Happy May Day!

Happy May Day!

Doesn't this photograph look as though it came from a May Basket?

I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose
I would always greet it in a garden.
- Ruth Stout

This is the first blossom I've had on my PM Rhododendron!

Spring is God's way of saying,
"One more time!"
- Robert Orben

Brunnera Macrophylla "Heartleaf Brunnera"
The flowers are the size of "Forget-Me-Nots"
(Very Tiny!)

A delicate fabric of bird song
Floats in the air,
The smell of wet wild earth
Is everywhere.
Oh, I must pass nothing by
Without loving it much,
The raindrop try with my lips,
The grass with my touch;
For how can I be sure
I shall see again
The world on the first of May
Shining after the rain?
- Sara Teasdale, May Day

Vinca Minor

Vinca Minor, a close-up!

Spring - An experience in immortality.
- Henry D. Thoreau

These are the flowers of my Serviceberry.
(Last Fall's "Mystery Bush." I finally located
the landscaping blueprint!)

Emerging leaves of the serviceberry.

A little Madness in the Spring
Is wholesome even for the King.
- Emily Dickinson, #1333

The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another.
The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month.
- Henry Van Dyke, Fisherman's Luck, 1899

Here's where we need the Top Hat and Tails!
Mr. White-on-White, I think he's "Mt. Hood."

Every spring is the only spring - a perpetual astonishment.
- Ellis Peters

Tiarella (Foam Flower) "Black Snowflake"

"Black Snowflake" cameo shot!
Pulmonaria, Lungwort, "Diana Clare"
with the nodding approval of an "Ice Follies" Daffodil.

Tiarella (Foam Flower) "Iron Butterfly"

I think that no matter how old or infirm I may become,
I will always plant a large garden in the spring. Who can
resist the feelings of hope and joy that one gets from
participating in nature's rebirth?
- Edward Giobbi

Garden Bloggers' Muse Day
Join and visit Carolyn Gail
Sweet Home and Garden Chicago

I'm Eeking (or Seeking) a Moment for a Post

Just Quickly, before it's the first of May, I want to show you a couple of things that have been growing around here!

Then I'd encourage you to head over to Making Memories to see recent woodland walks I've been taking with my friend, Susie. We've been attempting to locate and identify, if necessary, various plants on her land.

Okay, here we are... in my front yard.
Photos were taken 4/25/08.

If you peek at the upper left hand corner of the fungus,
you'll see the little row of "buttons" below.

"Walking" away from the tree.
A close-up.

A yet closer look.

I do consider myself halfway pleasant to be around,
but I'm not a "fungi!" (Maybe a fun gal!) lol.
(Some people spoil the pun by pronouncing it Fun-Ji.)

Or you COULD say there's "a fungus amongus!"

Looking towards May 1st tomorrow!

Green Thumb Sunday

Yippee! If you read the comments section, you'll see the help I received on the identification of these plants... which are not Snowdrops at all, but Snowflakes! Thanks for the help!!

I've watched people's posts all Spring... and many people have these Snowdrops. They've grown and bloomed much earlier everywhere else. But, look what's blooming in my garden this morning! I only have two plants. I don't remember planting them. But I certainly must have, since I created the beds! ;-)

So, my question is... which Snowdrop is it? Can you tell? I'd appreciate any input you might have. I'm especially headed for Iowa boy and Mr. McGregor's Daughter to ask for their opinions. ;-)

Nothing shady... just mystified. lol.

Green Thumb Sunday
Join now.

Visit Tricia at "As the Garden Grows"

Garden Bloggers’ Design Workshop - Front-Yard Gardens

I'm a "slow-comer," but I really like the looks of this Garden Blogger's Design Workshop series. Check it out at Gardening Gone Wild! And Join In! :-) This month's subject deals with Front Yard Garden Design.

Not only do I love to garden, but I love to design! Usually it's "by the seat of my pants," in that I am inspired with an idea, give it a bit of thought, and then I do it. At this point in time, we are in the very early stages of Spring (and every day gets better!). These first few photographs are from last Summer.

This is a bug's eye view (August/2007) of the very "frontest," looking from the driveway through the gardens in front of the deck/walkway. In
the foreground is a Water Hyacinth in the tiny "pond."

Of the pictures below, the one on the left was taken after I first sank the pond June 1st. I also put the birdbath nearby. The beds themselves, complete with rock edges and both the rock and slab walkways were built in the Fall of 2005. About half of the plantings were done in 2006.
The rest of the plantings were added last Spring/Summer.
The photo below continues to look down the front bed... this photo was also taken June 1, 2007.
I'm sure you can't tell, but the bed behind the bricks and in front of the lattice holds some upright varieties of sedum. The entire rest of the bed was filled with flowering annual vinca and impatiens. They were just beautiful! I plan to yet add some upright plants in front of the lattice. There's a little concrete slab "walkway" edged in sideways brick. This wonderful waterway was designed and built by my husband. We're on the "downside" of a fairly good incline. When it rains, we get a LOT of water. The "walkway" takes it away from the house. These photos were taken this morning. Remember, there's an absence of plant material, yet! And the little white specks are actually daffodils planted last Fall.
Looking East (my new little wall edges the front bed)... Looking Southeasterly









There's much that is not yet apparent. I'm sorry I didn't take more photographs last Summer!
You'll soon be seeing many more photographs!
Looking south - here's the waterway. There's a rock-edged bed around both sides of the evergreens.










Here we're looking towards the raised beds... see the birdbath? The bed in front of the evergreen has astilbe and hosta.

The little bed around the Shagbark Hickory is filled with pachysandra, flowering Spring bulbs, and short iris.







The following are photos of various plants within the front long bed. I was having a lot of fun with the close-up and macro settings on my digital camera last year! :-)

water hyacinth & duckweed; sedum on rocks, miniature rose nearby; sedum and heuchera beside birdbath.












This peach daylily is behind the yellow one, when you stand looking towards the house.
Looking carefully at the yellow daylily, perhaps you'll see buds of the peach one.









I'll apologize for not having providing the names of the plants. I'm currently involved in mapping all the flower beds with the current plantings. An achievable goal if I continue to persist every day. :-)

Can YOU Contain YOUR Excitement?

Just look at some of the discoveries I made in our yard today!

(This photo was taken of one of my very favorites flowers on May 17.)

Same flower; photo taken today!

Another favorite... Lady's Mantle!

Spring Beauties are everywhere!

Trilliam Recurvatum Beck

Last year I put the little fellow below
in my woodland flower bed
so I could monitor it.
Instead of three leaves, it had five!
(although it had the usual three-petal burgundy-red flower)
This year it has 4 leaves.
Hmmmmm.....

Way out in the woods, planted by a former owner of our home.

Out in the woods, again planted by a former owner of our home.

Double Dutch Daffodil - could be "Blond Beauty"

Pulmonaria "Baby Blue"

Pulmonaria "Trevi Fountain"

Pulmonaria - "Milky Way"Two common names: Trout Lily or Dog-toothed Violet

Dutchman's Breeches

Dutchman's Breeches, close-up!

Just outside the back door... a ton of Lily of the Valley.
I didn't plant it... it was here when we came. It's contained...
Did you know florists charge a MINT for one floral stem in May?
(My daughter wanted it for her wedding a few years ago... didn't get it.)

Another beautiful day!
:-)