The Late Spring Garden

I'd have to say we've hit the peak showtime for tulips in my garden. I could have called this post "tulipmania" as I have in the past, but there is more going on in the garden as we head into late spring and anticipate early summer. The garden is loving the brief sun and pervasive rain we have had on this Victoria Day long weekend.

As spring starts to make way for summer, the feeling of the garden subtly changes. No more early spring flowers like hyacinths and daffodils. Even the early tulips' days are numbered.

Early Tulips, Dying Off



Instead we have a plethora of late tulips, and the aquilegia and iris are starting to bloom. And the purple leaf sandcherry bush is full of tiny, delicate whitish-pink flowers.

Purple Leaf Sandcherry



Aquilegia



Both 'Cherry Garden' and 'Grape Orbit' are standard dwarf bearded irises, but 'Grape Orbit' looks more the part, with smaller leaves and shorter stems than 'Cherry Garden'. Both these varieties do much better in my garden than tall bearded irises.

I am always tempted by tall iris, and have planted many in my garden, but they hardly ever last more than a single season. The white iris so confidently called 'Immortality' was nothing close to that in my garden. (Hint: It died. Twice. Well, both times I planted it, I mean.)

Iris 'Grape Orbit'



Iris 'Cherry Garden'



An often overlooked companion planting in the garden right now is moss phlox. It clumps nicely, looks great against rocks, and makes a great background to highlight the tulips.

Two Varieties of Moss Phlox



'Black Hero' Tulips and Moss Phlox



Tulip Combo ('Queen of the Night' and 'Zurel')



'Zurel' Rembrandt Tulip



'Blue Heron' Fringed Tulips



Unintentional Double Tulip



'Ballade' Tulips



'Jackpot' Tulips



A Pink and White Fringed Tulip



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