May 15, 2011

GBBD: A colorful, imperfect post

I'm about to head out the door to a theatre production of "Les Miserable," about which I am incredibly excited! But I couldn't let May 15 go by without participating in Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. Thanks to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for hosting!


Things are a bit out of control in my gardens. After I shot the photo above, I did manage to get out and pull the wandering Ferns in the main perennial bed. But there's so much work to do!

It won't get done tonight, so here's a sampling of what's blooming in my garden today:


The Redbud is at the peak of it's brilliance (here framing one of our lovely Burning Bushes). At least it was at its peak until the wind blew many of the blossoms off. I went a little overboard with the Redbud shots, none of them particularly amazing, but it's a personal favorite tree.





I usually miss the cute little yellow Barberry blossoms. You have to get really close to even notice them:


Of course another favorite, Bleeding Heart, is lovely now and will remain so for a few weeks as long as it doesn't get too hot too fast:


The Cushion Spurge is not at its peak, and that's good because this isn't a very good shot. I have much better ones from previous years. But it is GBBD, and Cushion Spurge is blooming in my garden:


The Flowering Almond is luscious. I pruned it back a bit too much last fall, so I won't show you what the entire bush looks like, but the blossoms are among the prettiest in the garden:


The reliable Lamium has its pretty colors on, too, and they'll stay that way for months. What a fun little plant!


The Yellow Wood Violets are brightening up their little corner of the world:


As are the Periwinkle Wintercreepers:


And we can't forget the Flowering Crabapples, which are filling the air with sweet scents all around town:


Soon the Lily of the Valley will do the same:


And I had to share this photo of the Trillium in all of its "naturalness." It's an imperfect photo for so many reasons, but I like it. This is what it really looks like in my garden. Evidence of cohabitation with animals, and all.


Happy May GBBD!

28 comments:

  1. I think it is perfect colorful post! I love all your blooms, but the redbud especially. Enjoy "Les Miserables"!

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  2. I think everything looks wonderful and welcoming. We have tons of redbud here and I really love it. Perfection is over rated. Reality is better!! The flowering almond has beautiful flowers. I need to check and see if they grow here.

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  3. You have lots of pretties to show. When I get to know you better, I'll tell you to go back and edit out all the negative comments that detract from your lovely garden.

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  4. So many lovely flowers that mirror my garden and boy can I relate to so much work to do as well...Hope you enjoyed the musical as much as I enjoyed your garden

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  5. Looks like springtime...Happy GGB d

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  6. Lovely blooms! Your garden is very beautiful and nicely laid out. Happy GBBD Day!

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  7. I hope you enjoy the show...it was one of the first my husband and I ever saw and we loved it! Redbud is a favorite of my also...I took way too many shots of it when it was in bloom here in February. Happy GBBD!

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  8. Lovely GBBD post, no matter what you say. Love your redbud image. Have fun at the production!

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  9. What a beautiful garden! Love the redbud - also my favorite.

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  10. I, too, love redbuds. Wouldn't be spring without them! I, too, feel like there's so much work to be done - and I don't know when I'll get it all done! I love bleeding heart, and that flowering almond is the epitome of pretty.

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  11. Glad I found your blog- I'm just catching up on all your great posts. It looks like you and I found some of the same flowers blossoming for GBBD this month. That redbud must pair perfectly with the burning bush when the leaves change in fall. Beautiful!

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  12. I love Redbuds too, but the delicate (in my area almost endangered) Trillium. Oh, the Trillium. Beautiful images!

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  13. @Masha: Thank you! Redbuds are amazing, aren't they? Such a unique color! The show was fantastic!

    @TS: I didn't have perfect photos, but I wanted to post anyway. :) I highly recommend Flowering Almond! The blossoms look like Roses.

    @Nell Jean: Thank you. I wanted to be honest. But I suppose you're right. I'll try to be more positive next time. :)

    @Donna: Thanks. We seem to have so much in common, including things that are blooming, plants we choose, etc. The musical was phenomenal!

    @Greggo: Yes, it's been springtime on steroids around here lately. Weird weather patterns that warm things up enough to bloom, then cooldowns which preserve the blossoms.

    @Sage: Thank you! I can't wait to get out and really clean things up next weekend! Cheers!

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  14. @Cat: The show was fantastic! Great sets, voices, acting. Very powerful! Wow, you are very fortunate to Redbuds blooming in February!

    @Donna: Thank you! It's so pretty outside lately. No matter where you look. I'm sure it's the same for you now! :)

    @David: Thanks! When Redbuds bloom it seems like "real" springtime!

    @Holley: It's overwhelming sometimes, isn't it? I hope to do some serious weeding and planting next weekend. I'm sure your gardens are amazing!

    @Kate: I'm heading on over to your blog tonight. Thanks for stopping by! Yes, the Burning Bush and Redbud are great companions in any season (winter's a little sparse, though).

    @Margaret: I know what you mean about the Trillium. I was reading that it's illegal to pick or transplant them from public lands in several states, including Wisconsin.

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  15. Suddenly you have an explosion of blooms! Yay for that. Your garden looks so pretty ~ I did not see any weeds. :-)
    I've been wanting to add a Redbud to my garden and I've almost decided on a spot. It's such a dainty tree and nothing is prettier when blooming.
    It was interesting to see your flowering almond. My Mom was telling me recently it was one of her favorites and I wasn't familiar with it. The blooms are lovely. She said they smell amazing too. Lucky you.
    Enjoy all your gorgeous blossoms and the play.

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  16. Glad to know that you had a wonderful time at the theatre. I had a splendid time looking at your spectacular GBBD show. Love all the blossoms.

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  17. Hi, Beth! It's been awhile since I've visited, and it's good to see that spring has finally come to WI. You can never have too many photos of redbuds--I think they're my favorite in the spring with their glowing lavender blooms showing up everywhere.

    Hope you enjoyed "Les Mis"!

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  18. I like your garden! It's shaded and fascinating. :)

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  19. The redbud is lovely, I can see why you would take so many photos of it, I am the same with my star magnolia. You have wonderful blossom, and have almost converted me to trilliums.

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  20. I don't think any amount of photos of a redbud can be considered "too many"!!! Love that flowering Almond...stunning!

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  21. @Kathleen: Oh, I'm sure you'll love the Redbud! You have so many beautiful plants in your garden, it will fit right in. The Flowering Almond is a winner, too. Hopefully mine will fill out a little more this year and then it will be lovely next year.

    @Autumn Belle: Thank you. May is an amazing month in this climate. After slogging through the long winter, a near euphoria takes hold as everything comes to life and colors pop out of the gray landscape.

    @Rose: Yes, Les Mis was fantastic! I'm still singing the songs. Yes, it's a wonderful time to live in Wisconsin--from now until about mid-November. I don't mind a little winter, but if I could I'd leave this state from January through March.

    @Dona: Thank you. Yes, it's pretty shady. I have a small sunny garden on the west side of the house, but the rest is shady.

    @Janet: Oh, I love Star Magnolias. I wish I had one in my garden. Maybe someday! Trilliums are magical in my book, but they don't last very long. They're starting to fade now, and with the warm weather, the blossoms will soon be gone.

    @Scott: Yeah, the Redbud is pretty nifty. And I like the way it looks next to the complimentary chartreuse green of the Burning Bush foliage. Sounds like you have some in your garden, too?

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  22. All so spring lovely! Yes, we have many of the same favorites including our wandering ferns!

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  23. I love your garden! No need to apologize for imperfections ... I adore redbuds and the time of spring when they're peaking. Enjoy!

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  24. @Joey: Thanks for stopping by. I'll head on over to your blog in a minute. So much is blooming it's hard to decide what to focus on.

    @Sheila: Thanks! I'm trying to find a balance between my day job and blogging, gardening, housework, and the rest of life. So I didn't spend as much time as I'd wanted to on this post. I appreciate your kind comments.

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  25. Your garden makes me wish more having one for myself, colors and assortment of plants in spring is what brings energy after the winter. Thanks for sharing!

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  26. What a beautiful, colorful post Beth! Your Redbuds are gorgeous! Mine bloomed out weeks ago. And the Bleeding Heart is just beautiful...wish I could grow them here. And the Lily of the Valleys remind me of my grandmother's house growing up (in S/E Massachusetts)...a trip down memory lane for me. Thank you!

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  27. @Lula: Yes, having a garden is especially fun this time of year. I can't wait to get out there and plant the annuals and vegetables! I hope you'll be able to acquire your own garden soon!

    @Diane: Thanks! You are so fortunate to have things blooming in late winter and early spring. The Lily of the Valley should be very fragrant in the next few days as the temps warm. Love that smell!

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  28. Blog hopping & just came across your darling gardening blog...I host a garden party on Thursdays & would love to have you link up sometime???? xoxo, tracie

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