The garden is at its most beautiful in May; and even though the tulips are over as are most of the Irises the garden is FULL! When I look at the garden now, especially this year after so much rain this spring I can hardly believe it will all become parched in a few weeks and I will feel sad looking at a garden that is struggling to stay alive.
I think the walk will actually have to be divided into a couple of posts otherwise you will stop reading before the end – I know everyone has a lot to do at this time of year.
The Pomegranate tree suffered badly from the cold winter; it isn’t dead but there are whole large branches that don’t have any foliage yet. It is a case of crossed fingers that it will recover
This was last year’s Tuesday view.
The Left Hand Border is looking prettier than for many years; this border definitely prefers a wet spring, maybe I will have to irrigate it in future
To the right of the path the evergreen shrub borders have grown so much some serious pruning will be needed very soon.
One good effect of the cold weather was to reduce the quantity of red lily beetles in the garden. There were some but they haven’t destroyed the Madonna lilies as they so often do.
From under the mulberry looking up through the Left hand border
The woodland path is cool, shady and very green – all that it should be. The Sisyrinchium striatum carefully plants itself all along the edge of the bark path
Philadelphus, this strongly perfumed variety follows on after the other one has finished
The Arbutus on the left has struggled to grow since it was planted over ten years ago. It is coming out!
Achillea dances through this bed under the yellow crab apple
I mentioned in yesterday’s post that there were many other flowers almost begging to be picked and late in the day I succumbed and picked all these beautiful white flowers for another vase.
Campanula with the Philadelphus that has finished flowering, the little white stars where the flowers were are rather attractive
Madonna Lily
Gladiolus nanus The Bride
A delightfully perfumed Philadelphus (maybe Virginial) I bought it as Belle Etoile but it isn’t that)
In a vase late on Monday
What are you enjoying most in your garden today?
Creating my own garden of the Hesperides 
That Madonna Lily is lovely. I have several white lilies that are new this year and have not bloomed.
Madonna lilies are always the first to flower.
Nice to see your garden looking so robust. The philadelphus especially!
With so much rain the garden is thriving- long may it last.
Hear, hear!
Lovely! I enjoyed seeing wider views of your garden and I’m glad you’re enjoying the fruit of the rain you received. It DOES make a huge difference as I noted when I recently scanned photos of my garden last May, after last year’s heavier than usual rains, and compared them to this year’s wide shots after ridiculously low rainfall – ugh. I love all your white blooms. Can you grow Coleonema album? It seems as though it would love your climate but then I’m unsure of its winter tolerance and I know you get a lot colder than we do here. I planted a Philadelphus from a tiny pot a couple of years ago and it’s still small and a bit spindly but I hope it’ll mature to resemble yours some day.
I’ll look into Coleonema, thank you for the suggestion. The Philadelphus is very tough. You sometimes see them growing by the roadside here, so without irrigation. Mine don’t get any water either. They aren’t a particularly pretty plant when not in flower but the perfume when they are make them worth it.
Christina I hope the pomegranate recovers soon. The Madonna Lilies are beautiful and with their pure white highlight on the green and remain precious. Philadelphus has a flower that I like a lot and if it is perfumed better. Your garden Christina is very beautiful and green, with everything very grown and the forest full of freshness and greenery. It must be wonderful to walk by him. The silver vase with the Campanula of Philadelphus, Madonna Lily, Gladiolus nanus the bride and perfumed Philadelphus, all the white flowers, is magnificent, I love it. Without wanting to, I chose most of the flowers that you were going to put in your beautiful bouquet. Your garden hides beauties without equal. Happy week. Take care. Greetings from Margarita.
I hope you have a happy week too.
This was a beautiful walk, and I look forward to the next instalment. Geranium ‘Anne Thomson’ and Salvia nemorosa ‘Caradonna’ caught the evening light and took my breath away this evening.
It is the light that does it every time isn’t it.
Your garden looks so beautiful and so peaceful – a lovely place to be.
Thank you it is peaceful.
It has been pouring rain here for days,seemingly weeks,so I am enjoying your garden.
It has rained here almost every day for the last three weeks, but not all day so I can get some things done.
Finally cleared up for a bit here, my greyhounds are basking in the sun. Supposed to start raining again in the morning. Arggh. Weeds grew 3 inches!
only 3 inches!
I enjoyed the walk around your garden, Christina. That looks like a Melia in flower at the back of your left hand border. I’m very fond of these trees, although they tend to be defoliate by large hairy caterpillars here, which is a shame.
Yes, you’re right; it is a Melia, I planted it as a very small sapling 11 years ago not imagining that I would see a tree in my lifetime!!!! Luckily there isn’t anything here that eats the leaves (well not yet anyway)
I enjoyed the walk round your lovely May garden Christina. I was delighted to see that your Melia tree survived the hard winter. Maybe I will risk my 3 year old tree outside.
Madonna lilies are so beautiful and picky about where they will grow. Just as you find the perfect spot the lily beetles move in. I love your white vase -gorgeous.
The lily beetles have been less of a problem this year. I think the cold weather must have reduced their numbers. As long as it’s not water logged I think the Amelia is pretty tough.
The rains have created even more of a lush haven for you Christina. I admire that pretty Sisyrinchium striatum. You vase of whites is lovely!
The Sisyrinchium is a weed here!!
I enjoyed the walk through your garden. How many times a day do you stroll through it?
At the moment it is dependent on how much of the day is raining!!
It really does look lush and the new growth is really noticeable! I love the way you have planted the Achillea in front of the shrubs/crab apple. Is that a short Euphorbia in front of it?
Yes, Euphorbia myrsinites. I have masses of it all around the garden.
You have earned every moment of happiness in your green garden – after that awful drought.
I pulled out my dead Prunus nigra and replaced it with a lime grey Buddleja glomerata that makes my heart sing each time I look out of that window.
We need plants that make our hearts sing, Diana. The garden is certainly delivering a lot of pleasure at the moment.
I love that sense of fullness and abundance in a garden, which you clearly have. I really dislike bare patches between plants. I really like the white flowers (the Madonna Lilies and Philadephus, etc.). Do you find white flowers do better in the softer light of spring as opposed to the stronger light of summer.
The light isn’t that much soften in spring here; not much flowers naturally in mid summer. One of the things I had about the drought season is that the plants ‘shrink’ into themselves and so there is never that lush feeling. I’m so enjoying this may.
I am enjoying these walks around your garden, Christina. Interesting to read the effect of your winter on red lily beetles – something to be thankful for! I have squashed a number of them here but possibly there are fewer here. No gooseberry sawfly as yet, which is a very good thing! The sisyrinchium makes a statement on your woodland walk – what conditions does it like?
I always assumed it likes sun, but actually it grows everywhere. It seeds itself around like a weed but is easy to remove or move if it is in the wrong place.
Thanks, I will look into it
ps good to see your extra Monday vase too which being white and in a metallic vase I know you will like too 😉
Oh! That was a ps to an an earlier comment, which doesn’t seem to be there (yet)…
Busy today. 12 for lunch so was cooking all day yesterday. I didn’t even have time for any flowers.
May is the month there, very interesting, but I get it being Mediterranean and all. April-May can be here if all the stars align, but usually ours’ is October!
Pomegranate cold damage – with our dry winters they only get damaged below -20c.
It was minus 12°C here and my ground is very, very free draining; the tree is putting on some growth but I don’t know if it will recover completely