Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Bloomday, for May 2012

Each month as I’m putting together my Bloomday post I usually go back to previous years to see if the garden is ahead, or behind. This May it’s definitely ahead and I’m loving every minute of it! I’m also hoping that our mini May heat wave (4 days in the 80’s only qualifying as a heat wave because it’s May, in Portland Oregon) doesn’t zap the livelihood of these colorful flowers, I’d like them to stick around for awhile! Grevillea molonglo...

Asphodeline lutea

Ceanothus 'Joyce Coulter'

Genista lydia

Cerinthe major 'Purpurescens'

Disporum cantoniense 'Night Heron'

Euphorbia 'Blackbird,' this plant just keeps on giving! It's flowers have moved through several different shades of near black, purple, green and orange.

Euphorbia lathyris

Fremontodendron 'California Glory'

Taking pictures for this Bloomday post was the first I'd noticed one of my Hesperaloe is going to bloom, yay!

Kangaroo paw (I seem to be stuck in super macro mode today don't I?)

Magnolia laevifolia, just starting to open. I was afraid all the moving around and waiting in a container to be replanted somewhere had caused the blooms to not open this year. Thankfully I was wrong.

Podophyllum delavayi

Podophyllum peltatum

Our inherited 'old school' Rhododendron. Since the one in the back garden went away this spring we're down to just one, I'm quite attached to it and hope it remains healthy.

Lily of the Valley

Solomon's Seal

Sedum, which I can never remember the name of...

(This one's for you Alison) My neighbors Trachycarpus fortunei in bloom

Veratrum californicum, not yet blooming but I really like how it looks at this stage.

Wingthorn Rose


And finally, the Echium!

Echium wildpretii

Echium x wildpretii 'Rocket,' the flowers started out pink but are slowly changing to more of a purple.

And the colorful show they are putting on together...

Echium x wildpretii 'Rocket' in the back garden, now over 9ft tall.

And I'll wrap up this lengthy post with an image of the crimson clover we're currently enjoying in a vase on the mantle. It's blooming in a field near the house and I think it's just gorgeous!

Visit May Dreams Gardens for links to more May blooms...Happy Bloomday!
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46 comments:

  1. MulchMaidMay 15, 2012

    Those echiums are wonderful! Your neighbor's Trachycarpus inspires me for later years. This is a gorgeous Bloom Day post!

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    1. danger gardenMay 15, 2012

      Thank you Jane! That Trachy has bloomed faithfully every year since we moved in, mine on the other had just sits there not doing much of anything (of course at least it isn't dying).

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  2. LouisMay 15, 2012

    Fantastic bloom day!!! It looks just like summer. I love that first grevillea. What's your experience with grevillea hardiness? Those echinus are also very inspiring! And as for your neighbors trachy ... Stunning.

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    1. danger gardenMay 15, 2012

      Looks like, and feels like summer! I actually wimped out and turned on the A/C yesterday. First time that's happened before July...

      So far I've had no issues with Grevillea hardiness, but last winter was such a cake walk I'm not really sure I can be too smug.

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  3. ricki 'sprig to twig'May 15, 2012

    I would guess that the echiums in the front yard bring traffic to a screaming halt. I will never forget the first time I saw them in bloom at Cistus. Love the clover bouquet!

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    1. danger gardenMay 15, 2012

      Traffic no, walkers yes. I've enjoyed seeing a few people stop to stare. Sunday's Parkways event (roads closed, lots of bikes and walkers about) had tons of people passing by but since I was in the backyard digging out overgrown Hakonechloa I didn't get to see if there were any bike pile-ups.

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  4. Linda/patchworkMay 15, 2012

    You have such interesting plants! I love them all. Beautiful!!

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    1. danger gardenMay 15, 2012

      I love them too! I am lucky to have a husband who enjoys and supports my addiction.

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  5. Noel MorataMay 15, 2012

    aloha,

    i love your exotic blooms, i'm fond of that grevillea, thats a very unusual color for grevilleas - your garden is dazzling today :)

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    1. danger gardenMay 15, 2012

      I thought so too (the color) so muted!

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  6. UnknownMay 15, 2012

    Love the bee in the solomon's seal. The Rocket just amazes me and our County seeds some of the medians with crimson.

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    1. danger gardenMay 15, 2012

      Good eye! I didn't mention it because I wasn't able to get a good shot. I tried and tried but I was making him very nervous so he kept dive bombing me, which was making me very nervous!

      That must make your medians gorgeous!

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  7. maggieMay 15, 2012

    Beautiful range of blooming things, and great photos.

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    1. danger gardenMay 15, 2012

      Thanks maggie...and thanks for stopping by. I like your blog header photo!

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  8. AlanMay 15, 2012

    Are Echiums fragrant? Do you ever need to stake them? Just amazing. I'm hoping I can overwinter some in big pots so I can get blooms next year. Fingers crossed!

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    1. danger gardenMay 15, 2012

      I can't smell a thing, and one of the ones out front should have been staked a while ago, it's trunk is pulling out of the ground. Not a big deal as I propped it up with rocks. I was worried about the one in the back because it's so tall but so far it's standing straight. If (when) the rains return it could be an issue though...weighing it down.

      I'm thinking I'll try and get a couple more of the straight E. wildpretii (I like them better) and plant them in hopes of future blooms. Good luck with yours!

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  9. MulchMaidMay 15, 2012

    Oh, and I think your sedum might be 'Cape Blanco". It looks just like mine right now.

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    1. danger gardenMay 16, 2012

      Yes! And I just bought a couple last week...how can I forget a name like that so soon?

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  10. greggoMay 15, 2012

    You should call it the unusual garden. The Echiums are cool or is it hot?

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  11. Rock rose May 15, 2012

    The sun is shining and your blooms are beautiful. No hint of the danger garden here. Love the echiums.

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    1. danger gardenMay 16, 2012

      Thank you for temporarily sharing your death-star with us up here in the PNW!

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  12. sandy lawrenceMay 15, 2012

    I always enjoy your posts because it is like visiting alien-plant land. I'm familiar with few of these and few would grow here, so it is a real treat to see something entirely different, exotic and gorgeous. Thanks for the tour.

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    1. danger gardenMay 16, 2012

      Thank you for visiting my alien-plant land (I love that!).

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  13. scottweberpdxMay 15, 2012

    As striking as the pink Echium flowers are against that silvery foliage, I think I like the blue/purple ones even more...such wonderful, saturated color :-) I adore Crimson Clover...there is a field of it on the way to the coast (if you take the Highway that ends up at Lincoln City) that I always want to stop at and take pictures...it's AMAZING!

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    1. danger gardenMay 16, 2012

      God we haven't been to the coast for a couple of years...we're not very good Portlanders that way.

      I was walking through the field with the clover last night and I heard John Greenlee talking against mono-cultures. I then realized what a perfect example of a naturally occurring meadow I was standing in. I should take some pictures.

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  14. Amy FarrierMay 15, 2012

    That Echium Rocket is a stunner! Can't believe it's in the same yard as the Rhododendron. And the Solomon's Seal is looking sharp against that dark wall. Great blooms.

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    1. danger gardenMay 16, 2012

      I know...contrasts! Old lady plants and crazy exotics. I took another photo looking back at the house which had both Echium and the Rhody in it...but I couldn't use it, it was too much for even my eyes.

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  15. Laura @ HV Garden JournalMay 15, 2012

    Love it all - I love your plants, your blog and your dangerous ways! So glad I found you via Garden Blogger Bloom Day and May Dreams Gardens.

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  16. lindaMay 15, 2012

    Now I'm really Echium jealous.... just kidding ....gorgeous stuff

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    1. danger gardenMay 16, 2012

      But you've got the good one again! I think I might have to get another Echium candicans.

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  17. bookwormMay 15, 2012

    Your photos never disappoint. This month's crop was especially stunning. I think the only plants we have in common are the Lily of the Valley and the "common rhodie" - oh what the heck. You make me want to move from upstate New York. Happy GBBD and don't poke your eye out.

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    1. danger gardenMay 16, 2012

      I almost did yesterday with a yucca leaf, danger! I would have a hard time with your upstate NY climate, I'm spoiled. The only direction I can go from here is south!

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  18. HolleyGardenMay 15, 2012

    What very interesting blooms you have! I only knew about half of them. Glad I stopped by! Happy GBBD!

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  19. RoslynMay 15, 2012

    I love visiting your garden on bloom day. There is always something dazzling but today it was WOW, WOW, WOW. Amazing blooms.

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  20. Town MouseMay 15, 2012

    Quite a collection! Love those Echium! Hope it stays cool - and maybe you'll even get a little rain.

    Happy Bloom Day

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    1. danger gardenMay 16, 2012

      The "R" word is back in the forecast for next week. I'm kind of glad...if we started our dry summer this early in the season August could be very bad.

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  21. ksMay 15, 2012

    Way cool stuff from you this month Loree..That E lathyris..crikey !

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    1. danger gardenMay 16, 2012

      And even better it was a gift! I commented to Heidi (owner of Dragonfly Farms) at last summers Garden Bloggers Fling how hard they were to find and the next thing I know she's dug a couple up from her display garden! Now I just pray it has babies....

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  22. HeatherMay 16, 2012

    You're giving me echium lust. Those are stunning!

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  23. Hoover BooMay 16, 2012

    I must drool over the Hosta of some sort behind the Solomon's Seal. Lovely. Your front garden is really developing and looks great.

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  24. TomMay 16, 2012

    That sedum looks like Sedum 'Cape Blanco' and your rhodie looks a lot like 'Nova Zembla' but that's just a guess. Your post today really looks like it should be from the garden of a southern california gardener, I'm so jealous of all your cool plants.

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  25. LesMay 17, 2012

    You have an unusual collection of blooms, except maybe that rhodie, but my favorite is that Asphodeline. Happy GBBD!

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