The Exuberance of May

 It's hard to rein in the enthusiasm of the month of May in the garden. Frosty mornings are behind us, which means it's time to plant, while the warm weather causes everything to grow quickly. It's truly an exuberant month! We've been busy as bees working to get everything planted, with little time to enjoy the results. But now at the end of the month, it's all planted, the mulch is down, and only maintenance chores are left to do. Finally there's time to start enjoying it all, generally with some "veranda time", on the patio after dinner. 

The first planting project for me is always to fill my favorite containers. This is where my annual color theme comes into play. I started doing color themes about 7-8 years ago, and I have loved the way it ties everything together. Granted, the perennials and flowering bushes and trees don't follow along, but most of them use my overall garden theme of purple, pink and yellow. But doing my containers and window boxes in one color tends to tie it all together. This year, the theme is white, which has become my favorite. It's not flashy, but I like to think that it's more elegant. However, next year I'm already planning to do purple, which will be back to my usual colorful look. In case you're wondering about the decorative wands in the first planter below, I'll explain them later in my crafting paragraph. 

Not every container is white though, although I usually keep the colorful ones in the backyard for my own enjoyment. 

One of the best parts of May is watching the roses perform at their peak. I'll have some additional rose blooms scattered throughout the rest of the summer, but their biggest show is in May. 

Hubby is the vegetable gardener around here. We've already harvested the cool season vegetables of radishes, lettuce, and spinach. We always over plant the lettuce, and can never manage to eat it all before it bolts in the heat. Sure wish there was a way to enjoy it all summer, but it just doesn't like to grow in the heat. I've included here a photo of the homemade vegetable soup I made with tomatoes and green beans harvested last summer, which have been waiting for me in the freezer. I thought I'd better finish up last year's goodies before the new harvest starts next month. You'll also see my herb garden pictured below, I don't often remember to share it here. It's right outside the back door where I can grab them easily while cooking. 

The clematis is at its peak bloom right now, and they're stunning, I must admit! 

As I mentioned, the perennials don't tend to follow along with the annual color theme. They are decidedly more exuberant, which fits just right into the May mold. 

I had a number of floral bouquets to enjoy indoors this month, plus my tiny orchid is in bloom.  

I did manage to do a bit of crafting this month, especially the "fairy wands" you see below. I saw this idea in a gardening publication, and ran with it, not knowing how difficult it would be to find the materials to implement it. It took a good deal of time to source everything, although the wands themselves were easy to make once I did. And they did end up being on the pricey side. But I love how they turned out. I have them on display in a few of my bigger containers, like the one below.  I also finished up a crochet project and totally revamped my fairy garden. Plus I always like to update my tiered tray in some way. I had a bee theme going most of the month, then switched it out to feature lemons. 

I spotted my first and only monarch here on May 11, which seemed really early to me. She left me 7 pearly eggs, which I raised indoors, and now they are all safely resting inside their chrysalides. Can't wait to see them emerge as butterflies! 

It's early yet for butterflies, but I've seen a few, plus lots of birds. I haven't been good at capturing the birds with photos, but they do keep me entertained with song. This Carolina chickadee has taken up residence in my birdhouse, and she squawks at me often when I'm outdoors. I haven't heard any baby bird peeping, nor seen any other signs except seeing her coming and going. Will be watching! 

Early in the month I took my annual trip north to my hometown of St. Joseph Michigan to see the Tulip Time Festival in nearby Holland. Because winter was a mild one even in Michigan, most of the tulips bloomed before the festival this year, which is always a disappointment. We did see a few that day, I'd say about 15% of the usual. But it was still a nice visit with my best friend, we hadn't seen each other in three years, so there was lots to catch up on. And of course we found a nearby nursery to explore. The rest of the week I spent exploring my favorite beaches, especially at sunset. 

And so here we are at the end of May again. Hard to believe it will be June tomorrow, because it has felt like full summer for weeks now. That same summer feeling has increased the stormy sunsets seen off the front porch, which I love to share here. I've always been a sunset lover, not sure why they thrill me so much. Maybe it's a sense of fulfillment, to finish each day in wonder of earth's beauty. I've included here a grainy eclipse photo taken out the window with my cell phone. I have to admit that I couldn't actually see in with the naked eye, but my phone was able to capture some of it. Glad to have you stop by to visit The Nest, hope to see you here again at the end of June!