Come, step into my garden and take a walk with me. Ah May, I’m so glad you’re here. It seemed like the weather would never get warm, and the rain would never stop falling.
I’m not complaining mind you, not about the rain anyway. Oklahomans never complain about rain. In some years, it can be so dry here that’s it’s all I can do to get things to live and grow.
Not this year!
Instead, I’m just trying to keep ahead of the weeds as they sprout and take off. Speaking of weeding, Carol Michel from May Dreams Gardens and I have a podcast episode to help you weed better and faster on the Gardenangelists. It’s one of our highest rated episodes. Look for a future episode on the summer vegetable garden in addition to our weekly podcast. Last week was all about daisies, squash and queen bees.
In my opinion, there’s no prettier insect than the shy queen bee. If you’d like to try your hand at queen spotting, check out Queen Spotting: Meet the Remarkable Queen Bee and Discover the Drama at the Heart of the Hive by Hilary Kearney. It has great information and 48 queen spotting challenges. A fun book for all ages.
In addition to weeds, I have many plants that become overachievers once a little rain falls. They try to muscle out their neighbors and become the only things growing. I’ve been yanking black-eyed Susans, gardens mums like the sheffies, autumn clematis–how I wish I’d never planted that one–obedient plant, and ageratum out by the handfuls. Little bullies, all.
However, enough belly aching. Let’s get on to the blooms. [Click on the galleries to make the photos within larger.]
I love roses still, and in the last two years, after not seeing Rose Rosette Disease for quite a while, I planted several new ones. ‘Desdemona’ is blooming for the first time this year, and she is luscious.
Most of the new roses in the garden are English or David Austin roses. I decided that if I was going to work hard on roses again–and roses do take work–I was going to plant the most beautiful ones I could find. I would then weed out those that are weak. Shovel pruning is difficult but necessary sometimes.
Only the strongest survive in my Little Cedar Garden. It is Oklahoma after all. ‘Boscobel’ waited to bloom until this year too. I am also really pleased with the beginnings of a hedge of ‘Harlow Carr.’
But, it’s not just about the roses in May this year. In fact, because it’s been so rainy and cold the iris are still blooming. Bill loves iris. His mother and grandmother grew them. Most of my iris are from Stout Gardens at Dancing Tree, and I think Bill and I are going to make a run up to there to buy a few more. Not sure where I’ll plant them, but I’ll make room, or he’ll make another bed. Horrors! No more beds, please!
Although I love iris and peonies, I wish they didn’t bloom right when spring storms are passing through. I’ve staked a lot of them this year to help them hold up their heads.
A plant I’ve been wowed by this spring is Salvia nemorosa ‘Rose Marvel.’ Darwin Perennials sent three plants to me to trial last year. This clump of three plants doubled in size in one year and has been blooming for a month. I kid you not. National Garden Bureau has named 2019 the Year of the Salvia. I couldn’t agree more. Salvias in all their forms provide so much wonderful nectar for wildlife, and bloom so long you’d think they were annuals. After blooming just cut them back by half to get another series of bloom later in the season. I love ‘Rose Marvel’ so much I ordered three more plants for the front of this border yesterday from Bluestone Perennials. I also ordered ‘Blue Marvel’ and will plant it at the front of the same border. ‘Rose Marvel’ stands about eighteen inches tall.
Another taller selection of meadow sage is S. nemorosa ‘Cardonna.’ It is truly the most magical color and stands about two feet tall. Bees love ‘Cardonna.’ For more subtle color, try S. nemorosa ‘Blue Hill.’
One more thing, we’re opening the garden on Saturday, May 18, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. I hope all my local friends will come visit! If you need directions to our home, just email me at reddirtramblings@gmail.com. I’ll set you up.
Thanks so much for reading. I hope your gardens are blooming with good health too.
Peonies are a beauty …Field filled of salvias are scene to adhere.Happy blooms day.
Hi Arun, Happy Bloom Day to you too!
I feel the same way about roses! Mine all succumbed to Rose Rosette Disease. The previous owner had knockout roses planted, and I just kept trying to save them without knowing that I couldn’t. Now I’m hesitant to put any kind of roses back in because of how much I struggled with them. I just planted a couple salvia this year – hoping to see lots of pollinators!
Hi Shelly, I completely understand how you feel. It took me three or four years after all of the Rose Rosette was gone to even think about planting roses again. I was terrified for awhile, but I’ve decided it’s worth trying again.
Stunning: everything, Dee! Happy GBBD! I’m trying to stay ahead of everything–gardening and everything else–this spring. Enjoying the puppy, which takes a little extra time, but I’m happy with the challenge. I love your new header!
Beth, I love that you have a new puppy! How exciting. I’m so glad i don’t. I am having problems in my garden since I wrote this post. The rain has been overwhelming, and I have a critter lying down in my garden beds. My paths are also a mess, but it sure was pretty on that day!~~Dee
I love your roses. They are absolutely beautiful.
Jeannie@GetMeToTheCountry
Thank you so much Jeannie! I appreciate it. It was a great day.
You chose some beautiful flowers to share this month. Roses are iconic. The Salvias are splendid. I get the part about all the rain. Even my garden looks good this spring, the lawn included.
Lisa, you are too modest. Your garden looks great. I’m coming over to visit in a bit. I have so many flowers blooming right now that I thought I should focus on a few. The roses are making me feel better about my garden. Happy Bloom Day!
Lovely, it looks like paradise!
Carol, for this one moment in time, it is.
Love the Salvias and I so agree, if you’re going to work hard for roses they ought to be beautiful…and they are!
I used to have a different view about them. I guess gardening is always about changing one’s mind. I used to want the types that were proven disease-resistant performers, but now, many of the fancy ones are also disease resistant.