Tuesday, May 13, 2014

May, the Fairest of Them All

Every month has something to show in the garden. Even the winter months have interesting textures to show us. But I find May to be the fairest of them all.
Flowers bloom in earnest, the weather warms, and the garden grows.
 Excitement builds as vegetables are planted, containers are filled, and annuals go into beds.
Plants are generally green and fresh, and insect damage hasn't yet become a problem. You just have to love it! 

 The harsh, dry summer weather seems far away at this point.  It rains and rains, and everything is so green that it almost makes your eyes hurt. Maybe this will be a wet summer, it's hard to say at this point. But usually, the rains stop around June and from then on, it's a battle to keep things watered. 

 Now one of my usual favorite parts of May is when the roses begin to bloom. That first flush of blooms is always the finest. But the sad news is that our harsh winter really did a number on my rose garden, as it did in so many other areas. I'm not sure when I'll see any roses this year, if any. It's disappointing, but I'm trying to take it in stride. I've done a lot of tweaking to my rose garden, discarding the dead ones, and also those that are under performers. When my rose garden comes back to life, the theory is that it should look better than ever. In the mean time, here is what it looked like in years past.

Maybe one of the reasons that I like May so much is that it's my birthday month, and is followed quickly by Mother's Day. I can't say that I mind the attention. And it does tend to start out my favorite month with a bang.

I'm sure that others could make a strong case for their own favorites, but for me, it will be always be May, the fairest of them all.

20 comments:

  1. You've some amazing colour in the garden, really lovely!

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    1. Thank you Kelli, I do use a lot of color in both my home and my garden. Bright colors make me smile!

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  2. Robin girl you are ahead of me with the blooms and how gorgeous are they! .. You are right about the garden looking so beautiful and fresh now and for another few weeks before the cruel summer and insect feast happens.
    It makes you want to "pause" this time of year so you can really enjoy all your pretty plants at their best.
    I think I have lost some roses too but I have been planting new ones as well .. phew !
    Fingers crossed we have reasonable weather for a while eh ? LOL
    Joy : )

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    1. I was serious what I said, it's so green out there it practically hurts your eyes. The green grass in my pictures was not tweaked one little bit.

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    1. Thank you Phillip, both my home and garden are filled with color! I try not to let the "experts" tell me not to mix colors, because I like it that way, so there!

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  4. Sad, about the roses. I have a rose garden and I get so much out of them. The season isn't complete without them blooming. Hope they will recover for you. Looking at your garden, they are at their best at the moment.
    I'm your new follower. Hope you can drop by when you get a chance.
    Wishing you a wonderful weekend.

    Aida

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    1. I just noticed buds on one of the survivors today, so there is hope after all!

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  5. Yes, I love May, too! I am so excited to go out to see what's up next, what's blooming, and how much everything is growing. I'm sorry about your roses, but what you do have looks very cheerful!

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    1. The good news is there are buds on one of the survivors, so now I'm excited. I guess the roses will be fewer, and later this year!

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  6. Happy belated birthday! Your garden looks so fresh and full of color. Your May is our April. Temps are predicted to be in the mid 90s this week. I do love the promise of spring before the disillusionment of summer! You mentioned the yellow knockout rose on your comment on my post. Yes, I have one! But it is very tiny. My dear hubby kept weed whacking it to the ground last summer. I have moved it to a better location and educated him, so hopefully it will grow and I will get a chance to smell its fragrance this year.

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    1. May is our reward for putting up with winter, because it is always so green and fresh. It may get dry and hot as the summer wears on, but May is always ever so sweet.

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  7. Robin your garden looks so pretty. I love looking down that bed at all the pretty purples in bloom. I have just got to get me one of those Cardinal Columbines. So pretty. I hope you tomatoes and seeds pull through. I did not see any frost around my home this morning and I am praying this will be the last of our cold Ohio days for the rest of the season. I am itching to get my window boxes and planters all filled up. This girl needs to garden! LOL!

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    1. It's funny Lona, I didn't plant all that purple together on purpose! But over the years, my garden has turned out to be mostly purple and pink with a little yellow for good measure. Go ahead and garden away girl, it's time!

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  8. Hi Robin, Although I designed mine as a summer garden, I have to agree with you about May. I love when everything is fresh and vibrant and the bugs are still small and elusive. I'm sorry you lost roses thanks to that brutal winter but I like you attitude. I'm trying to take it in stride too. The garden is always changing and sometimes we don't approve of them. :) You asked about the Dianthus on my blog. I'm pretty sure this one is 'Firewitch.' It blooms for a long time and has a nice fragrance. Thanks for visiting!

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    1. I predict that my rose garden will look better than ever eventually. Honestly, I was unhappy with some of them, and this was my chance to make it right.

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  9. May is the fairest, but April is the sweet reward after winter to me. It's also a very busy B day month for our family. The freshness of new growth is almost hard on the eyes at times...that is so true. Your flowers are way ahead of mine, we only just have the lilacs blooming here this week. Beautiful gardens.

    Jen

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    1. I wasn't kidding, it's so green that it honestly does hurt your eyes! But what a way to hurt!

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  10. That columbine in the top photo is stunning. I do more herbs and vegetables than flowers these days, but still enjoy the blooms I do have. Peonies are just about to explode and the lilacs have scented the air for about a week now. I'm glad you're going to get some roses after all. This past winter was just hard on everything.

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    1. I almost got rid of that crazy columbine, because it didn't follow the color scheme. Lucky for me, it came back anyway and not it can stay as long as it likes.

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