my gardens progress.  At the same time, other changes out of my control also transformed my garden space.  Two old Live Oaks, too close to the house, were removed.   Later that year, some nasty winds uprooted several Old Garden Roses and a Drake Elm.  It was about that time that I began downsizing the gardens, trying to get them to a less time consuming size.  A year later, we removed some of the garden space and installed sod.  I know, what was I thinking?!!!  Still, so grateful for what I have and looking forward to what my gardens will be ten years from now.  Here are some pictures of then and now.



Then... the two Live Oaks that were removed ten years ago.



Now... so barren, but the new roses will make a beautiful garden by fall.



Then



Now





Ten years ago...many more roses than now.

Then... garden was fuller, wilder.



Then... the beginnings of our Confederate  Jasmine vine, so, there are some improvements.

Jasmine vine today.

Then...my shade gardens were overtaken by fern, not much to look at.

Now

Now...yes, I  think all the shade gardens are improved.

Now

Now, but this is on my list for a change.



Now



Then... last picture, but first in Grandma's heart, my grandson playing in the lilies.


















.