Busy, Busy

I'm sneaking in under the wire for this "Six on Saturday," hosted by Jim at Garden Ruminations. We're just past our last frost of the season, and now's the rush to get everything in the garden and organized for the growing season. Hardy perennials, like the Wild Hyacinths (Camassia spp.), can take a cold night, and the blooms are lasting much longer than they have during warmer Mays in other years. 
 


Lilies of the Valley (Convallaria majalis) are sending their heavenly scent through the late spring air.



Korean Lilacs (Syringa meyeri), just beginning to break bud, are adding their own amazing aromas.



It won't be long for the Peonies (Paeonia spp.); the ants are helping to keep the pests at bay. I apologize--I forgot to make note of the cultivar shown here.



I picked up this lovely Caladium 'Berries 'N Burgundy' at the garden center. It wasn't on my list, but oh well...

Finally, the Mayapples (Podophyllum peltatum) are strutting their stuff under their umbrellas. They sure are fun little buddies!

It's a special time of year for gardens around the world. Head on over to Garden Ruminations to join the May party. And Happy Mother's Day!

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I'm so pleased to share that our book, "A Journey of Seasonal Wisdom," is now available as a paperback, and it's available on Amazon and Amazon UK! It's also available in ebook format.

Fellow blogger, Donna Donabella, and I co-wrote the book, and its readers are truly part of the story. Take a journey with us through the seasons, week by week. We're both so thrilled our collaborative effort of several years is now a finished product! Visit Golden Dragonfly Press to learn more!

A Heart-Filled Vase

Happy vase day! For this week's collection, I knew I had to include some "hearts."



First, I included the heart-shaped foliage of Red Barrenwort (Epimedium x rubrum). The foliage is as exciting as the flowers (which I didn't include this time).



Next, Virginia Waterleaf (Hydrophyllum virginianum) is another plant with amazing foliage. In this case, I think the mottled leaves and their deeply lobed structure are even more visually appealing than the flowers (they're not blooming yet). In this arrangement, the leaves complement the foliage of the next plant.



Bleeding Hearts (Lamprocapnos spectabilis): They're at peak bloom now, they're excellent cut flowers, and they have a decent vase life. Definitely a favorite--in the garden and in a vase!



It's a good year for Wood Violets (Viola sororia). I'm letting them naturalize more than in the past: Why discourage beautiful, native ground covers?



It took a while for the native Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) to settle in to the garden, but it's really coming into its own now. It's been a great fall foliage replacement for the invasive Burning Bush (Euonymus alatus) we removed about 10 years ago. And now plentiful spring flowers are adding to the magic! A Chokeberry sprig with a couple of flower clusters added a nice central focal point to the vase.



Finally, the photo at the top of this post doesn't include this last element, but I thought the arrangement needed a "spike" of some sort. So I cut a sprig of budding Korean Lilac (Syringa meyeri).

What a joy to have so many options for cut flowers again! I hope spring is in full swing in your garden, too. For more vases from gardens around the world, visit Cathy's "In a Vase on Monday" meme at Rambling in the Garden.

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On Tuesday, May 5, our book, "A Journey of Seasonal Wisdom," will be released as a paperback, and available on Amazon! It's also available in ebook format.

Fellow blogger, Donna Donabella, and I co-wrote the book, and its readers are truly part of the story. Take a journey with us through the seasons, week by week. We're both so thrilled our collaborative effort of several years is now a finished product! Visit Golden Dragonfly Press to learn more!

An Ode to the Trilliums

Trillium recurvatum

Trillium grandiflorum

Trillium erectum

And Now It's 'Real' Spring

Many of us who live in climates featuring extreme seasonal swings often joke about the many "seasons" of spring--from fake spring, to "spring of deception," to real spring. I think we've made it to the last stage. We'll still be cold a few times in the next few weeks, but I'm officially packing away the parka and the snow boots.

And the garden is signaling it's time to move on and grow!



The stars of area gardens right now are the Crabapples (Malus spp.). They seem to suddenly explode with lush flowers and intoxicating scents.

A few blooms of various Hellebores still hang on--especially those in colder, shadier areas.

The Mayapples (Podophyllum peltatum) in the woodland resemble a convention of umbrellas. As they flatten out in the next few days, apparently that's a sign it's time to hunt for Morel mushrooms.



Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica)...sigh...I wish they could bloom all summer. Their time is too fleeting.



Same with the Bleeding Hearts (Lamprocapnos spectabilis). They're great companions for the Virginia Bluebells, as shown in the top photo.

Finally, for this "Six on Saturday," I'm including a nod to the Barrenworts, in this case, Epimedium x warleyense. I have several Barrenwort varieties, but this one seems particularly happy with the garden's conditions.

That's it for this week for my "Six on Saturday," a meme hosted by Jim at Garden Ruminations. Head on over to his wonderful blog to visit gardens around the world.

___________________

Our book, "A Journey of Seasonal Wisdom," is now available in ebook format, internationally, on Amazon!

Fellow blogger, Donna Donabella, and I co-wrote the book, and its readers are truly part of the story. The paperback will be out next week! We're both so thrilled: Our collaborative effort of several years is now a finished product. Visit Golden Dragonfly Press or my previous post to learn more!