Almost May

May is only a few days away and I've been taking photos in the garden...AGAIN! You might be getting the idea that gardens and photography are my number one favs! Well, at the moment they are with all of the new buds coming up and of course if I am going to share the garden the best way is to photograph it. Here are the latest...
Hardy Geraniums, Oakleaf Hydrangea ready to bloom, Japanese Painted Fern with Celandine Poppies. The Celandine Poppies were in another location several years ago and did not do well. I thought I had lost them until new shoots came up under the Azaleas!                   

Ferns and Poppies

Japanese Painted Fern

The poppies seem to like it under the azaleas so I have let them stay. The ferns are looking great, too.

Calla Lily

Celandine Poppy

Bleeding Heart blooming and Calla Lilies  just coming up.

Bleeding Heart

   Aunt Mildred's Iris is looking                           gorgeous

Aunt Mildred

Wild Ginger

Native Hardy Geranium

 The Woodland garden is doing well. Here is some Wild Ginger and the Native Hardy Geranium blooming for the first time after a "plant rescue" five or so years ago. 

Christmas Fern

Northern Lady Fern or Northern Maiden Fern. I'm not sure which name it goes by but I like it! Last photo is Christmas Fern which grows every where in the Georgia woodlands along with May Apple in the background. 

April Showers continued

I was able to do a little transplanting and weeding this weekend. The weather was gorgeous! The husband mows and I garden. Adding more photos from my earlier walk through the garden, some photos of a trip to Tennessee last weekend, and my sister's photo of Grandma's peony that just bloomed this spring. 

My trilliums in the native garden did not last long since they are a favorite snack of the deer who frequently wander through my yard. I was thrilled to see these yellow trilliums on the weekend trip to Tennessee driving through the Great Smokey Mts National Park.

Obviously those Tennessee deer are not as hungry as the ones here in Georgia! 

Reading some of the brochures from the Park I am disappointed to read that one of the threats to the wild flowers and plants in the park are poachers. Specifically, commercial poachers! Knowing that the plants and animals on National and State lands are protected I would never dream of digging up plants. Now I have a concern about where I purchase the native plants I am looking for. 

Grandma's peony is lovelier than ever! My sister had a small start from Grandma years ago and has nursed it along for several years with fabulous results. I would have to verify how many years she has had blooms on it. As with most things I loose count of the years. 

I have been waiting patiently for a start of this for my own garden! Again...another pass along plant! From these same grandparents I have a horseradish plant and spearmint in my garden. I'll have to post photos of those at a later date as I have none at the moment. I have chocolate mint growing in a large cast iron kettle which was given to me by this same grandmother. So as you can see I have more than a few opportunities to remember as I enjoy my garden.

Bleeding Heart

Pincushion Flower

The last of the photos I previously took from my garden:

A bleeding heart (Dicentra spectabilis) with two varieties of hosta. A purple pincushion flower (Scabiosa). Notice how the stamens resemble pins in a pincushion, thus the common name. Perennial geranium also called Hardy geranium or Cranesbill geranium. I have a native variety in the woodland native garden which bloomed for the first time this year! And last are the chives in full bloom! The last photo I posted they had just come up and had only a few buds! A few weeks makes all the difference! Until next time, I hope you enjoyed some of my favorite plants. 

Hardy Geranium

Chives

April Showers

More from my garden....

There is a light shower this morning as I take a walk through my garden. My last post in March was when the daffodils and hellebores were about finished and just a few new blooms were coming up. A month later the garden is in full bloom. Azaleas, English Dogwood, Iris, and Chives. Hostas are up and have been nibbled on. The Trilliums from March were gone almost as soon as they started to bloom. (Deer snack)

The first day lily to bloom... rain drops on day lilies! Another favorite of mine is photography. I am very much an amateur!! Reading photography articles for tips on photographing plants and flowers it was suggested to carry a spray bottle to spritz the plants with drops of water for interesting results. I'd say a walk in a light shower does the trick! AND you don't have to carry the bottle around either!

 My Azaleas started with two as a Mother's Day Gift from my son, Scott. One of them was pink and the other a light pink with a dark pink "throat". The light pink one died a few years after I planted them. I then bought five more pink ones . One of them is now half pink, half light pink as you can see in the photo below. I would be interested to know how that happened!

Encore Azaleas

Some older hosta and Japanese Painted Fern are planted in and around the Azaleas. A look that I very much like. The Encore Azaleas are deer resistant! Behind the Azaleas is an Oak Leaf Hydrangea which has suffered from deer eating it back every year. This year it has come back and has buds ready to bloom on the top. I can only hope!!

Oak Leaf Hydrangea

Aunt Mildred

Yellow Iris

The flower bed behind the Azaleas is full of yellow Iris from my sister a few years ago, a lavender Iris she got from our Aunt Mildred that she divided and passed along to me, a Strawberry Hydrangea she gave me for my birthday last year, and an English Dogwood from my friend, Sheila. Blue Iris from my daughter in law, Tiffany is located on the other side of the Oak tree from the Azalea bed. I love the "pass along" plants and plant gifts from friends and family.

Strawberry Hydrangea

English Dogwood

English Dogwood

A walk through the garden then is not only about enjoying the blooms, it's also about remembering the friends and family who passed along a favorite plant or gave a gift of a plant. I have more photos to post later from my walk into the garden today. Stay tuned!

Tiffany's Iris