What a blustery month this May has been. Twice this week we opened the front door to giant Sycamore limbs in the front yard. One just missed my car and took out an 8 ft. Cenzio and 3 Autumn Sages. I've had an idea for sculpting the remaining trunk but am waiting for a returned call from my arborist, I take it he's right busy. Anyway, this month's Garden Blogger Bloom Day finds the Govumpella yard with more fruit than flowers, seems April was the big bloom count.
May means the full revenge of the insects and I tried to catch bees, wasps, ants etc. etc. to help round out the senses. It's a buzzing, windy force outside.
The roses have wound down and most are suffering black spot and leaf drop...oh well.
Desert Rose is doing fine, this is her first blossom of the summer.
10 years ago I bought one of those coffee cans of Texas Wildflowers and raked it in the front space. The only flowers that still return are Indian Blanket and Larkspur.
I tried to capture a long shot of the hell-strip with it's yellow show, but the gray light didn't seem to help. There are poppies, hymenoxix, bulbine, yarrow, Gregg Dahlia, Lavender, Autumn Sage, Russian Sage, blooming Oregano, skullcap and red yucca all in show.
My very first post over two years ago was about the first blossom I'd gotten on my pride of Barbados. This year she's covered, and I never get tired of that spitting-streamer-party-wild face she has.
She's huge now, and has put out two babies near by.
Yarrow.
Yarrow, ice plant, lavender, Russian sage and lambs ear.
Heartleaf skullcap has taken over Sabra's lonely swing.
Majestic Sage
Blue Mealy Sage
The first year that Blanco did the Lavender Festival, loving spouse and I drove out and bought 10 plants. The names stayed in the ground for a few years but are now lost. I've got 3 varieties blooming and I don't know their name!
The sweet blossoms of lambs ear.
Pesky rabbits. The beginning of just a little bugly damage!
She's not doing any harm on this larkspur...just a little pollinating.
The swallowtail caterpillars are here! 
I put in 3 bronze fennel last year for my butterfly habitat and this year I have 7 volunteers. Last night however, 3 of these guys took out 2!
I caught this guy in the morning light...
And spouse got this shot a few hours later! This spider is a master camoflage artist, Misumena Vatia, on purple coneflower.
Squash alley.
Leave some for us!
The first pepper blossom!
The tomatoes are a coming!
We've got 10 that have survived, there were 13 originally.
The predictable Early Girl.
Tomato blossoms remind me of "Jazz Hands" or "Spirit Fingers!"
Oaxacan Stripe
Tuna!
The first of the Pineapple Guava blossoms, I'm still just stoked that this little shrub made it through the winter!
You can see the buglies if you enlarge this photo. These are the peaches on the island across the street at the CBC, we planted this tree two years ago in November!
Here's the bounty, unless the neighbors or passers by got some first!
First crop of Fuyu Persimmon!
The lone fig. This little guy died to the ground in the freeze so I'm surprised we even got one! My two fig trees are pass alongs from Skip Richter's propagation project of the giant 150 year old fig tree at Boggy Creek Farms.
Blackberries! I'm eating about 5 in the morning and then another 5 or so are ready by the time I get home from work in the afternoon. This year I'm hoping to propagate several more from the mommy plant!
Apricots, a few weeks back...for some reason I had a huge fruit drop, but some still remain.
Kumquat May.I know...bad pun, and it's a loquat...but this is the last one, and it was delicious...didn't even have to make jam. For more photos of blooming beauties in the month of May, go to Carol's blog May Dreams Gardens and check out the blog roll from around the globe!
Happy Gardening!
13 comments:
April is much more flowery in my garden, too. And this constant wind has just flattened all my tall annuals like poppies and larkspur. That said, I think you have a garden that's jam-packed with stuff.
I've had a persimmon tree for about 16 years. It sets a lot of fruit but it loses almost all of it. I know that persimmons are self thinning but this tree drops all but about 3 or 4 fruit. Do you have this problem? And if not, what do you feed your persimmon--or do you have any other advice for keeping it happy?
Cheryl, how on earth is your Pride of Barbados not frozen to the ground? Not only "not frozen" but covered in blooms so early??? Wow! Mine is but a small stick that is most likely no longer alive. And the hellstrip is looking great.
I love your Barbados ... what a fun and exotic looking flower... and it makes babies for you too! You have a lot of Black Swallowtail caters there on your fennel! A great example of the instars! Your big guy is about to become a chrysalis. I hate seeing a honey bee in the grips of a spider... great shot though! I lost my wild honey bees this spring... it will take a very tall ladder to get up to where their hive was. There is a certain sadness about the garden for me due to their absence. Your front garden looks so amazing and I love the shot that makes it feel like you are on a very steep hill. Wonderful textures and forms in your plantings. Good luck with your peach harvest! ;>)
Robin, it's nestled between a huge Rosemary and the base has been swallowed by oregano, I think it just had perfect coverage? I was amazed as well...believe me! Also, the peach tree across the street?? My own peach tree, which has it's own little microclimate in back is still covered with tiny green balls...and half have dropped...it's a strange year!
Mss...this is my first year with fruit on the fuyu, so I'll have to let you know when I have more knowledge!
Carol, thanks for the id on the baby caters! I'm a lazy bugly...I love 'em, but I usually don't take the time to look them up!
You still get my vote for having the best looking front yard. It really impressed me as what a front yard should look like. I have now killed out my front yard and started planting it. It is all your fault.
You are the sweetest thang ever Bob!!!
Oooh!!! Such gorgeous pictures - tempting, luscious fruit and beautiful flowers. And that "hell strip" looks pretty heavenly to me. I envy you your Pride of Barbados blooms. Mine died back to the roots during the winter. It's come back, but slowly. It'll be a while before I see a bloom.
You have so many things going on! Blooms, veggies, fruit, wow. I love your hell strip. I think it looks really nice.
Good grief! Pride of Barbados already in bloom? And I love your hell strip. That is gorgeous. In fact, your whole garden is gorgeous. Blooms way ahead of mine, too.
I just love your garden. I may have to move to a warmer climate. I just planted some fennel seeds in my pollinator garden - very hopeful after seeing your diners.
Kumquat May...THE best pun ever. Ever!
Dude, your yard is insane! I have to say, I feel better knowing that your peaches are tight, green, falling balls...much like my own. I've got about a zillion of them, but they don't seem to be doing much.
Will you show me how to spread the blackberry love? Mine is rockin' too, but I'd sure like to know how to spread it around.
Absolutely! What you do is dig up a root that is about 6 inches long, and plant it horizontal in the ground...that's it! I love 'em! I had meant to get some new varieties, thornless this year...but never made it out to a nursery this spring...ho hum.
Wow, so impressive, all those flowers. I'm getting a kick out of your bunny stories -- I understand the dilemma you are in, but they sure seem to be having a good time!
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