Musings on the Merry Month of May…

The Secret Garden Steps and Path, Yesterday Evening (Blooming Here and Below: Phlox divaricata ‘Clouds of Perfume’, Muscari armeniacum, Ajuga reptans ‘Purple Brocade’, Daphne x burkwoodii ‘Carol Mackie’, Fothergilla major ‘Mt Airy’, Viburnum lantana ‘Variegatum’, in a Sea of Emerging Wildflowers)

It’s a rainy Monday morning in May, and I’m at my desk catching up on all of the things that have fallen by the wayside during this garden designer’s spring rush. Overwhelmed with professional commitments, projects, and twelve-hour planting shifts, I find myself a stranger in my own garden these days. But yesterday evening, after hanging the hammock between trees at forest’s edge, I took a break from my chores to stroll around the garden; drinking in the delicate beauty of May…

Having self-sown along the wildflower walk, fragrant woodland phlox (Phlox divaricata ‘Clouds of Perfume’) fills the air with a ever-so-subtle, spicy scent, accented by sweet and fruity grape hyacinth (Muscari armeniacum). Bees buzz and bounce about the ajuga-lined stone path, gathering pollen from the rich, violet-blue carpet of blossoms. Nearby, hummingbirds —just recently returning from their winter travels— sip nectar from the throats of silverbells, dangling from twin Halesia trees (H. tetraptera). As I walked, I realized that my personal experience of spring is no different from all of nature; it’s quite simply a bustling, beautiful time of year…

Inside the Secret Garden, Emerging Tufts of Golden Japanese Forest Grass (Hakonechola macra ‘All Gold’) Adds a Bit of Bright Chartreuse to the Woodsy Tapestry: Ostrich Fern (Matteuccia pensylvanica), Spurge (Euphorbia), Grape Hyacinth (Muscari ‘Valerie Finnis’), Coral Bells (Heuchera ‘Purple Palace’), Foam Flower (Tiarella Cordifolia), Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis), Tree Peony (Paeonia mouton x lutea ‘High Noon’, Summer Snowflake (Leucojum aestevium) and various Narcissus

Silverbell Blossoms on a Rainy May Morning (Halesia tetraptera). Read About This North American Native Tree by Clicking Here and Following Hyperlinks Below the Photos & Within the Essay

Photographs and Text ⓒ Michaela Medina/The Gardener’s Eden. All photos, articles and content on this site (with noted exceptions) are the original, copyrighted property of The Gardener’s Eden and may not be reposted, reproduced or used in any way without prior written consent. Contact information is in the left side bar. Thank you!

Do you enjoy The Gardener’s Eden? You can help support this site by shopping through affiliate links. A small percentage of each sale will be paid to this site, helping to cover web hosting and maintenance costs. Thank you so much for your support!