MAY I Have Your Attention?

If gardens could talk, right now during this fickle month of May, my garden would sound like this. "MAY I have your attention please? We need staking over here." "Attention please, we need deadheading." "Put down your coffee and attend to me now!" It's ridiculous. And it affirms the futility of it all. It can get discouraging. Why do I bother? Well because I love my garden, that's why. And when things are tidied up, well, I feel better and I can ignore the hundred other things that need done. 

Here are some recent photos. 

Lilium x martagon 'Claude Shride'

I bought six of this Lily bulb. One is blooming. Only one. The rest are just sitting there, three inches tall. Maybe next year? 

Silene aterias

Carpenteria californica and a cute approaching bee

Lots of blooms on it this year.

Another bee, this time on Centaurea dealbata.

I'm happy to introduce the flowers of Geranium palmatum. They're a long time coming considering I sowed the seeds in January 2015. They germinated and grew well. Here is the foliage on last year's plants:

Geranium palmatum foliage

Geranium palmatum foliage

Its foliar good looks persisted all summer and all through (a very mild) winter. Then, a month or so ago, flower buds emerged and finally bloomed! 

Bee-attracting Geranium palmatum flower!

Geranium plamatum flowers -- worth the wait? Oh yes!

You could say I'm pleased with the outcome.

Another "worth the wait" is this flower. I finally was able to purchase a double-flowering Silene! I'm so in love with this flower. 

Silene dioica 'Flore Pleno'

The foliage rosette is in the pot on the left.

And then there's this intensely fragrant rose:

Rosa 'Rhapsody in Blue'

With those yellow centers, you know it's another bee-loving flower

Rosa mutabilis is settling into its newest location.
More sun should produce more flowers.

I'm really loving this flower combo:

Geranium x magnificum and Santa Barbara Daisy (Erigeron kavinskianus 'Profusion'

And speaking of hardy Geranium, check out the foliage on this new one I found at a plant sale a few weeks ago. 

Geranium x oxonianum 'Katherine Adele'

Katherine is so pretty!

The exact identity of the plant below is still in question. It's a Deutzia, but which cultivar? If you know, please do tell.  

Deutzia ??

Nectaroscordum siculum

Clematis 'Princess Diana'

Clematis 'Pink Fantasy'

Variegated Porcelain Vine (Ampelopsis brevipedunculata 'Elegans')

And speaking of variegated foliage:

Acer pseudoplatanus 'Esk Sunset'

And the peachy-pink undersides of it.

A good match for it is:

Autumn Fern (Dryopteris erythrosora 'Brilliance')

And then there's this green mess. 

And now, for some wide shots...

These are the aforementioned 'Rhapsody in Blue' roses.

The same area from a different angle.

My new rock garden area, where the pear tree used to be.

The same area looking the opposite direction.

Also a "new" area since limbing up the Laurel hedge.

The Sambucus nigra 'Black Lace' and Rosa 'Knock Out'

From the opposite angle.

From yet another angle.

Here is the other side of the above border.

This is what I mean about deadheading and cleaning up.

The hummingbirds seem to enjoy my new water feature
but I'm not patient enough to get photos of them so you'll have to take my word for it.

This silly Erigeron is blooming after an unexplained hiatus last year.
Erigeron glaucus 'Sea Breeze'

And behind the Erigeron, stinky but beautiful Phuopsis stylosa is starting to bloom.

The white flower is Anemone 'Wild Swan'

My Japanese Blood Grass (Imperata cylindrica 'Rubra') is so happy. 

And to finish off, a little fauna to complement the flora.

I literally detest flies, but this shiny green one was pretty enough to photograph.

And finally, Nala the indoor-kitty cat, is waiting for a catnip treat.