Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - May 2019

I’ve been busy with work, gardening and just enjoying watching everything grow. No captions today, because my laptop has decided not to work and Blogger doesn’t work so well from an iPad. There are lots of irises, my first peony of the year, and a blue poppy popped out in the rain today.

Thanks to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for the mid-month roundup!

Rose garden, May 2018

The rose garden is my favorite in late May, the roses are all in bloom for the first time and the perennials help them show off. This was the first area of the yard that I started to work on in 2016 and looking back at the changes makes me happy, feels good to see the progression.

West fence, looking north

North fence, looking east

In the corner of the fences

Looking down the slope is the biggest change because the railroad tie retaining wall is gone and the whole shape of the slope is new. That's a major work in progress for this year.

North fence, looking east down the slope

In the main rose garden, I've only added a few more plants - a clematis in the corner, phlox to replace the fern leaf lavender that didn't survive the first winter, and three more bearded irises.

Clematis and rose in the mailbox corner

The irises have been amazing this year, now they're mostly done and time to deadhead because some are re-bloomers.

New bearded irises, earlier in May

Bearded iris, earlier in May

Bearded iris, earlier in May

Last bearded iris still blooming

All three of the peonies that I planted in the fall of 2016 finally bloomed this year, now I want more!

Peonies

Peony

Peony and catmint

We cut the roses way back in March, this year and last year, and that does seem to keep them healthier. We did take one out along the north fence, now trying to decide what to do with the gap. 

I mulched with wood chips in the fall and that keeps the weeds fairly well under control, but still have some grass and bindweed to pull out. I also put in a new drip line this week, the old one sprung a big leak last year, so the rose garden is all ready for summer! 

Rose and catmint

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - May, 2018

Bearded irises

I'm sure I've been working outside every day this month, hauling topsoil and wood chips, planting, weeding, watering. But even the harder physical labor feels like a respite from the stress of the job that pays the bills. Spring is such a lovely time to be outdoors, something new is blooming everywhere I turn!

Thanks to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for hosting the monthly roundup of blooms.

My red collection of bearded irises, planted last summer

The hardiest bearded irises ever

This bearded iris was a freebie

My oldest bearded iris, rescued from a shady bed

Non-bearded irises

Aquilegia

Camassia and California poppies

Riverbank lupine is taking over my meadow

Limnanthes douglasii

Chives

Dogwood, cornus kousa 'Rosy Teacups', still a baby

Roses are just starting

Jupiter's beard, centranthus ruber, planted from seed last year

Foxglove, planted from seed last year

Rhododendron 'Lee's Dark Purple'

Big blooms on a baby Rhododendron 'Polarnacht' 

Unknown rhododendron in the front yard

What's next? Peonies! All three that I planted in the fall of 2016 have buds this year.