Just a couple of great perennial flowers and one biennial can help make a show long about May in your flower garden and/or borders.
And they’ll help extend the show during the transition to the next bloom time in June. In future posts I’ll give you a lot more detail on those perennials and the biennial. But – just so you won’t get bored with too lengthy a post – pictures, names and a brief comment or two will suffice for now.
I’ve used my perennial plantings to hide things in neighboring properties that are less than desirable to look at. I’ve tried to create a private place that Bill and I can enjoy in spite of all that surrounds us. Everything I’ve done is simple to do. Just a little effort consistently is all it takes.
Look at the pictures with an eye to what you could do in your gardens. What have I done that you could use? What have I not done that you could do?
You might want to include having something pleasing to look at in every season as one of your goals. (I’m still working towards that in my gardens.)
Below I’ve included pictures of the overall borders. Below the overall picture I’ve included close ups of the blooms from that border. For clarity I’ve divided the yard into 7 major sections:
- Front
- Side
- Garden
- Left side border in back of property
- Back Border
- Right side border in back of property
- Behind the garden
One thing about photos — you can enjoy all the bloom at once that in real life stretched over 4 weeks.
Section I – The Front
Border directly in front of the house.
Oenothera and Verbena are a great combination and will bloom at least two months. You can see this from a distance in the upper right hand corner of the above picture.
This old heirloom daylily is the first to bloom. Here it’s pictured with a newly planted rose bush. Look for yellow to see this lily in the border picture above.
Dianthus ‘Bath’s Pink’. One of the best in my book! It’s easy to move around and really makes a show.
This Moonshine Yarrow is to the left as you face the house, so is not shown in the border picture above. It glows like the sun and is a must have perennial.
Azaleas in front of house. The color is quite spectacular.
Azalea-like shrub that we just planted last fall. It’s suppose to bloom most of the time.
Lady Victoria opens just when the other heirloom yellow daylily stops blooming. She’s lovely, long lasting and reblooms for me in the fall.
Border along the fence looking towards the road.
This Clematis is between the Blackberry and large Grass. It is hidden from view in the overall border picture, but a delightful surprise when you come upon it.
My blackberry bramble works well in the fence border.
Sweet William is an easy biennial that you can count on to during bloom-time transition.
I rely on Oenothera for two months of beautiful bloom in every border.
Border along the fence looking from the road into our property.
This heirloom lily blooms when you need it most before other modern daylilies even think about budding.
Verbascum is a great change of pace from the other foliage and bloom. This windblown piece has toppled from its usual upright position.
The blossoms of this peony are huge. When the plant is in full bloom everyone thinks it’s a shrub. A great show stopper.
Oxalis was in all the old fashioned gardens of years gone by and will do well in dry soil. But careful where you plant or it can become a nuisance. I have mine at the entrance to our drive by this tree. Works well and look so lovely.
Section 2 – Side Border
This overall view is from the front of the house looking towards the garden. (Fence encloses the garden.)
Side border from the front looking towards garden. Fence starts the garden.
Tradescantia is a Virginia native that makes a wonderful addition to the borders in the spring.
Columbine.
It’s amazing how tall this columbine gets. It just touches the lower leaves of this young ornamental maple.
This deep purple and white bearded iris adds a splash of contrast in this border.
Yellow siberian iris not only makes a show, but the foliage is wonderful long after the bloom fades. A great garden plant.
This Deutzia shrub is just a haze in the overall picture of the border. (top right hand side) But up close and personal it’s spectacular and the bees love it.
This pink bearded iris, along with the royal purple, was the star of this border while it bloomed.
Section 3 – The Garden
The royal purple iris makes a show in the vegetable garden as well as the side border.
These royal purple beared iris are so beautiful in the vegetable garden.
The Amish Snap Peas have such beautiful blossoms they could pass for an ornamental.
Section 4 – Left Side Border in Back of Property
Just past the garden and looking towards the back property line.
Lower end of left side border in back of property and island bed of California Poppies.
Part of the blossom is yellow and part is orange.
These poppies have to be seen to be believed!
Only the yarrow and one lone iris stalk (to the far left) is blooming here, but the entire border is beautiful nonetheless.
The iris that is blooming with the yarrow.
Yarrow.
Section 5 – Back Border
Left corner of back border. You’ll easily see this purple iris to the right in the overall border picture.
Right corner of back border.
Livin’ Easy Rose. A great floribunda that we never tire of.
Pale pink Sweet William.
A close up.
Section 6 – Ride side border in back of property.
Up the right side and across from the garden. Bill anchored an old wooden easel and covered it with netting for my cucumbers to climb on.
Oenothera and Sweet William just beginning to open.
Section 7 – Behind the garden.
Fairy Rose behind the garden.
White Dutch Iris in bloom behind the garden near the Fairy Rose. A short but spectacular show.
Planted only this spring, this little red knock out tree rose has been very enjoyable.
There’s so much to enjoy that even a 100 Springs would be little time. Let’s get out there with an eye to making just one more improvement to our gardens. (Little bit by little bit gets the job done.)
___________
An easy and great perennial to add is oenothera. (Also spelled onothera.) A source is Springhill Nursery. They call it Blushing Rosie Evening Primrose.
I can hardly wait to order their yellow version of the same plant! They refer to it as Fireworks Evening Primrose.
And by the way, if you decide to order be aware that these plants have thin, tiny roots and delicate stalks. Because of that, one can think they’re not going to do anything. But they’re giants in disguise. And given time they will amaze you! When I transplant these seemingly delicate roots — I might water once and then forget them until next year. They’ll be there to your amazement and provide you with a show you’ll never forget.
________
Related Posts:
Developing Garden Structure
Do Your Flower Gardens or Borders Have Year Round Interest?
Clashing or Harmonious Colors; You’re in Good Company Either Way
3 Simple Concepts to Enhance Your Flower Gardens and Borders
Oenothera a Wildflower for Your Flower Border
_________________
All content including pictures is copyrighted by TendingMyGarden.com. All rights are reserved.
Theresa,
What a wonderful walk through your gardens this morning. I don’t know how you get it all taken care of. It is just beautiful!! So many of your flowers are familiar and in my own gardens. The primroses are very satisfactory but can be invasive which is not a bad thing.
Thank you (and Bill) for this great tour. Beppy
Hi Beppy,
I’m so pleased you enjoyed the walk through the gardens this morning via TMG.
As far as taking care of it — I don’t really spend a lot of time with it. But as you know I do things little by little and do it all year. And of course there is mulch! Without the mulch I could not have the borders because there is no way I could consistently weed!
One nice thing about the primrose (Oenothera) is that it is easily removed. So like you said — it can be invasive but comes out with a flick of the wrist.
Bill is so wonderful about taking the pictures for me. He enjoys the gardens as much as I do. A customer once told me “It looks like an artist lives here!”
Thank you for letting me know you enjoyed the gardens. (I’m glad we had nice spring rains so the grass could be green in the pictures. We’ve missed rain for a week and already its turning brown.)
Have a wonderful day, Beppy!
Theresa
I am so impressed. Everything is gorgeous!! Thank you for the beautiful pictures.
Hi Sue,
Glad you liked everything and hope it gave you some ideas for your gardens. Thanks for letting me know you liked the pictures.
Theresa
This is the 2nd time I’ve had to come back to visit these pictures. They are just beautiful. Thank you.
Thanks Farming Bear!
Theresa