Thursday, May 20, 2010

May Flowers

We seem to be having May showers to go along with our May flowers…and May wind…and May heat. It seems to be consistently 10 degrees warmer this Spring than last year.

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The bees are so busy collecting pollen.  Although my camera isn’t fast enough, I will see 3 or 4 bees working one flower.

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Even though I try to have a white garden in the front of the house, behind the garden gate is a riot of color. I occasionally will pair complementary colors together, but usually, I just throw them together to see what works.

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I had an art professor in college that was fond of saying, there are no mistakes in art, only happy accidents. I guess I took her philosophy to heart because I have never forgotten it.

 May 2010 006  

The poppies are still going strong, and the bees are loving them. They look as though they are in pure ecstasy as they burrow their little bodies amongst the stamens gleaning every bit of pollen they can hold. 

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Every time I look at the lovely larkspurs, I think of MSS at Zanthan Garden, who was so generous with seeds last fall when we met for the first time to tour the San Antonio Botanical Gardens.

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Could this be PPPP?

28 comments:

Susie said...

We are suppose to have some really warm weather tomorrow.

Haven't seen too many bees just yet. Hope you enjoy yours.

Nola said...

I love the look; especially the BIG print and the new banner! I can read it all without glasses, yeah!
Our poppies are on their last leg, just waiting for the seed to mature so I can pull them up. Your larkspur are very pretty, too.
I have lots of morning glory vines up and starting to wind around the trellis, will post photos soon.

Roses and Lilacs said...

Good morning. I really struggle with color in my garden. It always seems something looks terribly out of place. We all buy plants for so many different and complicated reasons. How can we only buy plants in colors that compliment yellow or pink or peach?
Marnie

Cheryl said...

Hi Marnie......I love your new layout, so pretty.

I love a riot of colour....yours is working beautifully. Very pleasing to the eye. So fun.

Poppies are one of my favourite blooms, especially white and black......

A lovely post.....left me smiling.....tku

Morning Glories in Round Rock said...

Hi Susie,

It feels like summer here! It has been muggy and sticky--feels more like July or August. When the day starts off at 75, you know it's going to be warm. ;-)

Morning Glories in Round Rock said...

Nola, I'm glad you like the new look--it's all thanks to you! After you posted about Windows Live Writer, I checked it out and decided I needed a change.

Are your morning glories blooming yet? I have noticed a few blooms just this week.

Morning Glories in Round Rock said...

Marnie, I think you touch on a very important thought. I think that many gardeners garden from an emotional standpoint--I know I do. I think if the garden was "just" a complimentary color palette, planted just for looks, it would be limiting the variety of plants and blooms in the garden. We garden because we love nature and we fall in love with this plant or that blossom (I am jonesing for your Iris, Immortality). Personally, I am learning to embrace what I like to call "The Crazy Quilt" garden design. How boring would our gardens be if they were all perfectly color coordinated?

Morning Glories in Round Rock said...

Dear Cheryl,

Thanks for all the lovely thoughts--both for my crazy color-filled garden, and my new blog design. It's so easy for me to keep things the same, it was time for a change!

The best compliment I could receive, is that I have made someone smile.

Jenny

p.s. And I know which Poppi is your favorite little blossom! ;-)

Joyce said...

I'm enjoying your blog so much. I love the script and the placement of your photos. I'm loving all your plants. I agree their are no mistakes in art just a oops once in a while. I love the cottage garden look and love all color and texture in my garden and yours also. I can't get enough and each year I'm always putting in something new. Great blog!!! Thanks for sharing

ShySongbird said...

Dear Jenny, What a pretty new look you have here!

I love colour, it is cheerful and invigorating. I believe Nature doesn't discriminate and a riot of colour is always beautiful!

If the bees are happy in your garden then you are definitely doing something right :)

Wendy said...

Hi Jen,
I garden just like you do. Colours of nature all go together to my way of thinking. Bring them on! LOL!

Oh, and my camera is not fast enough either to catch bees - I don't even attempt birds! But love to see them on others blogs.

Hope the sun comes out for you. We're looking forward to a heatwave this week.

Thanks for your kindness. Hubby is not doing too badly in hospital. He's learning to walk once again and looking forward to maybe going out into the Healing Garden. Not sure if this is possible yet, but there is always hope.
Hugs

Morning Glories in Round Rock said...

Dear Peeoknee, I am enjoying your blog so much too. It is always so much fun to see what other's are doing in their garden. It is just a personal expression--an extension of ourselves, I think. One of my favorite mottoes; there is always room for one more plant! ;-)

Morning Glories in Round Rock said...

Dear Shy Songbird,

You are so right--nature doesn't discriminate in color placement. But then, I guess that as gardeners, it is a personal expression of our preference. It kind of taps into our innate desire to create something that is "us".

Thanks for the sweet words about the new blog design. I'm still trying to find a header I like better than what I have now.

Jenny

Morning Glories in Round Rock said...

Dear Wendy,

Gotta love that color. How boring would life be if everything was color coordinated? LOL!

I am in awe of your hubby's strong spirit. I can't imagine having to learn to walk again. You are both in my thoughts and prayers daily.

Hugs,
Jenny

Rose said...

I like that idea of happy accidents! I try to have a color scheme in my gardens, but then I start adding plants and seeds willy-nilly, and the results often make me happier than what I originally planned. That does look like PPPP--I think Gail is the Johnny Appleseed of phlox:)

After two days of downpours here, it has suddenly turned hot, too--I think summer may have arrived early in Illinois.

Corner Gardener Sue said...

Hi MGRR,
(Are you ever called that?)

I love your cursive. Is that part of the whole collage of photos? I don't know how to get a font that isn't on the list at blogspot.

Your blooms look like they're enjoying spring. Ours has been rainy and cool until this weekend. Right now, it's 87 degrees, and is supposed to get that warm or warmer all the next week. I hope my lettuce survives. I got it in late this year, and have just been harvesting a couple weeks.

My first 2 poppy blooms have just opened. Was it you who said I seem to be a couple weeks behind you? I am so ready for my larkspur to bloom. It's in my vegetable garden. I keep planting some in the front yard, but it doesn't self sow much there. I wonder if it's because there is mulch. Still, lots of other seedlings are coming up.

I hope you are enjoying the weekend.

Morning Glories in Round Rock said...

Rose, I like that term, willy nilly--that is me for sure. Hubby is the "go by the numbers" kind of guy, while I am the willy nilly, sewing seeds where they may.

The phlox I was questioning, is a paler pink than what it looks like on the blog. Whether it is PPPP or not, I love it.

I talked to my mother in the Quad Cities today, and she said that it was warming up too quickly, with temps that sounded very similar to ours.

Morning Glories in Round Rock said...

Hi Sue,

Yes, I have been called MGRR (among other things). It always makes me chuckle, because I think, Morning--grrrrrrrrr! ;-)

The changes I have been playing around with on my blog are from a program I downloaded called Windows Live Writer. It is a special program for blogs, and supports most.

It's not much warmer here--I think 91 was our high, but with the humidity, it felt even hotter.

I grew the larkspurs from seeds I threw in mulch. Maybe they are picky, and don't like the front garden. They are beautiful, aren't they?

Hope your weekend is going well. Ours is quiet for a change--lovely!

Marie said...

I've had more than a few happy accidents in my garden. It's part of what makes gardening so enticing to me. Lovely blooms!

Anonymous said...

Happy accidents indeed, Jenny! It all looks so wonderful, and I am of the all colors go together and are welcome school of thought now that maturity has taught the lesson well. Having the all white garden was a goal at one time, but I just couldn't resist adding some yellow, then blue...then whatever! Love the look here, like reading a well illustrated correspondence sent through the mail. :-)
Frances

Morning Glories in Round Rock said...

Marie, I think that is the fun of gardening. If you try something you don't like, you can change with the seasons!

Morning Glories in Round Rock said...

Frances, Thanks for the input on my blog changes. That was the look I was after--pictures enclosed with a snail-mail letter.The kind I always wanted to send, but never did! LOL!

It seems I am in good company with my desire for a wild riot of color. I must say, I do enjoy my front white garden. It is hard to stick to white--but since it is contained to one spot, it's kind of fun. To me, it seems calm and restful--very much unlike the rest of the beds--or the inside for that matter!

Monica the Garden Faerie said...

Hi! I also have gaillardia and centaurea planted together--I love the orange and blue together. It's a little early here for g. blooms, though. It's warmer than normal here at the moment, too. Am still working outside and trying to ignore turning into a sweaty dirty mess!

Gail said...

I love happy accidents in a garden! That's how i stumbled upon PPPP. I also struggle with color in the garden~sometimes it looks like clown pants here. I might borrow the phrase you used to describe your garden to Marnie~Crazy Quilt...It feels more deliberate and less judgmental! Thank you, gail

Cindy, MCOK said...

It's all looking absolutely lovely, MG! I've got a few larkspur and Buttercream poppies hanging on but I pull some each day. I've given them until the end of May and then the summer annuals get to take over. Oh, wait ... they can't ... I haven't planted them yet!

Morning Glories in Round Rock said...

Dear Garden Faerie,

It is getting harder and harder to ignore the sweaty mess I become while gardening these days. I think the worst, is my hair getting so hot and sweaty that it is dripping wet--Yuck!

I do love the blue and orange together--but orange and purple are pretty neat too.

Morning Glories in Round Rock said...

Gail, it is hard to imagine you struggling with a clown pants garden! It is good to know others struggle with the same color issues. Please feel free to use the idea of the color-filled garden as a crazy quilt--it's so true.

Morning Glories in Round Rock said...

Cindy, You better get busy! May is almost over. Seriously, do you keep your plants that are done blooming cut back as they finish? I find my garden looking fairly bedraggled because I am waiting for the larkspurs and poppies to go to seed.