My Gardens in May
Today in the Northeast, we’re expecting mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the high 70s. We’ve had quite a bit of rain over the last couple of weeks, but so much continues to flourish here at my farm.
The scenery changes rapidly from day to day, week to week, especially this time of year with all the glorious late spring blooms. If you follow my Instagram page @MarthaStewart48, you’ve seen some of the recent photos I’ve shared - the lush green paddocks, the flowering trees, and the beautiful and colorful gardens.
On this last day of May, here are more photos of what has been blooming over the past few weeks - enjoy.
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- These crabapples were bursting with color earlier this May. This photo was taken from the hayloft window in my stable. Very few ornamental trees offer such a variety of tree shapes, sizes, bloom shades and fruits. The crabapple has more than 35 species and 700 cultivars.
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- This photo was taken from underneath the canopy of blooming branches. Crabapples can reach 50-feet tall, but most remain in the 15 to 25-foot range. They can be columnar, spreading, weeping or vase-shaped.
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- Both crabapple and apple trees have clustered five-petaled blossoms with about 15 to 20 stamens in the center. Crabapple flower buds are attractive even before opening, developing color as they swell. Unfortunately, these blooms don’t last long – they started to fade a week later.
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- The lilacs also bloomed nicely this season. Lilacs come in seven colors: violet, blue, lilac, pink, red, purple and white. The purple lilacs have the strongest scent compared to other colors.
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- Lilacs appear from mid-spring to early summer just before many of the other summer flowers blossom.
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- I’ve planted several American horse-chestnut trees around the farm. These two are at one end of my Boxwood Allee. Aesculus hippocastnum is a large deciduous tree commonly known as the horse-chestnut or conker tree. It’s easy to spot by its showy bright pink flowers.
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- Here is another American horse chestnut in glorious bloom. These trees have dark green, coarse-textured foliage that bring out the bright salmon pink flowers.
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- The blossoms appear on erect, eight-inch-long panicles at each branch tip – they’re very attractive and very accessible to bees and hummingbirds.
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- This is my American beech grove – every tree here thriving. The American beech, or Fagus grandifolia, is the species of beech tree native to the eastern United States and Canada.
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- Everyone who visits the farm loves the winding road to the hayfields and woodlands. During this time of year, it is shaded by a lovely canopy of foliage.
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- The garden behind my Summer House is always a favorite stop. The boxwood looks very lush and green. At the back of the garden is this row of beautiful white allium.
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- Here is a peek at my herbaceous peony garden. The round buds are beginning to unfurl. Herbaceous peonies die back to the ground in the autumn and emerge again in the spring. These plants are growing nicely, reaching up through their string supports. I will post images when all are opened – they’re so stunning.
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- This is just one of my many amazing tree peonies, which do not die back to the ground in autumn. Like a rose bush, tree peonies drop their leaves and their woody stems stand through the winter. I will share more of these peonies also in an upcoming blog.
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- The antique Canadian white spruce fencing around the paddocks has held up wonderfully over the years. I love the shadows it casts in the morning light.
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- Behind my long carport not far from my Winter House are the apple espaliers and the blooming “Miss Kim” Korean lilac standards. The upright, compact lilac blooms later than others extending the season with pink and lavender flower clusters.
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- The little flowers are not only beautiful but amazingly fragrant!
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- This is the white garden outside my Winter House. In the back are two grand weeping katsura trees. Cercidiphyllum japonicum f. pendulum has pendulous branches that fan out from the crown and sweep down to the ground.
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- Most viburnums flower in spring. The sometimes-fragrant flowers range from white and cream to pink-flushed or wholly pink. This photo was taken less than two weeks ago.
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- I love the pretty spherical blooms. Most viburnums grow in any moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade.
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- After a night of rain earlier this week, we saw a bit of “spring snow” – lots of white petals on the ground.
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- Another popular May bloom – these classic white bleeding hearts. These flowers boast white heart-shaped blooms and handsome lime-green foliage.
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- In my flower cutting garden, beautiful irises are popping up everywhere. Iris is a genus of 260 to 300 species of flowering plants with showy flowers. It takes its name from the Greek word for a rainbow, which is also the name for the Greek goddess of the rainbow, Iris.
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- I also have several magnolias – look at this beautiful magnolia bloom. Magnolias are prized for their flowers and forms and produce large fragrant flowers that are white, pink, red, purple or yellow.
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- And of course, here is my clematis pergola just yesterday. Hard to miss with all its beauty. The purple alliums are so prominent right now. Allium species are herbaceous perennials with flowers produced on scapes. They grow from solitary or clustered bulbs.
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- Alliums come in many sizes, from inch-wide heads to large ball-sized bloom clusters.
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- Here is the view from above one of the large heads.
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- Alliums are among the most carefree bulbs you can grow, blooming in a wide range of colors, including purple, white, pink, and even yellow.
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- The recent weather has done well for the gardens – everything looks so green and lush. I can’t wait to share more photos from the gardens in June – stay tuned.
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