Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - May 2019

Late April and May have been a hectic time for me and not in a good way since it involved health problems for both my husband and myself. His was definitely the more serious of the two since he had heart bypass surgery on April 29. He's at home and well into his convalescence and I have learned a new respect for nurses!

Unfortunately, my function as a nurse has not left much time for gardening and my garden shows it. In short, it's a mess and that mess hasn't been helped by the near monsoon rains we've had recently. But even amid the neglect and the mess, many of my tough old plants just keep on blooming. Here is some of what I found on a walk through the garden today.

If it is May, there must be magnolias, of course. This is the month when their beauty makes us forgive them their untidiness throughout the year.

 My hydrangeas are just beginning to bloom.

Likewise, the oleanders. Many oleanders around town are in full and glorious bloom already, but mine are literally late bloomers.

These are some of my reblooming chrysanthemums. They bloom in the spring and again in the fall.

I have them in several colors, including this rust.

And also this red one which is not quite in full bloom yet.

You might think this is white plumbago, but, in fact, it is blue. The color is almost impossible to capture in bright sunlight.

The Philippine lilies have bloomed gloriously but this is the only one left and it is a bit worse for wear from all the rain. They are beautiful while they last.

Blue salvia.

 Turk's cap.

The 4 o'clocks are in bloom late in the day as their name suggests.

 The yarrow just keeps on going month after month after...

 And so do these little violas. They don't seem to realize their season is past.

This is a wildflower with the weird name of purple-head sneezeweed. I have a few of the plants scattered around the garden. I like wildflowers and so do the native pollinators.

This is another wild plant that has introduced itself into my garden. It is elderberry, the fruit of which is much loved by birds. It grows behind my garden shed.


 Pomegranate.

 Yellow cestrum.

 Salvia greggii - aka autumn sage.

 This is Duranta erecta - golden dewberry plant.

This is the only variety of daylily that I have in bloom so far. Its proper name is long forgotten.

 The groundcover wedelia.

Mrs. Lui's cannas. I don't know their real name but I call them that because my neighbor, Mrs. Lui, was the one who gave me my start of them long ago.

 This is 'Wendy's Wish' salvia. It has been a real winner in my garden.

 Justicia 'Orange Flame.'

'Peggy Martin' rose just keeps on blooming her heart out for the fifth consecutive month now.

 This is the 'Caldwell Pink' antique rose.

 And this is 'Julia Child.'

 'Belinda's Dream.'

But the real star of the rose garden this month has been 'Lady of Shalott' which has been covered in these large cushy blooms for weeks now.

I'm glad you decided to drop by my garden this month and I hope to visit yours in turn. I'll also be visiting the garden of our host Carol of May Dreams Gardens. She always has plenty to show us.

Happy Bloom Day!