Of the many things I can list as one of my favorite things, rain is not one of them. As of today we have a 110% of our total rainfall for May, it is only the 5th. Lots of people just moan about it but the brave, raindrop-dodging gardener eagerly waits for a break in the rain to run out to see what is happening. We are all hoping that spring will be the rainy season and we will be rewarded with a long hot summer.
My plants are actually holding up well under the deluge. They are bravely showing their tender petals and fresh greens. Come with me as we take a quick tour of my garden and see what’s out there.
I am a big fan of color and texture. Flowers don’t always thrill me but sometimes they just demand my full attention. Then again blossom and texture can go together. This Magnolia Twanensis is fabulous this year with gigantic buds and plenty of them.
Peonies have light texture with delicate, tissue like petals. They are holding their heads up high and looking beautiful even through the rain. This is peony kinkaku is new to me this year.
This peony was rescued from a house that was being torn down. She needed a good home and I was happy to give her one. I usually get only 2-3 blooms on this tree and they are worth seeking out.
I have had this spider azalea (rhododendron ‘linearifolium’) for 10 years. It is one of the plants I take with me every time I move house. I think it will come with me again. Now it is happy with lily of the valley at its feet and Ranunculus aconitifolius ‘flore pleno’ in the background.
It is also rhododendron season here in the Pacific Northwest. They can look dull and uninteresting much of the year but right now they are the queens of the garden. Both of these large rhododendrons were from the previous owners. They are full and lush. I will share my secret for fabulous rhododendrons all year round in a future post.
This sweet white rhododendron is rhododendron fragrantissima. Still in the pot it gets a special place by the door.
The excess moisture is what primroses thrive on. This candelabra primrose is happy in the mud and falling rain.
This blue aquilegia has just a touch of red in the bottom of the petals exactly the color of the barberry behind it. (It is actually Barberry ‘orange rocket’ but when the leaves are just coming out in the early spring they are very red).
So, that’s what is happening in my garden right now. How are you faring with the rain and yuck? What are you seeing in your garden?
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