Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - May 2014

Happy Bloom Day and thank you for dropping by my garden this month. Here are some of the things in bloom in my garden in the month of May.

May is the month of the magnolia. The Southern magnolias are in bloom for most of the month. That's the good news. The bad news is that it is the month that they get new leaves and drop their old ones. The thick leathery leaves make a bit of a mess in the garden, but this, too, shall pass.



This is also the month when many of the early blooming daylilies are in flower, always a happy sight.





 

The oakleaf hydrangea is really the only member of the hydrangea family that seems to like my garden, so , of course, it is a favorite of mine.


The time of the bluebonnets and pink bonnets would seem to be long past, but a few blossoms still linger.




 



In the vegetable garden, the eggplants are blooming.






















As are the green beans.

And the squash plants.



The blossoms of the African blue basil are favorites with butterflies of all kinds.

Among the wildflowers, the tickseeds are in full bloom.

While the blanket flowers are just getting started.

The little marigolds in the tomato bed continue to bloom profusely.

The milkweed has been in bloom for a while. That is 'Silky gold' on the left and 'Silky red' in the middle. And on the right is one of the milkweed customers, a Monarch butterfly caterpillar which had completely denuded the plant he was on. Never mind. The leaves will grow back. 



Autumn sage is welcome at any season.

This is 'Mystic Spires' salvia, another favorite of mine.

'Hot Lips' salvia blooms almost continuously throughout the spring, summer, and fall. 

The crossvine, 'Tangerine Beauty,' has a big flush of bloom in early spring, but it continues to put out a few blooms right through the rest of the year.


By the patio, the gerbera daisies continue to brighten my days.


I like this red kalanchoe.

The fragrant old petunias continue their bloom.

The yucca, too, has a very long bloom cycle.

Gazania daisies are another day-brightener.

My favorite yellow rose, 'Graham Thomas,' has begun its bloom.

The canna 'Lucifer' certainly brings the light to its corner of the garden.

White yarrow is very attractive to many pollinators. 

Purple oxalis with its dainty pink blooms. The green plant in the middle is firespike which will bloom in late summer or autumn.

So, even though we never got our looked-for April showers, May flowers came just the same.

Thank you, Carol, for hosting Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. I look forward to visiting May Dreams Gardens to see what is blooming in other gardens around the world this month.

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