Friday, May 1, 2009

Garden Bloggers' Muse Day - May 1, 2009

If you would like to participate
in Muse Day, create your post on the first day of each month.
visit Carolyn Gail at Sweet Home and Garden Chicago.


"When April steps aside for May,
Like diamonds all the rain-drops glisten;
Fresh violets open every day,
To some new bird each hour we listen."
--- Lucy Larcom


Dicentra Spectabilis
Bleeding Heart

Brunnera
'Jack Frost' Tiarella...
variety uncertain

Pulmonaria
'Majeste'

Pulmonaria
'Bubble Gum'




Fritilliari Meleagris,
mixed varieties


Pulmonaria
'Baby Blue' in front and
'Trevi Fountain' behind

Pulmonaria
'Trevi Fountain'


May, the month that takes our breath away!



23 comments:

Rose said...

This is a perfect poem for May, SG! Every day there is something new to see, hear, or smell. I love spring!

So many pretty pulmonaria--I'm convinced now I need to plant some. I'm also impressed by all your plant id stakes; that's something I definitely need to add:)

Lisa at Greenbow said...

i love this poem SG. I was out listening to migrat birds this morning. It is such an exciting time of year. New bloom every day and new birds passing by.

Monica the Garden Faerie said...

The checkerboard frit is snake's head. My pulmonaria and tiarella (the darn cutest things!) are doing well, but I've not had any luck with bleeding heart, though I love it. It's something I've planted many times and it doesn't come back.

Jan said...

You sure have a variety of pulmonaria! I know I've seen them before but I'd forgotten about the different types! I put in pulmonaria, tiarella and bleeding hearts in April and I love them...it was mostly due to reading about your shady garden and what works for you;-)

Phoenix C. said...

Lovely poem! May is such a beautiful exhilarating month.

Love the Snakes Head fritillaries - I'm always amazed by their patterns.

Rosemary said...

So true May is an amazing month.

Gail said...

Hi Shady, A lovely poem for May... I love the pulmonaria collection you have! Sigh, it is a wonderful native that just hates c&l! It won't die completely, but no matter where I site him...he stares at me in reproach! I need your green thumb for this one! Have a great weekend~~ Gail

troutbirder said...

Very nice collection. Reminds me of the need for name tags as within a year I've forgotten what I've planted

Shady Gardener said...

Rose, Thank you. This seems to be a particularly lovely Spring! I'm caught up on my plant identification in the gardens, now. So as I receive plants this S[ring, I'm creating new id markers. :-)

You would enjoy pulmonaria. They are pretty much trouble free.

Lisa, Thank you. It's been so enjoyable to be outdoors this Spring. The bird sounds are wonderful and that's the only "twittering" that gets my attention. ;-)

Monica, The fritillaria are something I've wanted to plant for a long time! Just for fun. :-) What could you do about bleeding heart?? Try one more time and amend the soil like crazy?? I will e-mail you this coming week when a package leaves my house.

Jan, I am inspired by each of the garden blogs I visit, also. Thank you for thinking of me... and keep us posted of the progress of your new plants!!

Phoenix, You are so right about May! Have you grown the fritilaries before? This is my first year. Aren't they unusual??

Rosemary, Any special May plans for you??

Hi Gail, Oh, boy. Perhaps a special spot with super amended soil for one more try with pulmonaria??

Troutbirder, I know exactly what you mean about forgetting... which is why I made the resolution to tag the plants (as best I can) after we moved here. So far I'm doing fairly well. :-)

Corner Gardener Sue said...

Yes, it's May! I like your choice of poem and photos.

Shady Gardener said...

Hi Sue, Thanks! The grass is green, trees are budding and some are flowering! Yea, May!
P.S. Are you feeling as rushed as I am these days? Wanting to sit in front of the computer to post and visit, but not having the time??

Corner Gardener Sue said...

Yes to your question!

Ellie Mae's Cottage said...

I have Jack Frost in my shade garden. I really like it. I love the variety of plants you have. I have mostly shade too and I long for the sunny patch my neighbor has. Nice poem! --Jackie

Kathleen said...

Those are some beauties blooming in your garden right now Shady Gardener. I planted a few fritillaria meleagris last fall but haven't seen them yet. I sure hope they bloom. June is the month here that takes our breath away.

Shady Gardener said...

Hi Ellie Mae! Thanks for your visit. I've just had a nice time at your site. :-) Jack Frost is very pretty, isn't he?

Kathleen, I planted some a year ago last Fall, but nothing happened last Summer... so I tried again. :-) I can believe that your June would be similar to my May. Happy Day!

Frances said...

Hi Shady, happiness fills the air with the beautiful flowers from your shady garden. Each one is a treasure.
Frances

joey said...

How lovely, Shady ... and like you, May takes my breath away!

Shady Gardener said...

Thank you, Frances. It is indeed very happy around here (and in each of our gardens) right now! :-)

Joey, Happy May! That's about the best way to say it, as we're all out there enjoying our gardens and working on projects, etc.

PS I've so excitedly unwrapped a few boxes lately... with new plants! :-)

Sue Catmint said...

May is clearly a great month for you, and in our part of the world it is also a great month. lovely poetry.

Shady Gardener said...

Hi Catmint, I'm sorry I haven't visited you lately. I'll need to see what's happening in your part of the world these days!! :-) Thanks for your visit.

Kylee Baumle said...

I lost my Pulmonaria 'Trevi Fountain' this year! I'd had it for three years and it was gorgeous and large, but I don't know what happened. :-(

I'm so jealous that you've got that Fritillaria! I've planted it twice now and have gotten nothing. But my F. persica bloomed this year for the first time!

You have the most awesome shade plants!

Shady Gardener said...

Hi Kylee, And I "envy" your sunny beds sometimes. At least I have a few places that get enough sun to support mostly sunny plants! :-) And some others that tolerate their locations. I have a similar conundrum! My 'Lightning Strikes' tricyrtis (it was also 3 years old last Fall and did Beautifully) is missing. There's a hole where it used to be. Do you think it's the elf behind the door??? (I really am rather sad about it, though.)

Thanks for visiting! I'll look forward to reading about the forays you and your mom make again this Summer. :-)

Commonweeder said...

I love shade plants, but have mostly sun on my hill. Getting ready for a fund raising plant sale yesterday I noticed how many shade plants were being put out. I'm jealous. I really like the way you've organized this post by garden section.