May in the garden: Some of the perennials.

 Since I keep the bird bath full I am seeing more birds on the deck.  The house finches are frequent visitors.

This nest is under a heather  next to the little boxwood hedge.  I could not trim the boxwood hedge until the birds hatched.  On May 9th the Rofous sided Towhee's nest was empty.  I had checked a day or two before and thought I saw some feathers on some pretty big baby birds.  I did not take pictures or stay too long as I did not want to disturb the birds.   Apparently the birds do not take very long to lay the eggs, hatch them and the babies are ready to fly.  Rofous sided towhee

 The humming bird was enjoying the wall flower for about 3 - 4 weeks as long as it was in bloom.  It still has few blossoms now.  But I shall dead head it and see if it produces more flowers.

 This wallflower grows by the entry to our home.  This is how it looked on the 3rd of May.

 This is it on the 24th of May when the humming bird was feeding.

 Some of the tulips were still in bloom at the beginning of May.

 The bleeding heart plant was huge this year and the blossoms lasted a long time.  

 The tree peony that grows by the entry way to the house.  The magnolia, this big peony and the wall flower are all in the same area and put on quite a show in May.

 This primula veris grows by the rhodos by the steps up to the back deck.  I have primulas growing along the stepping stones in the moss/water garden room.  This plant was being crowded by the purple hellebore that grew under the rhodos.  Just a couple of days ago I removed the hellebore and few other weedy plants from under the rhodos.  I am sure the rhodos and the primulas will now grow and look much better.   I am letting the dame's rocket and foxgloves grow across the stepping stones in the fig tree bed.  These plants put on quite a show after the bulbs in the area were finished.  I have cleaned out most of the weeds in the fig tree bed and it is looking a bit bare in spots.   I might need to encourage some sort of little ground cover for under planting the rest of the tall plants in this bed.

 This lovely little veronica -- not sure which one it is -- grows along the edge of the fig tree bed  across the stepping stones and their moss from the epimediums.  As you can see this was before the area was weeded.  I shall try to encourage this little plant to go everywhere in the fig tree bed.

 This little veronica grew at the edge of the stone path in the front garden.  Just the other day while trying to find it, I seem to have pulled it out or it was taken over by the more agressive erodiums and the chartreuse ground cover.  I love the color of that ground cover.  The little veronica had the same color leaves.   I shall have to find another one and a place for it, in the new little renovation at the front.  It is a lovely little thing.

 This allium is on the east side of the pond.  I am trying to encourage foxgloves  and maybe a lupine to grow in this area.  I have a yellow blooming  loosestrife  that has established a big clump, growing in the area now. 

I have had this creeping phlox (sublata) for many years.  It has grown to overhang one corner of the retaining wall by the steps up to the old sidewalk.  It is lovely in bloom and looks good otherwise with its nice  dark green needle like  leaves.  As I cleaned up around  the rhodos I see I now have given another little rock plant from years ago, that is growing along this rock wall some more space to grow.  It has bluish foliage and dusty blue flowers that look really very nice in this shaded area.  It might be another veronica.   It, too, will benefit from my taking out the agressive hellebore and  any others. (Photos in the posts for the June garden)

 These are the perennial geraniums that grow along in front of the cedar hedge in the 5 foot strip between the neighbours on the west side and our driveway.  They are excellent plants.  The only thing that seems to grow threw them is the bind weed.  The morning glory is a constant annoyance.  It grows all along the side of the neighbous property and has for as long as we have been here.  I don't know how to tell them that this is not a pretty flower that we want growing here.  The geraniums do a good job in keeping the weeds out.  Maybe I should just plant them all along this edge of the driveway.

This little erodium grows in the rectangle on the west side of the boulevard garden.  It is a very good edging plant for the tall white flowering veronica spicata, and the other taller plants in that bed.  Across the little privet hedge from this plant grows the big French lavender.   So its a good color combination.  I just need to get the erodium to spread out a bit more. 

 Here is is  later in May still blooming.  And it is still blooming now.  

 Here is the French lavender spreading out over the grass.  You can see that this is before the crocuses have hardened off and I could cut down the grass.  

 A close up of the lavender.  NO bees on it!  It is usually covered with bees.

 In this photo you see the little erodium, the honeysuckle privet hedge and the lavender.  This is after I had cleaned up this boulevard garden room.   The daisies get pulled out because they would take over the planet if you let them.  The bouquet of daisies lasted a long time!

 Another closer photo of the creeping phlox.!  I need more of this well behaved plant!

 Years ago I planted this gas plant by the cedar hedge that separates my property from the boulevard garden.  Also planted valerine, a hebe and a companula in this spot.  They are all hanging on, but not doing as well as they could if I took better care of them.  They will need compost if and when I get time to do it.

 I like the form and ease of growing this solomon's  seal.   It grows in the bed next to the little rockery at the front.  This is where I am renovating the area to enlarge the rockery.  I have left the  gorgeous wine colored jackamani, some of the montebretias (for the humming birds) and the solomon's seal in an area of about 6 feet by about 7 feet.  This area  backs on the cedar hedge along the east property line, and the little boxwood hedge that borders the grass path.  I spent a lot time in April and May digging out montebretias and bluebells, from the rest of this area to create more space for the gentians, saxifrages and any other plants that will fit.  The area borders on the stone path.  Well... more on this later with the pictures.

 This Star of Bethlehem sparkling white flowers popped up in the rectangle just discussed in the boulevard garden.  Another lovely in plant in bloom.  It did not last long and then was gone.

This is another older plant.  It was put along the newly made cedar hedge in the back garden.  It is now over shadowed by the western red cedars.  I must cut out a bit of space for it to peek out.  I cannot remember its name.  I must give it more compost and water too.