The First Week Of May In The Backyard

We had the most amazing weather last week.  Sunny every single day and highs in the 80's.  Not typical May Oregon weather, but I wasn't complainin'.  The weekend brought back the rain and the typical 60's, so I'm glad I got quite a bit of yard work done while the doin' was good.

The clear blue skies brought more flowers, so I've got tons of pictures.  Up first, Nelly Moser is blooming! So exciting.

Ain't she purdy?

Also along that side of the house, the Solomon's Seal is threatening to take over.

I decided to change up my window boxes along that pathway this year.

It's the south side and I was having to water those suckers at least twice a day.

Still, some days I'd forget to check on them and they'd dry out. 

 Annuals aren't too keen on that, so they'd stop blooming if they were shocked with a few times of me neglecting them.

So last fall I stuck a bunch of sedum and succulents in 'em from babies I already had around the yard.

We'll see how they do.

So far so good.

The hostas are starting to look really pretty.

My mom just gave me a piece of this little one.

It's called Illicit Affair.

The Saxafraga is starting to bloom.

I believe this one is Saxafraga x geum 'Denata.'

I bought this little guy last year and had forgotten all about him.

The common name is Alpine Bells.

Or, if you prefer a mouthful, Cortusa matthiolii ssp pekinensis.

It was sorta lost where I had it, so I moved it to a pot that has some Columbine comin' and a Fuchsia.

In the shade under the Mallow tree, the pink Wood Hyacinth is blooming now, as well as the Lily Of The Valley.

The kids' pot of radishes and carrots is comin' along.

I mentioned last year that I wanted to rework the bed along the wine bottle path.

I had been using it to mix in veggies and herbs for years, but only half of it gets full sun, and it was mostly barren until it was time to plant warm soil things, so it wasn't really workin' for me.

I ended up pulling out all the rocks that make up the border and reshaping the edge.

It needed to be more curvy, instead of just a straight row of rock, to match the other side of the lawn, so yes, I removed MORE sod.

I know, I'm not gonna have any grass left if I keep it up.

It's still a work in progress, but my goal is to fill in with perennials and I'd like to have some sort of shrub, or evergreen, or tree, or something, that makes it look more established early on in the season.

What, I don't know yet.

Like I said, it's a work in progress.

The kids did plant the snap peas on the two trellises that are in there, so they're gonna stay, at least this year.

My pot of chives, as well as two different kinds of mint, oregano and marjoram, are stuck in there for now.

There's a sage planted in the ground that's comin', so I'll probably leave that.

I also have a couple Phlox there, one of the Blueberries, Saxafraga, Lady's Mantle, Columbine, Salvia patens, a Mock Orange that is finally takin' off this year, my new perennial Sweet Pea, Campanula, a Bleeding Heart, The Kid's concrete pot, a new Heuchera, a hardy Fuchsia, and this Jacob's Ladder.

Polemonium, 'Apricot Delight.'

Like I said, it's half full sun, half part shade, so that's why the plants are such a random mix.

The other side of the path looks pretty good right now.

It gets sun until about 2:00.

The other Blueberry is there, as well as Lady Ferns, Solomon's Seal, Campanula, the Knock Out tree rose, Jasmine, Primula, one of my little potted trees, and The Girl's cement pot.

I need to repaint their pots.

I'm over the purple.

In another section of the yard, the Cranesbill Geranium, 'Johnson's Blue' is blooming.

The piece I divided a few years ago is still white.

???

More Solomon's Seal.

I have a lot.

I stuck my new Allium over in this section.

It's starting to open!

I think my Peony might actually get more than two flowers this year.

I'm pretty darned excited about it.

It was here when I bought the house and with all the yard revamping, it's been moved around, so it hasn't been very happy with me about it.

Two more little trees I missed the first time.

A Juniper and a Grand Fir.

The Clematis (do you say cleMAtis, or CLEMatis?) on the arbor The Dad built is just starting to show color.

My mom dug this one out of her yard, so I don't know the name of it.

I'm throwin' in cute kitty pictures.

My other Lewisia from last year just started bloomin'.

This one is 'Kanab.'

For the locals, I saw Lewisia at Fred Meyer on Saturday.

Fred Meyer!  Now that's a first.

They were $6-something, but I think the pots were about 6-inches.

If you don't have any yet, I highly recommend them.

Okay, I'm finally at the last group of photos.

I've tortured you enough.

The last flower to share is the perennial Bachelor Button.

These things get mildew really bad, and they reseed all over the yard, but look how pretty they are when they're being good.

Thanks for doin' the backyard stroll with me.

The front yard will be up next.

Shameless plug alert:  

Just a little reminder that you can purchase my floral photographs in my Etsy shop.

If you see one in a post that isn't in the shop, shoot me an email and I'll list it for ya.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/RindyMae

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