May days are a wonder in the garden. It seems that each day there is something else budding, blooming, or fading away.
A few posts ago, I featured the gradual blooming of the first peony.
This is that same peony today.
I, of course, am reminded of the Bette Davis classic, All About Eve. This particular peony is my Margo Channing, withered, aging, and past her prime. And there, just behind her and looking over her shoulder is Eve Harrington — waiting in the wings for her chance to step onto the stage.
As Margo so beautifully uttered in the 1950 film: “Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy night.”
Or a bumpy garden — hopefully, Eve Harrington has heard of karma. There are plenty of young starlets in the chorus, all hoping for their big chance. Here is a Weeping Korean Dogwood, one of the slowest growing trees I have ever met.
A close-up of the blossom.
The first Candytuft flower, started from seed.
Dianthus.
Impatiens, also started from seed.
Spiderwort.
“Wine and Roses” Weigela.
The Gaillardia are two years old, started from seed last year.
I’ve waited years for the Climbing Hydrangea to bloom. This is my first year with flowers.
A few years ago, I couldn’t pass up this double Azalea.
This miniature Lilac is small, but it packs a fragrant punch.
The perfect ending to a May day is “May Night” Salvia . . .
. . . surrounded by Heuchera “Palace Purple” and a lawn in desperate need of a May mowing.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Man 
What beautiful blooms with the exception of the peony “after” photo. I see what you mean about the blooms not lasting too long. However, the first peony is my favorite of the beautiful bunch. 🙂
Stay tuned for more peony blooms. The other plants are full of buds.
Kevin, you gave a lovely tour through some your countless blooms (and you’ve certainly got a lot of them) and a vivid illustration of their ever-changing nature.
Lee, many thanks for your kind words. They mean a lot coming from you.
Very pretty blooms. How exciting it must be for your climbing hydrangea to be blooming!!!
You have no idea. The climbing hydrangeas are covering an arbor, so the blooms dangle at eye level. I wonder what my neighbors think hen they see me just staring at them. 🙂
Wow! Your garden is suddenly way ahead of mine, I think time has stood still here while you’ve surged ahead. We’re still at the ‘leafy’ stage…glad to see your Hydrangeas flowering!
Jane, all it seems to have taken is a little bit of heat — and then everything exploded. Although, my rhododendrons aren’t doing much yet. Time will tell.
A bunch of great pictures. Here in Kansas the peonies are finished blooming as are the lilacs and salvia. I must get those salvia cut back so they will bloom again soon. The butterflies just loved them.
Donna, so glad you liked the blooms. I always find it interesting to compare the differences in the zones, and what’s blooming and fading.
Great Dianthus! We’re also in the leafy stage here so I can enjoy your blooms before I get mine!
I planted these dianthus in a pot two years ago, and they keep coming back. When I think of it, I water them. Hope you’re out of the leafy stage soon!
Your garden blooms are beautiful! You are the second blogger I have read today that showed Wine and Roses weigela. This spring I decided to plant one in my garden, but after searching all the usual garden centers, I was unable to find it. So I still don’t have one, and now I’m made to suffer by looking at your lovely one!
Sorry to hear about that. It’s a truly beautiful shrub, but in all honesty, it has grown too large for its location. I can’t bring myself to move it, though.
Hi Kevin. If only those beautiful peony blooms lasted a little longer. They seem to fade so fast. The miniature lilac is lovely and I bet it smells wonderful. I have been wanting a climbing hydrangea but I am not sure I have the patience to wait to see it bloom. I waited eleven years for my wisteria to bloom and I was ready to chop it off. LOL!
🙂 I came close to ripping it out several times. The only things that saved it was the texture of the mature bark and the shape, color, and lushness of the foliage. It was worth the wait.
Lots of gorgeous colour in your garden, Kevin! The gaillardia, the spiderwort, the dianthus – real eye catchers. Glad you have more peonies coming – they really are spectacular. Peonies are definitely one of my favourite flowers. Thx for mentioning All about Eve – I haven’t watched that movie in years! Both Bette Davis and Anne Baxter were so good in it. Astrid
Astrid, glad you liked the blooms. As for my movie reference. . . All day long, I seem to have useless dialogues running through my head. 🙂
There is such an explosion of blooms going on in gardens everywhere that if they came with sound effects, it would sound like either a symphony or carnival. Your dianthus look absolutely electric! I love all your bright flowers. 🙂
Kaboom! Each day, something new is opening up. It’s an exciting time to be in the garden.
The “All About Eve” references were a great reference for your point! Very clever. I do get ideas for starting points. I would love to try Impatiens from seed. We grow it easily and it’s an inexpensive plant, but I’d enjoy the experience. All your photos are so beautiful. You must have a truly lovely garden! Debra
Impatiens can be a little tricky from seed, but there does seem to be more color variety than the plants that are for sale. That’s what keeps me coming back for more. Definitely worth the time and effort.
Great color! Curious about Gallardia. How long does it bloom for you?
Hi Mario. I started the gaillardia from seed last year, and I had flowers all summer long. I’m not sure if that was a fluke because it was their first year. But. . . They over wintered nicely, and the plants are larger and full of blooms. I may even have to move them away from one another to give them some space. I’ll keep you posted on their development.
Hi Kevin, it seems you have quite a lot going on in your garden! You are right: everything is in bud now, I used some fresh willow branches to stake some plant (to be honest I used them to signal some new plants so I can rescue them from all the weeds that are growing around!) and the stakes are actually producing new leaves and roots… I might have left my new plants to the weeds!
I like the poetic words you used about your fading peony but, hey, one thing is ‘passed her prime’ another thing is ‘crone’! 🙂
The dogwood really impressed me, I like dogwoods and I’ve never seen this particular one before. I like its glossy foliage!
Hydrangea petiolaris is very greedy with flowers, I know, but it’s a nice plant to grow!
Alberto, always nice to hear from you. I like your idea of using willow branches as stakes — although I’m not sure I’m ready for a potential willow forest. By the way, if you could see that has-been of a peony today . . . yes, crone would be the correct word. 🙂