Thursday, May 15, 2014

Bloomday for May 2014...

It's May! It's Bloomday! And it's hot, a new record high yesterday in Portland of 91F, today we back of to a more "reasonable" (not really, not for mid-May) 88F. So let's start this bloomday show with the hot pinks, no I don't go looking for them, they just find me...

We inherited this Peony with the house, this is the first time I remember it blooming in sunshine and heat. Usually it's rain which weighs down the heavy blossoms and has them laying on the ground.

I apologize for this one (a Lewisia) but the color is just so insane I had to share it. It's a touch less vibrant in the flesh.

Here's my mellow Lewisia...

The Rheum palmatum bloom tops out at just about 6ft.

Watching it unfold has been quite the spectacle.

My bouganvillea went through a pouting face when things were cool and wet. I hope it's enjoying the heat. Camarillo Fiesta Bouganvillea

The Abutilon 'Red Tiger' isn't yet tall enough to hold it's big blooms in the air.

These are not blooms, but scouting about for flowers to photograph I was excited to see our sarracenia is going to bloom.

Ditto for the Echeveria 'Perle Von Nürnberg'...

When it went in the ground (finally, after a long winter) this Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum looked like it wasn't going to make it, however it's put out some new foliage and even a few new blooms.

Also inherited, Clematis montana is just about finished blooming for the year.

Cerinthe major 'Purpurascens' is just about to start.

Echium russicum

Mammillaria plumosa

Genista lydia

London Pride, Saxifraga x urbium, with a chewed on rodgersia leaf.

Euphorbia x martinii 'Ascot Rainbow'

I don't know what I was thinking when I bought a 6-pack of Nicotiana. Well actually I do know what I was thinking, I thought I was buying the tall plants. Not these little pip-squeaks.

This is the last of the Magnolia laevifolia blooms. They put on quite a show this year.

Podophyllum peltatum, the flowers...

Which are held under these leaves.

Solomon's Seal, which I recently discovered makes a great cut flower.

It's going to be a big year for Syneilesis aconitifolia blooms...

Finally the blue flowers of Parahebe perfoliata...

And we end the show with my new (so excited!) water lilly. Our stock tank "pond" is now in the sun which allows an entirely new selection of water plants...

As always visit May Dreams Gardens for the list of bloggers participating in bloomday this 15th day of May.

All material © 2009-2014 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

40 comments:

  1. AnonymousMay 15, 2014

    I am speechless. You could charge admission for people to look at your yard. Gorgeous. Part of the reason why I like your blog is that I'm colorblind, and reds, greens and browns, and some pinks, are hard to differentiate. Structure and texture stand out to me. But the colors here almost overcome my visual deficiency.
    Jim N. Tabor

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    1. Ah Jim you're very kind and I'm glad the pumped up colors of the May flowers are somewhat distinguishable for you. BTW one of my Echium wildpretii purchased this year from Cistus is going to bloom, like yours. Yay! The other 2 died...

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  2. Thanks for the sunny walk through your gorgeous garden. I love the backlit shot of the echium. Your rhubarb is putting on quite a show. I bought one just like yours and it hasn't bloomed yet, but I should probably move it out of Barnaby's realm. Happy bloom day to you!

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    1. I got lucky with that echium shot, I went out to bring in the trash containers after pick-up and turned to see that, had to go get the camera!

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  3. Congratulations on the water lily! The bronzy foliage is awesome. I like the blue of the Parahebe, such a rare color. The Sarracenias look great too, and all the wonderful flowers.

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    1. It's kind of ridiculous how excited I am about that water lily. I've spent so much time just staring at it.

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  4. I had to double-check the URL--large flowered clematis, peony, nicotiana...what? Where am I?
    ;-) All so pretty, though.

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    1. I know right? Funny two of the 3 plants you mentioned weren't planted be me, just appreciated by me...

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  5. While I generally associate your garden with foliage plants and, yes, spiky things, you certainly have a lot of floral color this May! A peony! I'm very impressed by the Rheum and I covet that Parahebe, not to speak of the water lily. Happy GBBD, Loree!

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    1. I tried to move that peony, but look, here it is thriving back in it's original spot. Good thing I like it.

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  6. What Patricia said! Once again your weather has been hotter than ours and your blooms look like they're enjoying it! Love those hot pinks!

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    1. It has been hot, and yes I think everyone/thing is enjoying it. Except maybe Lila.

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  7. If I close my eyes I see spots in the shape of that Lewisia's blooms!
    Is that a single E. russicum plant, or multiples?
    It's so difficult to find tall versions of plants these days it seems, especially Nicotiana! My local garden centers all sell short versions of everything. Boo! If you don't have to fight a plant back with a stick, what's the point? ;)

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    1. Just a single plant that has really bulked up...and the stupid thing is I had a taller one in my hand but ended up with these instead. Double boo.

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  8. Will you tell me more about the Rheum? Does it die back before the end of the season? How wide is yours? Do you think it would grow in full sun in Spokane? Also, are you growing Astilboides? I ordered one last year and it never came up, hasn't come up yet this year - is it really late to emerge? Thanks DG!!

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    1. Oh VW...I'm glad you asked! I bought the Rheum at the Manito Plant Sale a couple of years ago! My mom bought one too (if you remember she's in the Spokane Valley) and her's is doing great as well. Mine did a little die back when we had a heat wave last June, but by mid July it had returned. It can be a thirsty monster but if you don't mind a little wilt mid-day it pops back up fine in the evening if you don't water. Mom's is in pretty much full sun, it gets a little late afternoon shade. Mine is currently about 3 and a half feet wide, plus it's gotten a couple of side shoots this year.

      Yes I do also have a couple of Astilboides (yes, one came from the Manito sale) and mine are up now, I think mom has one that she said was just emerging. She's not very good with names so when she said "that big leaf plant you talked me into buying" I think that's what she meant. BTW the Manito sale is June 7th, you should go! (I'll be there) http://www.thefriendsofmanito.org/

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  9. Wow, you've got so many in bloom and it looks like your growing season is ahead of ours already. The abutilon bloom looks so unusual lying on the gravel like that. And you've also given me an idea to try growing a water lily in a container pond.

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    1. We've had a couple of good stretches of heat already this year so things are definitely responding. I hope you do try a water lily, of course the flowers are the reason but that floating foliage is pretty sweet too.

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  10. How beautiful! Your Rheum palmatum and Lewisia are magnificent!

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  11. AnonymousMay 15, 2014

    Mammillaria is stunning! It looks like a flece ball with crafty paper tissue flowers-the nature is an artist! Your garden is looing very nice with all these colours!

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    1. You should have seen it yesterday, it was covered with those little tissue paper flowers, it was polka dot!

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  12. I went to 3 different nurseries today looking for Nicotiana sylvestris, the really tall one. All they have is those shorties. I wish my Rheum flowers were such a bright vibrant color. I don't like the white. So many very colorful blooms from you today.

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    1. Isn't it odd that yours is flowering white? Maybe you guys will have to stop at Portland Nursery again when you're here tomorrow. I do think they have the Nicotiana sylvestris, or at least they did.

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  13. So much blooming in your garden in May! The Rheum continues to amaze. My Mayapples are just about to bloom--one of my favorite plants to watch in early to mid-spring. I always enjoy visiting your blog because you have such a unique selection of plants.

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    1. Evan (below) visited yesterday and he opened my eyes to just how many crazy plants I have crammed into a small space. Thanks PP!

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  14. I always enjoy your bloom day posts as your garden is so different from mine. Those plants verge on Lovecraftian. Love. I cannot wait to stroll through it in July! My favorites this time around are the Lewisia, London Pride, and Parahebe. Thanks as always for sharing your garden with us.

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    1. I can't wait to meet you in July, (so soon!).

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  15. Ah Loropetalum is a plant I covet but will never have...boo hoo. And both Euphorbia 'Ascot Rainbow' went kaput over the winter. Sometimes the road to zone pushing is filled with disappointment. Happy GBBD!

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    1. I didn't think I was going to have it either, but perhaps...

      And yes, I share that zone pushing disappointment, especially after last winter!

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  16. What beautiful photos of beautiful flowers. I have a lot of pink in my garden - various shades - which inevitable with so many roses. Not blooming yet. Your bouganvillea is wonderful.

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    1. Thanks commonweeder, I've finally made my peace with pink, so many plants I love bloom that color.

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  17. I don't even remember seeing that peony. I was too engrossed in the callistemons, proteaceous plants, succulents, and other incredible plants. That Lewisia looks amazingly bright.

    I grew Nicotiana sylvestris 'Only the Lonely' from seed. They sprout easily and grow huge leaves. I think they started growing flower stalks that first year, but it was too late for them to develop flowers. I think I started them too late, but they were also in a cool, fairly shaded location. They did winter over for a few years and managed to bloom during a hot summer. They were in one of the coolest parts of the garden, so maybe in a hotter area they would bloom more reliably.

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    1. The peony is kind of hidden up against the front of the house behind the monster fatsia, behind the cerinthe. Next year it's Nicotiana sylvestris for sure!

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  18. Just Lovely :)
    and do not miss...

    SATURDAY SHOW OFF

    it is FUN :)
    Welcome
    Håkan, The Roseman

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  19. I wish you could hear the oohing and ahhing coming out of me right now. A lotus?!?

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  20. Beautiful photos as always, Loree. I wish I had room for a Rheum. (Like how that rhymes?) You might already be aware of this but Nicotiana alata (tall) is super easy to grow from seed. I grew my first plants years ago and always have seedlings. I know N. sylvestris is the same way. You can save the seed and sow it in spring or just transplant the seedlings when they emerge in spring. ... I really need to get another Parahebe perfoliata. The one I had years ago bit the dust (Literally. I didn't give it enough water.) Great photos!

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  21. A most unusual May, and the flowers to show for it!

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