by Leigh
May is killing me. Seriously…every.single.day there is some sort of activity or game or meeting or concert, etc… I guess that's how the end of the school year will always be, but pair that with May being my busiest season at work and well….I end up like this…frazzled. So when I realized at 2:00 Monday that this was my day to post I immediately panicked! What in the world could I write about besides being frazzled and then it dawned on me. I should write about what I know best and that's landscaping. Here's a small glimpse at what's blooming in my Oklahoma zone 7 yard right now.
Let's start with one of my favorite perennials. This is May Night Salvia which blooms early spring and into summer with these beautiful purple spikes that the bees just love! Behind it is Saybrook Gold Juniper, my go to evergreen for foliage color, which really makes the purple pop even more.
One of my favorite annuals to plant and photograph….Dahlias. I never tire of them and they come in so many amazing colors and various ruffled bloom types.
See I told you the bees love Salvia!
I love to plant succulents in containers on my outside table. They can really take the hot afternoon sun without requiring a lot of water plus they are fun to photograph while I'm enjoying an evening glass of wine. I prefer to hand water everything so I can keep an eye on my plants instead of relying on my sprinkler system. It's so easy to set it and forget it when it comes to sprinkler systems, but each plant deserves our attention to check in and see how it's doing.
Coreopsis. Another favorite long blooming perennial. It seems the hotter it gets the more it blooms and it grows bigger each and every year without me doing a thing.
I enjoy switching out the planting in my containers season to season and playing around with various colors and textures. This green glazed pot has golden Million Bells which look like miniature petunias without the deadheading. Also mixed in is Mexican Heather with it's dainty purple blooms, but don't let the size of it's blooms trick you…this is one tough annual! Also a little Dusty Miller for some cool color and texture.
Mandevillea is another one of my go to annuals for containers. This tropical blooms in hot pink, light pink and a deep red. I prefer pinks myself :) In front of that is an annual that is so new to me that I have completely forgotten it's name! So if this pretty little white and purple flower looks familiar to anyone please let me know.
Luckily I have some free child labor to help me with all the watering. This year she has really shown an interest in learning about the flowers and helping me to plant. I see a summer job in her near future!
Thank you for coming along with me for a walk in my backyard. I hope you enjoyed it!
