May GBBD: An Embarrassment of Riches
Carolyn’s Shade Gardens is a retail nursery located in Bryn Mawr, PA, specializing in showy, colorful, and unusual plants for shade. The only plants that we ship are snowdrops and miniature hostas. For catalogues and announcements of events, please send your full name, location, and phone number (for back up use only) to carolyn@carolynsshadegardens.com. Click here to get to the home page of our website for catalogues and information about our nursery and to subscribe to our blog.
English primrose, Primula x polyantha ‘Cherry Pinwheels’, from Garden Vision Epimediums, one of my favorite nurseries.
Spring is with us in all its glory, and we have reached the middle of the month when I encourage each of you to walk around your garden and assess what you need to add to make mid-spring an exciting time in your landscape. Do you need more flowering trees, shrubs, and vines to give you a reason to stroll in your garden? Could your garden benefit from more flowers that bloom in May?
Late-blooming European wood anemone, Anemone nemorosa ‘Blue Eyes’: can you see its blue eye peeking out?
Make a list and take photographs so that when you are shopping for plants you know what you need and where it should go. It’s beautiful outside, and you never know what you might find hiding in your garden like the cheerful English primrose (photo at top), which I discovered during my own inventory. Come visit Carolyn’s Shade Gardens to find even more inspiring ideas!
Whipporwill flower, Trillium cuneatum
Today is Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day for May when gardeners around the world show photos of what’s blooming in their gardens (follow the link to see photographs from other garden bloggers assembled by Carol at May Dreams Gardens). Here are some more highlights from my mid-May stroll through Carolyn’s Shade Gardens, but to see it all you will have to visit.
Japanese roof iris, Iris tectorum, in my gold garden.
Readers really enjoyed my photos of trees and shrubs on April’s GBBD so I have been photographing every woody plant that has come into bloom since then. Some have finished blooming now, but most are in bloom. Let’s start with the trees:
Saucer magnolia, Magnolia x soulanginana: this magnolia was done blooming in the beginning of May, but magnolias are my favorite tree so I had to include it!
Flower of saucer magnolia
Ornamental crabapple, Malus species: this is my only ornamental crabapple and was here when we moved in so I am not sure of the variety.
Flower of the ornamental crabapple (also done now)
Kwanzan cherry, Prunus serrulata ‘Kwanzan’: also here when we moved in.
Flower of Kwanzan cherry (done flowering)
Native Carolina silverbell, Halesia caroliniana ‘Rosea’: a beautiful small flowering tree with amazing orange-streaked bark.
Native flowering dogwood, Cornus florida ‘Cherokee Brave’
Flower of ‘Cherokee Brave’ flowering dogwood
Native cucumber magnolia, Magnolia acuminata ‘Yellow Bird’
Flower of ‘Yellow Bird’ cucumber magnolia
Native green hawthorn, Crataegus viridis ‘Winter King’: I thought it would be fun to see what this tree looks like from inside our house.
Flower of ‘Winter King’ hawthorn: it also has beautiful red berries.
Native pagoda dogwood, Cornus alternifolia ‘Golden Shadows’, with native vine Carolina jessamine, Gelsemium sempervirens ‘Margarita’, and native (to the U.S.) camassia, Camassia leichtlinii ‘Caerulea’.
Wilson’s magnolia, Magnolia wilsonii: a real favorite because it grows and flowers in the shade. I can’t show you the whole tree because a London plane tree branch fell on it and destroyed its shape.
Oyama magnolia, Magnolia sieboldii, has flowers similar to M. wilsonii but does not tolerate as much shade and blooms later. Both trees should be planted so that you can view the flowers from below.
I love the buds of both these magnolias: they look like eggs hanging on the tree.
Are you ready for a few shrubs?
This is the biggest doublefile viburnum, Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum, I have ever seen, and it started as a 3″ sprig.
Flower of doublefile viburnum
Dwarf Korean lilac, Syringa meyeri ‘Palibin’, with ‘Winter King’ hawthorn in the background.
Flower of ‘Palibin’ dwarf Korean lilac
Old-fashioned weigelas, Weigela florida ‘My Monet’ and ‘Variegata’, with Hosta ‘Stained Glass’
Flower of old-fashioned weigela ‘Variegata’
Tree peonies, Paeonia suffruticosa, take more shade than herbaceous peonies. These plants did not come with names other than the color.
How about some vines?
My husband’s dedication to training this Chinese wisteria, Wisteria sinensis, across our front porch has really paid off. I have a native wisteria too, but it isn’t in bloom yet.
We grow the Chinese wisteria entwined with native honeysuckle, Lonicera sempervirens ‘Blanch Sandman’, and they both reach the second story. This photo is for Tina at In the Garden who also has this combination.
The view out our dining room window of the pink anemone clematis, Clematis montana var. rubens, growing on the deck railing. This is a very vigorous and long-blooming clematis that does well in part shade.
The flowers of pink anemone clematis start out pale pink (above) and deepen in color as they age.
A few scenes of the flower beds in mid-May:
The garden surrounding our deck with Spanish bluebells, Scilla campanulata ‘Excelsior’, variegated Solomon’s seal, Polygonatum odoratum ‘Variegatum’, and white old-fashioned bleeding-heart, Dicentra spectabilis ‘Alba’, in bloom.
The view from upstairs of our main perennial border by the front door.
The woodland garden in mid-May with native hybrid sweetshrub, Calycanthus raulstonii ‘Hartlage Wine’ in bloom in the upper left.
This post is dedicated to my husband, Michael, who plants most of the plants and does all the dirty jobs at Carolyn’s Shade Gardens.
Please let me know in a comment/reply what flowers are blooming in your spring garden. If you participated in GBBD, please provide a link so my nursery customers can read your post.
Carolyn
Notes: Every word that appears in orange on my blog is a link that you can click for more information. If you want to return to my blog’s homepage to access the sidebar information (catalogues, previous articles, etc.), just click here.
Nursery Happenings: We expect to have our traditional open hours over Memorial Day Weekend, but remember you can make an appointment to shop 24/7 by sending me an email at carolynsshadegardens@verizon.net. Saturday was one of my best open houses ever (thanks to everyone who came), but there is still a great selection of hostas, ferns, and hardy geraniums.
CAROLYN'S SHADE GARDENS 
May 15, 2011 at 6:59 am
Why do you grow the wisteria with honeysuckle?
Love this blog!
May 15, 2011 at 8:51 am
Debbie, I love the color combination of the wisteria and honeysuckle and growing them together allows me to have two vines instead of one. Carolyn
May 15, 2011 at 7:05 am
Lovely look around your garden this May. You do have an incredible selection this month. So, so pretty. Happy GBBD, Carolyn. And great photo for the GGW contest.
May 15, 2011 at 7:17 am
Donna, Thank you for the kind wishes and happy GBBD to you. I love the photo of the edgeworthia buds and have it as my screen saver so I thought I would try the contest again. Carolyn
May 15, 2011 at 7:33 am
Everything in the garden is rosy, Carolyn. Cornus are top of my wishlist for the garden I only have in dreams. And wow the wedding cake tree is an eye-ful – most appropriate that you’ve dedicated this post to hardworking hubby.
May 15, 2011 at 8:44 am
Laura, The Garden Grunt, as he calls himself, has to get credit sometime: it inspires him to further work efforts :-). All kidding aside, I couldn’t do it without him. Is doublefile viburnum called wedding cake tree in the UK? I love that name. Carolyn
May 15, 2011 at 8:30 am
Carolyn,
No flowers of course for me (apart from a very light smattering of violet on some lemon thyme in a window box).
Do you grow smilacina? Our gardener has just sent us a photo of a clump of them in full flower at the moment in our little English garden, sadly rented out and enjoyed by someone else. Smilacina is such a beautiful thing, and I am imagining you must like it too.
Your garden is looking so mouth-wateringly lush and colourful. I particularly love the silverbell, and that wood anemone! Good luck in the GGW competition, Jill
May 15, 2011 at 8:46 am
Jill, Gardeners around here have big swathes of Smilacina, but I have yet to get it established. I will have to try again. I am glad you like the wood anemone: subtle but elegant. Carolyn
May 15, 2011 at 8:34 am
Carolyn, the white flowers are a ‘weed’ on the farm. The fields are full of them and I have no clue what they are. I will send my photo to our extension officer. He is a horticulturalist and will definitely be able to ID it. I so miss the dogwoods in PA. We have them here, but they are rarely are beautiful. You garden is so pretty at this time of year. I am so sorry to have missed it.
May 15, 2011 at 8:49 am
Donna, I meant the other white flowers which are not a weed. Dogwoods are one of my favorite trees, especially the natives. so sorry they don’t do well in Niagara Falls but am mystified as to why. You can come next spring. We will plan it way in advance. Carolyn
May 15, 2011 at 9:16 am
Carolyn, once your gardening season gets going it doesn’t half take off. Progress of growth is much slower here but still looking good. You have so many wonderful plants and pictures of them. My monitor has developed grey horizontal lines which were spoiling it a little, but it has just clicked back in to perfect mode again. We have just ordered the Palibin’ dwarf Korean lilac, it is said to do well in containers.
May 15, 2011 at 9:27 am
Alistair, My ‘Palibin’ is huge, but I guess it must take well to pruning if it does well in containers. I am not very good about pruning and should make a resolution to do better. Carolyn
May 15, 2011 at 9:24 am
Wow! Where to start? Well, first of all thank you for that lovely picture of the honeysuckle and wisteria. It’s a beauty. And kudos to your husband for doing such a good job of training that wisteria. I know it is not easy at all. And a hello to Michael too. It’s so nice he works in the garden with you. You have so many woodies (my favorites) that it is like wow. They are all stunning and planted to perfection. Especially that doublefile!
May 15, 2011 at 9:30 am
Tina, I just thought it was so funny that we both had the wisteria/honeysuckle combination, which is unusual. Michael has to hack the wisteria back constantly because it wants to cover the house. I always get a good chuckle out of the pruning instructions that tell you there is only a certain time to prune wisterias. They must have been written by a secret wisteria society that wants to take over the world. Carolyn
May 15, 2011 at 9:42 am
Lovely to see more of your garden, that wisteria looks amazing, no wonder you dedicated the post to your husband! I don’t normally like the frillier anenomes, but ‘Blue Eyes’ has those lovely points to the petals and that flash of blue…
May 15, 2011 at 9:53 am
Janet, Those points are really elegant. Carolyn
May 15, 2011 at 10:26 am
Your garden must be such a beautiful place to visit Carolyn and kuddos to your hubby for all his hard work as he must be delighted at this time of the year when you are rewarded with such exquisite blooms especially from those magnolias, wisteria and malus and cherry blossom.
Have you any tips of getting epimediums to flower – I have a beautiful clump of heart shaped leaves for years but only once in 7 years have I seen yellow flowers………. I think they were yellow!
May 15, 2011 at 11:06 am
Rosie, My husband will be so thrilled with all the comments he is getting because I tend to get all the credit. I sent an email to Karen at Garden Vision Epimediums, the premier epimedium experts, about your question because I have never experienced this. I will report back. Carolyn
May 15, 2011 at 10:32 am
Oh, my, what a beautiful garden you have! An embarrassment of riches, indeed. But I’ll bet you are not one bit embarrassed!
May 15, 2011 at 11:07 am
Dorothy, No, I am not embarrassed, but I have always loved that phrase and it seems to describe May in southeastern PA perfectly. Carolyn
May 15, 2011 at 10:44 am
What wonderful ideas here! Love the wisteria with the honeysuckle. I’ve never heard of doing that, but that would be such a great combination. You must have taken a lot of time to train it like that – it looks gorgeous. And I love the clematis on your railing! Heavenly!
May 15, 2011 at 11:09 am
Holley, I did have to train the honeysuckle into the wisteria, but it was worth it for the combination and the fact that the honeysuckle goes on blooming for a long time after the wisteria is done. The clematis did that by itself! I never even prune it. Carolyn
May 15, 2011 at 10:46 am
Crazy great pics. Looks like things are in full swing over at your place. Matti
May 15, 2011 at 11:18 am
Matti, May is the most beautiful month in my garden (but I think that about March and April too). Carolyn
May 15, 2011 at 10:54 am
After that showing I’m quite embarassed about my few little blooms. Your gardens are simply Magnificent!! How I wished you lived nearby so I could pop in to get advice from you. All I can say is WOW, WOW, WOW!!! There is nothing I don’t love in the post above.
May 15, 2011 at 11:21 am
Christine, Too bad I am in outside Philadelphia in the US instead of Philadelphia, South Africa. I wish you could visit. I have been gardening in this spot for 28 years and intensively for almost 20 years so the gardens better look great. Being in the business and paying wholesale prices also helps. Carolyn
May 15, 2011 at 10:56 am
Micheal you truly are “the Man”. I was going to ask how many gardeners you employ to maintain the “botanical gardens”.
May 15, 2011 at 11:26 am
Greggo, It is just Michael and I maintaining the gardens. But we have low maintenance down to a science and there really isn’t that much to do. Now maintaining our historic wooden buildings…. Carolyn
May 15, 2011 at 10:57 am
Your selection of blooms is wonderful and I always enjoy visiting to see what you have. The primrose, magnolia and kwanzan are magnificent this year and everything is looking amazing! Happy GBBD!
May 15, 2011 at 11:29 am
Lee, Happy GBBD, a great shared celebration. You are the first to comment on the primrose, which I thought was particularly spectacular. Carolyn
May 15, 2011 at 11:54 am
You have so many beautiful blooms today, but I especially liked all the trees and shrubs. I wish you had shown the form of the native silverbell. Those are fascinating flowers on it. I also really liked the Clematis on the railing.
You picked an excellent picture for the contest, the lighting really brings out the velvety texture of the bud. Good Luck on the contest!
May 15, 2011 at 12:45 pm
Alison, Glad you enjoyed the post. I didn’t show the silverbell form because there is no way to get a good photo of it due to its placement in my garden. I am glad you liked the photo contest shot–I really love it. Carolyn
May 15, 2011 at 12:08 pm
Happy May GBBD, Carolyn! Kudos to both you and Michael. Stunning photos, as always. I love the photo of that gorgeous ‘Winter King’ hawthorn flower. Good luck with your contest entry — the paperbush buds photo is a prizewinner in my book! May I ask the name of the beautiful yellow hosta in the foreground in your woodland garden photo?
May 15, 2011 at 12:53 pm
Sharon, Thanks for your kind words. The hosta in the foreground, which is currently in my top 10 favorites, is ‘Eye Declare’. I am not sure why it isn’t written and talked about more because it is gorgeous and unique for its color and habit. It does take a while to reach its full potential. Carolyn
May 15, 2011 at 12:26 pm
Dear Carolyn, You have nothing to be embarrassed about as your amazing garden is a testament to all the hard work you and your husband put into it! How long did it take for your Viburnum to grow that high? I would love one, and the blossoms of yours are my favorite. P. x
May 15, 2011 at 12:56 pm
Pam, The viburnum has been around for a long time, but it reached that size quite quickly. I have tried to grow two more on that same woodland edge and have not been successful. They were both selected cultivars whereas my original plant is the species (I think). It never sets fruit, which I am happy about because doublefile viburnums are invasive in some places. Carolyn
May 15, 2011 at 12:29 pm
Dear Carolyn,
so many nice flowers! I prefare your Magnolias and Clematis!
By the way, here is a link
(http://translate.google.com/about/intl/de_ALL/tour.html#professional)
for google translator which you can put in every kind of homepage, maybe it works!
Thanky a lot for your participation at german Bloom Day!
Have a nice evening!
Gesine
May 15, 2011 at 1:00 pm
Gesine, I feel privileged to join in German GBBD. Anyone who wants to go there can go to http://www.seepferds-garten.com to see the posts. I am curious as to whether when you go to my post it gives you a translate option. Carolyn
May 15, 2011 at 1:19 pm
my sister and I visited your gardens yesterday,what an inspiration they were to us! The voles in my shade gardens have eaten so many of my plants,I get tired of the battle! Seeing your beautiful home and gardens,I will continue to fight and enjoy what they choose not to eat….I continue to look for a solution.Do you amend your soil and if so,what works best for shade plants?…thank you to our husbands…mine signed me up for your wonderful site and re introduced me to Carolyns Shade Gardens! thanks hon
May 15, 2011 at 1:56 pm
Marilyn, You need to get a cat to eat your voles. There are also various vole traps that you can make. I add compost to the soil whenever I plant a plant or prepare a bed and mulch every fall with ground leaves, which turns to compost. Please thank your husband from me. Carolyn
May 15, 2011 at 1:25 pm
Wow! What a treat to look at your garden today. So much beauty. The Magnolia is gorgeous. I cannot wait until mine grows up to look like yours. LOL!
May 15, 2011 at 1:58 pm
Lona, I am not sure which magnolia you are admiring, but all my magnolias grow and flower very quickly. Of course not being a patient gardener and having wholsale plants available, I always buy large trees. Carolyn
May 15, 2011 at 2:15 pm
Carolyn, I am in love with your yard! This is my first time to your blog, and I am so impressed. 🙂 Next winter I am moving to my great grandmother’s farmhouse. I have been making a wish list of plants & when they bloom to help me along, and I have just added doublefile viburnum & pink anemone clematis. They are absolutely gorgeous! Thanks for sharing!!
May 15, 2011 at 7:13 pm
Emily, Thanks for visiting and I am glad I could add to your list. Carolyn
May 15, 2011 at 2:23 pm
Your garden is looking spectacular! I especially like the Cornus florida ‘Cherokee Brave’ – had never seen a pink dogwood. It all looks great.
May 15, 2011 at 7:15 pm
RBell, Glad you got an idea for a tree for your garden. There are a lot of pink dogwoods in southeastern PA but I never get tired of them. Carolyn
May 15, 2011 at 3:15 pm
Wow! Your climate is obviously very different from mine – I could never grow any of these. I think I’m most envious of the doublefile viburnum.
May 15, 2011 at 7:19 pm
Gayle, It is fun to see plants from other climates–that’s one of the things I like about GBBD. Tried unsuccessfully to leave a comment on your blog earlier today. Carolyn
May 15, 2011 at 4:01 pm
So lovely Carolyn! How lucky you are that your husband is so willing to help!
I’m with you on low-maintenance gardening! As much as I love working in the garden, I enjoy relaxing and looking at it even more.
May 15, 2011 at 7:20 pm
Linda, I am very lucky because I couldn’t have created all this without my husband’s back breaking support. Looking at the garden is what I would like to do more of. Carolyn
May 15, 2011 at 4:06 pm
Carolyn – I remember that you commented about your wisteria on my blog once, and I was looking forward to seeing it. It is as spectacular as I imagined. Michael seems to have mastered the art of hacking back the wisteria without harming its flowering performance. My wisteria only produced 4 blooms this year.
May 15, 2011 at 7:24 pm
Bag, I really think that pruning and flower performance stuff is a bunch of nonsense. To get your wisteria to bloom, you need to root prune it. Go around the base of the plant about 2-3′ out and slice it roots by cutting straight down in a circle with a sharp spade so it thinks it is going to die. It will bloom the next year. That’s what we did. Now I should add a dsiclaimer! Carolyn
May 15, 2011 at 5:11 pm
It’s always exciting to watch spring march northward. Your magnolias and dogwoods were in bloom here in March. We’re into lilies, daylilies and hydrangeas already. We’re about to mow a field of wisteria. It will eat your house in the south.
May 15, 2011 at 7:25 pm
Nell Jean, I think this one would eat our house if my husband wasn’t after it constantly. Carolyn
May 15, 2011 at 5:15 pm
Your garden is looking very lovely this May! Isn’t it wonderful to have a supportive spouse in one’s gardening addiction! The paperbush buds are very interesting! Great photo…best of luck in the contest! And, Happy GBBD!
May 15, 2011 at 7:26 pm
Karin, So funny to think of my husband supporting my addiction. I try to pretend its a business, but you have blown my cover. Carolyn
May 15, 2011 at 6:29 pm
An embarassment of riches indeed! Everything is stunningly beautiful. I am really interested in that paperbush shrub….so lovely. I also like that clematis that grows well in the shade. It was such a nice visit. Here is my GBBD link: http://thesagebutterfly.blogspot.com/2011/05/raindrops-on-blooms-may-gbbd.html#c1017834829716258731
Happy GBBD Day!
May 15, 2011 at 7:28 pm
SB, If you can find it and it works in your zone, you should get the paperbush, Edgewothia: spectacular buds form in the fall, very unusual fragrant blooms, elegant branch structure, and nice leaves. Carolyn
May 15, 2011 at 8:22 pm
Ha! I love the title of your post! What a vast variety you have. So cool to visit your blog and see so many plants and blooms I’m not familiar with. Beautiful!
May 15, 2011 at 8:50 pm
Cat, I am glad you got the “joke” of the title of my post. I have always loved that saying. Carolyn
May 15, 2011 at 8:33 pm
Happy May GBBD! What beautiful compositions in your garden. I am as delighted as other commenters here about the wisteria/honeysuckle combo. Just yesterday I purchased my very first wisteria to train on a pergola we built last season. Any pointers? Or do you know of a good site dedicated to taming wisteria?
May 15, 2011 at 8:52 pm
Jane, We let ours go for a couple of years, and it didn’t bloom. We root pruned it and it has bloomed ever since. To train it, we just grab the long reaching sprigs that come out about now and wrap them around the structure. When everything is covered, we cut off the “reachers” whenever they appear. Carolyn
May 15, 2011 at 10:04 pm
Your gardens are incredible and the bushes and trees in bloom are what I love about May. The photo you are entering is gorgeous. I was hoping to chose one this wekend but ran out of time. I hope to chose one next weekend…good luck and Happy GBBD
May 16, 2011 at 6:19 am
Donna, I do love my perennials, but even a large clump cannot compare to a shrub or tree in full bloom. Carolyn
May 15, 2011 at 10:44 pm
This is so beautiful Carolyn! I long to have the room to plant all of those lovely flowering trees for spring! And I loved the planned view from your window also. So important in our climate, I think.
The wisteria must be my favorite, however. Great info for training them also.
So nice to see a husband and wife still loving and gardening together. I am very thankful for my hubby & that he loves and appreciates our garden.
May 16, 2011 at 6:21 am
WMG, Yes, especially this spring, a lot of the viewing goes on from inside. Carolyn
May 15, 2011 at 10:49 pm
Forgot to mention GBBD post!
http://wifemothergardener.blogspot.com/2011/05/garden-bloggers-bloom-day-may-2011.html
May 16, 2011 at 3:02 am
As always your garden is looking lovely. you have so many lovely Magnolia species, I wish I had more space to grow them, here they flower in april so all are finished here. I’ve never heard of Halesia caroliniana ‘Rosea’, it looks very interesting.
May 16, 2011 at 6:26 am
Christina, The silverbell is very interesting, and I guess it is unusual because I get questions about it constantly. I wish I had planted mine in a better location but it’s too late now. Carolyn
May 16, 2011 at 3:04 am
Me again, not sure what happened then; I was going to say that the Halesia caroliniana ‘Rosea’ must be a native that hasn’t crossed the pond! what is a native wisteria for you, I’ve not come across any wisteria that weren’t Chinese or Japanese. thanks for the tour around your garden, only sorry I can’t come in person
May 16, 2011 at 6:31 am
Christina, There are actually two US native wisterias: W. frutescens, American wisteria, and W. macrostachya, Kentucky wisteria. I grow the former and really love it. Much more refined than the Asian version (that’s unusual) with smaller tighter flower clusters and delicate leaves. Not as rampant as the Asian vines either. Carolyn
May 16, 2011 at 8:44 am
Thank you Carolyn. Do they grow from seed ot are they like the Asian ones that its always safer to buy a grafted plant to ensure flowering. A slightly slower grower could be very useful in situations where rampant growth would be a problem. Christina
May 16, 2011 at 5:29 pm
Christina, I think you would be safe growing the American wisteria from seed if you can get it. I never heard of it being grafted. Carolyn
May 16, 2011 at 7:09 am
Nothing top be embarrassed about, that’s for sure! A garden club friend has a similar setup with her wisteria – for many years it was a patient husband doing battle to save the roof and gutters, in honor of the fabulous blooms. Love the deck decked with clematis!
May 16, 2011 at 7:17 am
GA, The clematis is one of my great success stories, and I didn’t even do it. I just got out of the way which is a key to creative gardening. Carolyn
May 16, 2011 at 9:27 am
beautiful flowers
May 16, 2011 at 5:30 pm
Geos, Thanks for visiting. Carolyn
May 16, 2011 at 9:37 am
Carolyn… how kind of you to do a do a post with every plant being high on my list of wonderful/exciting things to grow. This post is beautiful! I have to do some research on your site to see if you have any cultural info on epimediums. Two of my favorites (Princess Susan and Domino) seem to be less vigorous this season… I don’t know if it’s the cold… others planted nearby are doing great. I’m wondering if division is valuable from time to time to maintain vigor? By the way… you live in paradise! Larry
May 16, 2011 at 5:35 pm
Larry, We will have to share paradise because I have seen your incredible gardens as portrayed on your blog and they are paradisaical (always wanted to use that word) too. I have not had problems with epimediums becoming less vigorous, and I never divide them (even though I always intend to). I recently emailed Garden Vision Epimediums to find out for a reader why hers might not bloom. They said they will not bloom in really deep shade. Could yours be getting more shade than they used to? Carolyn
May 16, 2011 at 7:38 pm
Actually no and as I said the ones around them are doing fine… my suspicion is that they are reacting to colder than normal weather and hopefully will come on a bit if we ever get some warmth! It looks like another major frost risk tonight. Thanks for responding… Larry
May 16, 2011 at 7:43 pm
Larry, It has been a very cool wet spring here but in a good way. All my plants are twice as big and healthy as they normally are. I will keep my fingers crossed that you don’t get frost tonight. Carolyn
May 16, 2011 at 1:27 pm
Hosta Stained Glass was just another shade plant until I saw it in your garden. Thanks for the inspiration.
May 16, 2011 at 5:38 pm
Allan, Hostas are like snowdrops for me: they all look different even though many people think many of them look alike. ‘Stained Glass’ is a spectacular hosta, and one that I have chosen to use as a specimen. I have found that you really can’t go wrong if you choose one of the AHGA Hostas of the Year. They really are superior plants. Carolyn
May 16, 2011 at 5:49 pm
You weren’t kidding about an embarrassment of riches – 4 tree peonies fits the bill alone…and the Wisteria – swoon! ‘Cherokee Brave’ dogwood…hyperventilating….
My Bloom Day post is here: http://mcgregorsdaughter.blogspot.com/2011/05/lush-life-may-bloom-day.html
May 16, 2011 at 6:49 pm
Barbara, I am glad you enjoyed the plants. I think that this is the best spring ever in southeastern PA. Carolyn
May 16, 2011 at 6:41 pm
Hi Carolyn, There are so many beautiful plants and trees that it seems almost wrong to single out just a few for comment. The Kwanzan cherry and pink dogwood really caught me eye, maybe because I have been wanting to add a pink flowering tree or shrub to my spring garden. I also took special note of the Spanish bluebells, which I thought were very pretty.
May 16, 2011 at 7:32 pm
Jennifer, I would definitely go for the pink dogwood, but I am a real dogwood lover. The Spanish bluebells are beautiful but they spread like crazy so you need to plan for that. Carolyn
May 16, 2011 at 10:11 pm
You and your husband have done a fabulous job. You have such diversity and beautiful combinations. Happy GBBD!
May 17, 2011 at 11:53 am
Les, Thanks–that means a lot coming from you. I hope you will stop by if you are in the area (or maybe make a special trip). Carolyn
May 16, 2011 at 11:25 pm
Your gardens are fabulous! I love the stone path that passes the Korean lilac. It is enchanting, and I want to see where it goes! I was not familiar with Wilson’s magnolia or pagoda dogwood. Now they are both on my list of ‘research and would love to buy’.
May 17, 2011 at 11:57 am
Deb, Magnolia wilsonii is kind of obscure. I had to look up the common name, and I could only find one place where they called it Wilson’s magnolia so that might not be correct. I got mine from the old Heronswood Nursery in WA State, but I think the new Heronswood Nursery in PA carries it. Pagoda dogwood is an all round great native plant that everyone should have. Excellent layered form (hence pagoda) and beautiful blue and pink berries loved by birds. Carolyn
May 16, 2011 at 11:58 pm
Ohhh Caroyln, you have a wealth of beauty in your gardens! They are sooo BEAUTIFUL! What I wouldn’t give to have some of your trees and flowers growing in my garden. My climate is very different from yours though…lots of sun and a much drier climate here in Utah. Just curious…what zone do you live in?
May 17, 2011 at 11:59 am
Ramona, I live in zone 6b, quickly evolving through global warming to 7. I am sure there are many plants that you grow that I would envy–that’s what’s fun about garden blogs. Carolyn
May 17, 2011 at 9:49 am
So many wonderful flowers. You have a very beautiful garden.
May 17, 2011 at 12:02 pm
SB, Thanks for visiting. Carolyn
May 17, 2011 at 10:06 am
I feel delirious from the visual delights. How does one choose, where does one begin.
I would like to make note that I adore the Whipporwill flower, Trillium cuneatum because is look so hardwood forest woodland.
May 17, 2011 at 12:07 pm
Cheri, I am glad to see you are back reading blogs. I hate to say it but I think you like that trillium because, as my husband says, it looks like a creature from outer space. You were the only one to comment on that photo, and I love the plant too. Carolyn
May 17, 2011 at 11:26 am
Lovely, lovely, lovely Carolyn! We have many of the same loves, including Michaels 🙂
May 17, 2011 at 12:08 pm
Joey, We do like the same plants and now our husbands have the same name. I love coincidences. Carolyn
May 17, 2011 at 3:37 pm
Oh dear. It’s really almost too much beauty to take in in one sitting, it truly is. I’m simply speechless (which is a rarity for me – ha.) The work that you (and your hubby – bravo Mr. CSG!) put into your home must be absolutely worth every second and effort expended…I don’t know when I’ve ever seen such a serene, tranquil, garden of endless, endless surprise and beauty. Thanks for taking and sharing all these photos for us to delight in!
May 17, 2011 at 7:06 pm
Aimee, Well that is a rave review! We do both put a lot of work into the gardens, but the result is worth it. I try to set aside some time each day just to walk around and enjoy the fruits of our labor. I like to call it my “crop inspection”. Carolyn
May 18, 2011 at 6:15 am
Oh Carolyn, What a joy to visit your garden. I am drooling over your magnolias! I love the inside/outside views with your hawthorn. Your garden and blog are such an inspiration . . . gorgeous! If only I could have a Michael of my own. Riches . . . you have many but embarrassment does not lie with you . . . I feel that way about my gardens after visiting yours. I have a sea of bishops weed to contend with. Alas! Your photos are wonderful too Carolyn. It must be intoxicating for you right now . . . to walk around your home and take in all the beauty. It is so sweet that you would dedicate this stunning post to your dear husband and partner.
May 18, 2011 at 12:47 pm
Carol, I am glad to see you are back commenting, and I hope that means you are feeling better. It is fun to have a Michael to garden with. We have different styles though: I see the flowers and he sees the weeds! I have a sea of bishop’s weed, knotweed, privet, lesser celandine, bittersweet, etc. down by our stream. We just focus of trying to keep it from moving up the hill. Carolyn
May 18, 2011 at 3:15 pm
You asked about my experience with Dicentra ‘King of Hearts’ and Corydalis ‘Blackberry Wine’. I planted 3 of the Dicentras, 2 died, I believe from a combination of squirrels digging and labrador violets invading. The third plant is strong and healthy & I divided it into 2 this spring. I planted 3 of the Corydalis, one died, I replaced it with another, and now all three are thriving. They are planted against the eastern foundation of the house, and get only morning sun. My soil is partly clay, but is incredibly well drained.
May 18, 2011 at 8:00 pm
I think the incredible drainage may do the trick. I will have to try again.
May 18, 2011 at 8:11 pm
What an awesome post…I thought I’d reached the end and there was more and more!!! Is that a Rodgersia in the background of the picture with your husband?
May 18, 2011 at 8:55 pm
Scott, The plant that looks like Rodgersia in the photo with my husband is actually hybrid hellebore foliage. Thanks for visiting. Carolyn
May 19, 2011 at 2:55 am
Carolyn,
Another lovely post, and I think the idea of GBBD worldwide is great..have been too busy to do it on time, but I loved the plants you pictured in this blog, and as a link in time, the pretty Syringa meyeri ‘Palibin’ was one of the plants I admired when we visited Hergest Croft Gardens in Herefordshire UK last week. Do you know of this place? I was overwhelmed by its beauty, and the vision of its creators, and its still being run by the fourth generation of the Banks family. If you’re ever over in the UK in spring/autumn, or any of your blog followers are, do try and visit it. I think you’d love it. I’ve put up a few pics on my latest blog at http://www.thegardenimpressionists@wordpress.com. Thanks again….Must track down that Syringa. PS if you do look at the blog, and have time, follow the link on Mother Shipton for a fascinating insight into a period of English history I knew little about, but it does take a little time to read it all! Best wishes , Julian
May 23, 2011 at 7:03 pm
Julian, Hergest Croft Gardens sounds wonderful. I would love to get to the UK to visit gardens. Not in the economic cards right now though. Carolyn
May 19, 2011 at 9:16 pm
whoa, that whippoorwill flower looks like the plant from little shop of horrors. feed me.
May 23, 2011 at 7:05 pm
Jess, I am sure that that is why Cheri from Along Life’s Highway liked it. I wish it grew like the plant from Little Shop of Horrors: that clump is over15 years old. Carolyn
May 20, 2011 at 7:49 am
Always a pleasure to read and see the wonderful gardens. I think this is the first time I have seen a glimpse or two of your house. Between the wisteria and the clematis on the railing my head was spinning. I am now thinking More Trees. All the best to you.
May 23, 2011 at 7:13 pm
Patty, If it was up to me, the whole house would be covered in vines and you would never see it. However, I defer to my husband and let a little of the house peak through. Carolyn
May 20, 2011 at 11:24 pm
This posting was inspirational. I think I need to go buy a dwarf lilac, and train my wysteria better…
May 23, 2011 at 7:14 pm
Kathleen, I really love the dwarf lilac, but it isn’t really very dwarf. I prune mine to keep it about 6′ high and it continues to grow in width so I don’t know what the ultimate width will be. Carolyn
May 21, 2011 at 5:52 am
This is a late reply, but I wanted to let you know I am amazed at what you do and have in your garden, everything!
May 23, 2011 at 7:15 pm
Lula, Thanks for your kind words. Carolyn
May 21, 2011 at 11:25 am
Added your page to my favoriets immediately!!! Love your awesome photos!!
May 23, 2011 at 7:18 pm
Melissa, Thanks. Glad you enjoyed the post. Carolyn
May 21, 2011 at 5:19 pm
Just saw your entry for the photo contest, and came to see what it is called. Yours is my choice for winner this month!
May 23, 2011 at 7:19 pm
Diana, Thanks. I really love the photo and have it set as my desktop. When I read the contest description, it seemed perfect. I will have to check out the other entries. Carolyn
May 24, 2011 at 9:43 pm
Don’t know what GBBD is…. just ran across that designation for only the second time! I do post an update of everything blooming in our garden each month, but not as part of any group effort.
That said, I am slobbering all over the place from salivating over your gorgeous blooms! Our Yellow Bird has been in bloom and it was nice to see a familiar face! We have the Cherokee Chief, uncle or other close relative to your Brave, which is also blooming now as well.
But that wisteria has got to be the treasure of the garden! My husband also provides much of the brawn behind our gardens – so wonderful that it is a mutual labor of love.
As for your GGW entry… what an incredible photograph! It reminds me of a velvet tassel. The detail is amazing.
Cathy in MA
May 25, 2011 at 8:04 am
Cathy, GBBD stands for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day when garden bloggers all over the world do a post on what’s blooming in their gardens and link it to the blog May Dreams Gardens. It is very fun. I always say that the bud of the paperbush looks like a tassel on a Victorian pillow–so funny that you thought the same. Carolyn
May 24, 2011 at 10:08 pm
Carolyn, Your garden in May looks even more wonderful than it did in April. I am particularly taken with the combination of the blue irises and the gold-chartreuse foliage of hosta and heuchera.
May 25, 2011 at 3:24 pm
Jean, I love that iris combination myself. One of the major gold plants is Hakonechloa ‘All Gold’, Japanese hakone grass. Your recent post inspired me to go back to Chanticleer today and take more photos. Everything is completely different. I am thinking of doing a post just on the seating. Carolyn