Saturday, May 15, 2010

Flower Power: GBBD May 2010

May Dream Gardens hosts Garden Blogger's Bloom Day every month.  Blooms in my May shady garden tend to be scattered individuals, but its still fun to see the small splashes of colors.  Here's what is blooming in my garden:

New Plants in the Garden

Anthony Waterer Spirea (Spiraea x bumalda 'Anthony Waterer') may need a little more sun and acid than it is getting presently, but it still put out a few clusters of flowers.

Goldmound Spirea (Spiraea japonica 'Goldmound') still has a few faint pink clusters also.

Dyckia fosteriana, growing right at the base of a Red Oak, produces blossoms that are actually more orange than shown in the picture.

Pink Shamrock (Oxalis crassipes 'Rosea') is constantly producing additional little pink blooms.

My other shamrock, White Shamrock (Oxalis crassipes 'Alba'), doesn't seem to make as many blooms, but still manages to put out some.

Established Plants

Texas Betony (Stachys coccinea) has finished its primary bloom cycle, but still has a few blossoms here and there.

Cedar Sage (Salvia roemeriana) continues to throw out vertically challenged bloom stalks.

'Ragin' Cajun' Ruellia (Ruellia elegans 'Ragin' Cajun') has re-emerged from underground; still getting this year's growth started, it also managed to throw out a couple of blooms.

If my memory is correct, Red Dragon Knotweed (Persicaria microcephala 'Red Dragon') mainly produces its blossoms in the fall.  But a few are appearing here in the spring.

Yeah, I know.  It's bad, it's evil.  But Nandina domestica grows & blooms in my shade, and its red berries in the fall are lovely. 

Annual

The bronze-leafed begonias (Begonia x semperflorens-cultorum) continue to explode in pink blossoms.  I'm not too big on annuals, but I can't pass up the begonia's zealous bloom production.

Potted Plants

The Chrysanthemum still puts out a flower now and again.

The Red Yucca's (Hesperaloe parviflora) bloom stalk has skyrocketed upward, and is now unfurling its limbs of red blooms.

Bear's Breech (Acanthus 'Summer Beauty') is sending up two flower spikes which tend to last quite a while.  The unique blossoms occur at almost symmetrically precise steps along the stalk.

Hope you are enjoying your own bloom day!

7 comments:

  1. I'm getting envious. Everybody's Acanthus mollis is blooming beautifully except mine. I always think the flowers look somewhat menacing...like the raised head of a cobra. But that's also what drew me to them.

    Your Spiraea japonica 'Goldmound' is so delicate and beautiful. It's a new plant to me. I garden in shade too so perhaps I should check it out.

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  2. The Acanthus flowers are pretty cool, RBell - unlike MSS, I've never grown this plant, but the spiraeas are nostalgic plants for me. Pruning them was one of my tasks as a horticultural volunteer at a park back in IL.
    Oooh -that's what the Dykia bloom could look like? I bought a small one last fall and it didn't survive winter. Guess I should try again!

    Happy GBBD

    Annie at the Transplantable Rose

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  3. mss: The 'Goldmound' blossoms are not real noticeable, but the chartreuse foliage shines brightly in filtered light. It's new this year in my garden.

    Annie: This is my first year for Dyckias (have three flavors), but all of mine made it through the winter with limited or no protection.

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  4. Love the bear's breeches. I have thought about getting these plants but am still waiting until I find the perfect spot in my garden.

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  5. I love the pink Oxalis blooms. It's always nice to see Acanthus looking fine, as it won't grow around where I live.

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  6. Sylvana: I have my bear's breech in a big pot that stays outside - mainly so I can give it a bit more water (it tends to wilt here).

    Mr. M's Daughter: This is pink oxalis first year in my garden, and they do seem pretty perky - lots of little blossoms.

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  7. Acanthus hasn't been totally hardy here, but what a marvelous plant... maybe I need to try again with our milder winters of late... Thank you for sharing! Larry

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