May has proved to be a very busy month, so I have not been taking as many photos as I would like of the garden as it fills out. Most of the trees have leaves now, but I am still waiting for my three large plane trees and the mulberry tree to come into leaf. The lime trees are looking beautiful with their zingy acid green leaves and the purple foliage of the copper beeches is stunning.
A month that started with the cherry blossom is now ending with the laburnums coming into flower. You can see below an avenue of mature lavender bushes that ends with two laburnum trees either side of the bench. I added the alliums in the autumn as an experiment and I am delighted with the results.
In the woodland the narcissi and crown imperials have been replaced with the beautiful arches of solomons seal and the airy foliage of dicentra alba and ferns.
The peony season has kicked off with this beautiful tree peony that I planted as a baby two years ago. Last year I was very excited to see one flower – this year I have three!
Following on from the blossom trees my assorted viburnums have been putting on a show. This one, burkwoodii, is a mature specimen that fills the garden with its scent in the early evening. I have three young viburnum opulus that all have beautiful pale green pom poms right now. Hopefully these will grow away strongly to give me lots of snowballs for picking next year.
The tulips have just about finished, so these will be the last photos featuring them. I know there is much to look forward to, but I feel very sad to say good bye to these beauties.
The kitchen garden is still behind for the time of year. The peas and broad beans are quite small, the sweet peas not yet in flower and carrots and beetroot seedlings just showing through. I still have plenty of greens, however, with spinach, chard and spring greens all producing well. The tomatoes are growing strongly in the greenhouse and I have cucumbers, courgettes and squashes ready to go out when I have a free morning. The chives are all just popping – the flowers are delicious added to salads and omelettes.
I am very pleased that the soft fruit is looking promising. My bushes were only planted last spring and are full of developing gooseberries, redcurrants and blackcurrants. All I need to do now is protect them from the birds.
So as May moves into June my peonies are full of buds, the roses and poppies are about to flower, the delphinium spikes are developing (and need staking asap) and the alliums are popping all over the garden. June is certainly a month to look forward too.