After a disappointing April, May turned into a mostly sunny month. The ground dried out and, at times, was becoming quite hard after being baked in the sun. The heat from the sun was enough for us to search out the sunhats, sunglasses and T shirts!
The Tulips haven't lasted very long with all this heat. They have been grown in pots but I think they might go into the garden for next year. Lily bulbs are sprouting in their pots too. I usually just put these in the border among the other flowers in their pots.
With the sunshine the Crab Apple trees have finally opened the buds on their blossom. One tree in particular has been very heavily laden with blossom this year - the birds and bees have loved it. The tree has been humming! Our Bramley Apple tree has also finally blossomed - began to think it wasn't going to have any this year! Fruit on the Damson, Pear and Plum trees seems to have set. Must wait and see what the June drop brings!
Foliage on the trees has meant it is more difficult to see the birds now but there must be plenty of bugs and caterpillars as we have seen birds with their beaks full of them as they feed their babies. The Blackbirds have fledglings to feed, as do the House Sparrows and Blue Tits. The Great Tits finally fledged on 28th of the month - just made it before June!
The colour in the garden is really building now. The sun has meant many plants have opened their buds over the last weeks. The Primulas have finally gone over, but they have certainly earned their place in the garden this year. Lots of dead heading to do now so they build up energy for next year.
The Clematis has put on lots of new growth and is opening its flowers. Aquilegias are popping up all over the garden as the seed spreads and new plants appear. Love their bonnets! One of my favourite spring flowers so the self seeding is no problem - at the moment!
The Holly is covered in tiny flowers too - you have to look really closely to appreciate them.
Lilac, Rhododendron and Azaleas are looking good with their colours blazing in the sunshine. Some of the flowers on the rhododendron are huge. Alliums, Chives and London Pride are all flowering in profusion and are wonderful to see.
The Ornamental Quince is also covered in blossom. The peach coloured one is laden with flowers - hope that means we might get more fruits than the 4/5 we got last year. Quince jelly is one of our favourite home made preserves.
Cushions of flowers are appearing in the rockery. Many are white but these are beautifully offset by the pinks, purples etc. The yellow faces of the Rock Roses and the orange and yellow of the Welsh Poppies are a really cheerful sight.The Bluebells have gone over now but their smell was delicious.
The flowers of the Poached-Egg plant are now bursting into life and attracting the bees - as are the Cerinthe plants that seeded themselves from last years plants. I have some seedlings growing too so we should have more flowers to come. Centurea has been another great attractant for the bees now that it is flowering.Other summer bedding has been in the cold frame and is waiting to be planted. Sunflowers, Sweet Peas and Cosmos to name just a few!
Our Lily of the Valley have pushed through the ground - their subtle pink colour is really pretty.
The first Tomato plants are now flowering in the greenhouse, and with the hot weather have needed quite a bit of watering! Cucumbers are in their place too and I am just waiting for the Cucamelons to get a little bigger before putting them into their final places.
We are still waiting for all the wild flower seeds to sprout but hopefully the warmer weather will get them moving. The wild patch at the side of the house is beginning to show more growth but the top layer has become rather dry in the heat so seeds there may take a bit longer. The Campion and Geraniums are looking good though with plenty of new growth and buds developing nicely.
Towards the end of the month we did finally get some rain but only occasionally and not too heavily! The garden was certainly appreciative!
Some of the final flowers this month have been the Oriental Poppies and the Iris. It's hard to know - with both of them - which colour is my favourite.
Lovely to see the spaces in the garden borders finally filling out with lovely sights and smells!
May
Colours are building, more every day,
A kaleidoscope of flowers looking so gay.
The scents are delightful, so heady and sweet,
The smells of early summer drifting about in the heat.
Lilac and magnolia are beginning to sing,
Bluebells in abundance
- my favourite of spring.
Honeysuckle and clematis splendidly entwined,
Their scents catch the air as the days unwind.
Azaleas and rhodies are not quite there,
But a few more days in this life- giving air…
The splendour of the garden is there to see,
May is giving a glimpse of what summer might be…
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