GBBD May 2012

Ahhh it's that time of month again here around the blogosphere.  Time to post about whats blooming in our gardens.  After this crazy winter and beginning of spring things are blooming earlier than usual.  I don't mind much though as I have lots to show off today.....so here goes.

 I'll be honest not sure what this guy is.  His leaves look like that of a columbine but he is so tiny I am just not sure if that is what he is.  But sure is pretty.

Growing wild all over my vegetable garden.....why? Well because I haven't weeded in there yet.  And this guy is right in the middle of some parsley....crazy.

 This gal I bought this year.  I liked the difference between all the others that I have....the white and yellow are very delicate and quite pretty.

 I love snapdragons.  They just look so neat.

 What interesting designs on the pedals don't you think?

 More snapdragons.

 My columbine....I know what this one is....

Even the coral bells have finally come out and bloomed.  Ok so they were out before but now the flowers on them are actually starting to open.

 Strawberry buds are all over the place.

 My blue Iris just opened up today....I love this guy he stands out next to his buddy below.......

 .....that would be this guy the purple Iris.....who is showing off all over the yard this year.

 Although not open yet the peonies are out and ready to go.....the ants are seeing to that.

 Two different views of my Iris in what I now call the Iris Lane Garden.  I transplanted these here last year when I created the garden and they didn't bloom but they did multiply a little.  I just think it's cool that all of them are the same color.  I couldn't have done that even if I had tried.  As I have yellow, blue, and these purple all growing in the same area (these were from previous owners).  Either way I think it looks cool.  Just pay no mind to the truck ....it's full of wood that needs to be piled up.

So now you've seen mine let me see yours......or rather stop over to Carol's blog and see others and post a link there so I can see yours.

First ever sale

I love Spring! Plants that die back to the ground like Hosta and Peonies begin to grow again and grow inches each day.  Tree's and bushes that look half dead begin to show signs of life.  Little leaf buds begin to grow as do flowers.  Things seem to come alive.  The gardens get a fresh start after months of rest.

Well last weekend was my first every plant sale for Irish Gardens.  It wasn't all that bad.  Would have liked to sell more but I did sell some and got my name out there.  With the crazy mild winter we had I lost a lot of plants to late frost.  They started to grow and then bam a frost hit and killed the new growth.  What plants I did have  all had growth on them....but I think that if there was more lush looking plants I would have done better.  Lessons learned. Here are a few pictures from the sale and the gardens.

 My special little helper.  He helped me move the plants out from under the tents every day of the sale.  Even the ones that were taller than him.

 The tall plants that were not going on tables.

 My special red headed helper in the back ground checking out the price list..  On this table is was Iris, Lily, and Hosta roots as well as pots of Chocolate Mint

 The table full of plants...Fountain Grass, Four O'Clocks, Spirea....lots of stuff

And the other bench and other big plants.

The sale isn't the only this that has been going on here at Irish Gardens.....my gardens have been bursting out with color....

 My Iris decided that it would bloom last weekend.  Good timing too cause I was selling some and there were a few customers that weren't sure what Iris flowers looked like.

 A little sad looking by my columbine also is flowering.

 I bought this foxglove already in bloom.  Is that cheating?  Yea kinda...instant color.

 Now this columbine is far from sad.  It's absolutely beautiful.

 The Coral Bells have decided that it is their turn to grow like a weed.

Lily of the Valley started showing off their cute little white flowers.

And although not part of the garden he was part of the sale.  Buddy Dog joined us outside for the last day of the sale.  Spent the time between customers under the main table.

A little rain makes a big difference

So this crazy mild winter we had left us with dry gardens here in the Hudson Valley.  The lack of rain this month hasn't helped either.  But regardless the tree's decided to bloom and leaf out anyways.  Well that is what I thought anyways.  See last night it finally rained here...not snow like other parts of NY but rain....and this morning........

 I see this guy looking a new shade of green.  You know that green that screams of new young spring growth?  Yea that green. And not just in a few places but all over.

Then I go and look at other parts of the gardens and see even more green....or rather taller green.  The 4 O'Clocks seem to have grown a few inches and the Lily of the Valley are beginning to bloom.  My Columbine buds opened right up too.

 And in this garden the Hosta I swear grew a few inches over night.

My Rose of Sharon bushes in that garden are looking quite green now where yesterday you could just see the leaf buds getting ready to come out.  Ok maybe not yesterday but man it seems like it.

Isn't it amazing what a little rain can do for the garden?

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - May

It's the 15th of the Month.  Time to join Carol at May Dreams Gardens and many other Garden Bloggers in the joy of posting pictures of our gardens in bloom.  Although not part of this for very long I look fwd to it each and every month.  Hoping that each post I will get to show something different that is in bloom.  Although there are new blooms this month some are on plants featured last month.  But it doesn't matter. So to start the show we will begin with the houseplants.

 Not a new addition to the blog but the Polka Dot plants are blooming again.  This time a Purple color instead of Pink.

 A Spring Cactus.  Such pretty and different flowers.  These guys close up at night and open again each morning.

Another old timer is the Spider plant flowers.  Only difference this time is this particular flower is on my newer younger Ocean spider plant.

Here is a picture of the whole Ocean spider.  Very different variety from my other spider plant.







With the Houseplants in bloom taken care of it's time to head outside and take a look at what is going on.

 Although still a bud it's worth showing off.  The Peony's are gearing up for their show.

 Another bud worth showing off is from one of my rose bushes....2 of the 3 older ones have buds on them.

 This rose bush is new this year...Tiddly Winks.

 One of my new columbine.  Such pretty delicate flowers.

 The other new Columbine.

 Found growing in the gardens this year was this extreme miniature plant from the Narcissus family known as Jonquilla.

 Another bud begging to be shown is the Iris.  After watching the leaves grow it was a great joy and surprise to find that many are now sporting buds.

 Silly Pansy plant decided that it really liked IrishGardens and came back this year.  Although the foliage is very sparse the flowers are not.

 The other Pansy plant that came back.  There were 4 and although the other 2 show some signs of foliage only 2 have truly come back and bloomed.

 Lily of the Valley.  These were transplanted from my Mothers Garden.  They survived the transplant well and still bloomed.

 The latest in the Hope Blooms Tulips to show off it's color.

 Just cause I love the way they look more of the Tulips.

 A new container I planted Mothers Day.  Containing a Mini Rose bush....with Apricot blooms and a Brazilian Jasmine vine with pink blooms.

 Although hard to see a areal view of my Garden in the front.  I call it the Rose garden as to the left and still part of the garden is my 3 main rose bushes.  but the Columbine, Lily of the Valley, and Tulips and Daffodils are also located in this garden and picture.


Looking down at the gardens show a lot of beauty but now lets take a look up....at the Show stoppers.

 Although not quite high enough to look up at the Magnolia tree is looking good and it's single bloom is a real joy to see.

 Simple yet beautiful one of my Dogwood tree's is in full bloom now.

 Beautiful doesn't begin to describe this Lilac tree....the smell of the blooms alerts visitors to it's presence long before the sight does.

Nestled in the back by the Gas tanks is what I believe to be a Crabapple tree in full bloom.  So incredibly beautiful.  If it wasn't part of the big shaded area in the back yard that seems to house the mosquito's it would be my thinking spot.

So thats my May edition of Garden Bloggers Bloom Day.  I hope you like what you saw.  If not oh well I did.

Each Month Carol Hosts this beautiful meme over at May Dreams Gardens and hundreds join in.  So to see more blooming Garden's stop on over and take a hour or so to click through the virtual Gardens.