May flowers

 It's not been the best week -or bank holiday - weather-wise but the rain has kept the garden growing and although much colder than a fortnight ago there hasn't been enough frost to cause a problem.
There hasn't been much wind either so the cherry blossom is still hanging on and looking lovely.

Under the cherry tree, I have kerria japonica and honesty flowers clashing colours,





and, mostly hidden by them, the first flowers on Solomon's seal

 The other side of the lawn has a group of bright red tulips,

more honesty,


and whitebells









The veg patch borders are covered in forget-me-nots









and the fences are covered by leaves on raspberries, flowering currants and 'real' currants, and montana clematis which isn't quite flowering yet










 
Underneath, bluebells are hiding. I've tried to plant them in shady spots similar to their natural habitats - so under currant bushes, next to large flopping plants or in shade cast by buildings

One apple tree is still in full flower, though another is only in bud.

First signs of lily of the valley.

Honesty

 A brief Twitter conversation this afternoon led me to realise that I haven't posted any pics of the honesty running riot all round the garden! I've been too busy looking up in the air at appleblossom or the ornamental cherry bursting into flowers, and ignored this almost weed-like plant.








That ability to seed as well as a weed is one of the things I love about it. Hardly any effort required! I just leave the seedpods alone - apart from a few that I bring inside over-winter to fill vases - and let nature do the rest.



It takes two years to grow to flowering stage, so round the bases of these second year plants there'll be small seedlings starting to grow.
Some years there'll be lots of flowers - this year the plants almost encircle the lawn - others not so many.

Another thing I love is that they hide the dying-back daffodils so I can just snip the dead heads off and leave the rest to die back naturally.










By the time the honesty has finished flowering, aquilegias and poppies will distract the eye...

May in the garden - flowers

 At the moment,the garden is divided into two colours - white around the lawn where the whitebells dominate the flower beds  and the blue of forget me nots taking over the vegetable patch - but almost every inch has flower of some sort...

Very pleased to see these two new anemones in flower.

potted rhododendron

Cherry tree in flower

bluebells under the trees

last of the huge red Appeldoorn tulips

kerria japonica

the first couple of aquilegias in flower - soon the garden will be full of them

welsh poppy

pansies

...and at the back of the garden my 'secret' bench seems almost taken over by honesty and clematis

 and very near to flowering ; lilac, peony, lily of the valley and laburnum

Purples and reds - with a little bit of blue

 The daffodils have finished flowering now and, with tulips and honesty in flower, the garden has turned all red and purple with blue splashes from forget-me-nots and pansies

 There's even a solitary snake's head fritillary in flower
















and the first of the pink bells

purple pansies and deep red daisies