A Tour of my Farm in Later May
May is an exciting time at the farm because so much is growing and many plants are blooming. However, I must comment again at the very bizarre weather we've been experiencing. Just over a week ago, temperatures dropped to near freezing after several days of very hot weather. That hot weather has returned and this week has been an especially rainy one. The heavy deluges that have passed through the area have taken their toll on many of the lovely spring blossoms. Here are some images before those pelting rains arrived.
1 This is a view of my home, looking across a freshly mowed paddock.
2 Many allium flowers are in full bloom. Allium come in many sizes, from inch-wide heads to large ball-sized bloom clusters.
3 This is allium Starburst - Allium are among the most carefree bulbs you can grow, blooming in a wide range of colors, including purple, white, pink, and even yellow.
4 This clump of lovely purple and white bearded iris gets larger each year.
5 On my Trade Secrets blog two days ago, I showed you photos of interior designer, Bunny Williams', gardens in Connecticut. I was inspired by her Miss Kim Korean lilac standards and I had a section of my drive lined with them.
6 These beautiful little flowers are amazingly fragrant!
7 The last time I showed these beech trees, they were still holding onto last autumn's dried leaves. Look at them now!
8 Another view of my home
9 An interesting shot of the corncrib
10 This is a mockingbird and is unusual in that it has yellow eyes. Mockingbirds are known for endless singing and can sound like 10 or 15 different birds.
11 I planted several red American horse chestnut trees at the farm and they are in glorious bloom.
12 Another
13 And more
14 A nice closeup of the red horse chestnut flower. As you can see, it's quite popular with bees and butterflies, like this yellow swallowtail.
15 Across the road from the chestnut grove is a stand of Paulownia trees, whose flowers are produced before the leaves in early spring.
16 A closeup of the Paulownia flowers
17 The azaleas have been blooming very brightly.
18 Another - People are often confused with azaleas and rhododendrons. Azaleas are in the genus Rhododendron. Most azaleas can be distinguished from rhodododendrons by their leaves. Azaleas usually have smaller leaves.
19 Butterflies also love azaleas.
20 Dominic was headed out to mow a paddock.
21 We've had a good deal of rain and the grass is growing quickly.
22 With warmer weather, my cats like to venture outdoors during the daylight. This is regal Bartok.
23 The pink wisteria was simply amazing this year with its fragrant cascading blossoms.
24 More allium
25 The red leaves is a cotinus, or smoketree, whose fluffy flowers resemble smoke.
26 The donkeys enjoy the warm weather and green grass.
27 Rufus grazing
28 I decided to move the time lapse camera to the herbaceous peony bed, which is growing like crazy!
29 The round buds are beginning to unfurl. Herbaceous peonies die back to the ground in the autumn and emerge again in the spring.
30 The plants have grown nicely, reaching up through their string supports.
31 Such a pure white
32 My new honeybees have so much nectar to feed on. Look closely and see all the pollen the bee has collected on its legs.
33 A lovely deep pink peony with bee
34 Looking down
35 I look forward to this blooming time all year long.
36 These amazing flowers are tree peonies, which do not die back to the ground in the autumn. Like a rose bush, tree peonies drop their leaves and their woody stems stand through the winter.
37 These large, delicate papery blooms are very fragrant and they only last a few days. Enjoy the following gallery.
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