Sunday, May 15, 2011

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day ~ May 2011

Welcome to Gilmore Gardens ~ May Edition!
View of the Hill Garden, Front Walk, ending in Cherry Corner

 Glad you could stop by to walk around our beautiful spring garden!  We have some great tulip combinations for this month. I am just trying to capture it with the lens before it is gone! 
   On the Hill Garden there is a mature carpet of the purple creeping phlox (Phlox subulata) after years and years of dividing it in the spring and fall (fall is best). This long view looks toward our Front Walk and it's purple tulip combination.  This succession follow on from T. 'Ice Stick' last month.
   The full rich pink of Tulipa 'China Pink' reminds me of fresh lipstick on the garden.  It is the first of the lily flowered varieties that I have planted. Tulipa 'Sorbet' is a single late white tulip with raspberry flames. They soften the look of 'China Pink' and combined fairly well in this bed, especially with the purple barberry.  Although at times the pink of the Sorbet tulips looked a little too red for my tastes in this combination... not worth a re-do though.
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   Looking down toward the Front Walk,  there is a pretty shocking color scheme. This boarder is filled out with a pair of the red-tinged Spirea 'Goldflame', stuffed with blue forget-me-nots (Myosotis) and crowned with another tulip combination.




















  
   Tulipa 'Shirley' is another single late tulip, with white white petals edged first in pink, then in purple.  It is ever-changing and makes for a new interesting look for many weeks.  It has ethereal beauty, though is long-lasting in my garden. Below is a view of its blue interior seen above the pool of forget-me-nots.
 'Shirley's partner is the single late Tulipa 'Cum Laude'.  She is a smart girl, apparently. They are a perfect pair in flowering overlap and in color.  Also, they seem to be somewhat longer lasting in the ground because this is their second season. (See the 2010 season.)  I do not bless my tulips with extra fertilizer as I ought, but so far they seem to perform well anyway.
Tulipa 'Cum Laude' with a S. 'Goldflame' backdrop.  Reminds me of something Christopher might have done... and makes me smile in general.
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   And then there is the Driveway Garden, with the elegant peony flowered Tulipa 'Angelique'.  Here she is combined with more purple Phlox subulata surrounding the walk to our back door.
   She is my favorite this year.  She is great for changing her mood everyday (nice trait in a tulip at least), but always looking graceful. Here is a post on her many moods.

In the mean time, take a look at each area in Gilmore Gardens just a few weeks ago:
Shade Path  

Thanks to Carol at May Dream's Gardens for hosting
Garden Blogger's Bloom Day!

23 comments:

  1. Oh your tulip displays are just magnificent. Alot of the varieties you've got I've had but since we get alot of wet winters many of them have only lasted a few years. Your carpet of pholx is just breathtaking.

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  2. Oh my! Your Tulips are really beautiful.

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  3. Your tulips are gorgeous and so much variety. The front walk looks like out of a magazine shoot.

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  4. Beautiful tulips, and good looking phlox, too!

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  5. The first photo is amazing. I dream of a garden as such.

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  6. Wow, that phlox is just something else! What a beautiful garden you have...magazine worthy!

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  7. Julie, thanks for the tour through your beautiful garden! Isn't it fun to finally have beautiful blooms in the garden? We've waited so long, but it was worth the wait. I also have the same purple creeping phlox, plus some pink varieties. It looks amazing spilling over the edges of the beds.

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  8. You have such nice combinations. That hill garden is absolutely stunning. Happy GBBD Day!

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  9. your creeping phlox and tulips are show stoppers...I love Shirley and need to add her back..I had to leave her at my old garden...I am adding more creeping phlox to areas this year and will divide that I have to move it around even more...so lovely

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  10. What a beautiful garden you have...it is picture perfect! Thank you for posting such inspirational photos.

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  11. You tulip combinations are quite beautiful. I am wondering if you replant them every year or they some back.

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  12. Your border combinations are pretty. Good contrasts. And I love your ribbons of phlox.

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  13. These scenes are amazing - so much color going on! Of course I'm especially pleased to see how nice your lavender creeping phlox looks, since I planted 16 of them in my front yard last year and the year before. They're starting to fill in, but not as nicely as yours (patience, patience). I love the tulip combos as well. Great work, gardener!

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  14. Thank you everybody. It is nice to get to share what is here after years of being out in the rain, mud etc. to produce something beautiful. Well worth it!

    Carolyn- The tulips on the Hill garden are new this year, so we will see. The 'Apricot Beauty' triumph tulips I planted here before only lasted one year. They were really pretty, but not worth replanting in my mind when I have so many others to try out. Parrots, single lates and Darwins seem to return in our clime.

    VW- My best advise for filling out your phlox is do not be afraid to pull it to pieces! They regenerate very quickly in a sunny spot. Since yours are newly planted, I would not mess with the main root clump. In the fall, just pull off large pieces and tuck them in the dirt. They will root. Be sure to keep them hydrated through any remaining hot weather & they will flower that spring. I even divided some on New Years day this year and they are flowering right now!

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  15. Thanks for letting me know you replied. I am bad about remembering to check. Unfortunately the WordPress reply email service, which I love, is only available to paid WordPress users, which I am not. I have found that Darwin hybrid tulips planted 8 to 10" deep return year after year.

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  16. I love the contrasting colors along the Front Walk! Stunning combinations! Thanks for the beautiful tour!

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  17. Beautiful tulips! Makes me nostalgic for my childhood in Michigan, where we grew lots of tulips. They don't do too well in the South. Thanks for the tour!

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  18. Such a feast of color! It's fantastic and inspiring!

    China Pink, Sorbet, Shirley, and Cum Laude have all been added to my "wish list." That phlox around the corner beds with Angelique is brillliant! I grew Angelique in containers this year but may transfer them to the ground in fall.

    I just love your combinations and can't wait to see how your garden changes in the coming weeks!

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  19. Double WOW! Your phlox are amazing! I can only dream that mine will look that way one day. Love all the tulip combinations.

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  20. What a beautiful garden you have... it just feels like spring as I meander through your post! Larry

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  21. What a nice post! Your Tulips look really wonderful and the colours are delicious!
    Thank you very much for joining german GBBD!
    And yes, today the weather seems to be good and later I´ll have some tea in my garden!
    Wish you a great day!
    Gesine

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  22. Beautiful post, I'm definitely going to get some of the 'Shirley' this fall...that one is gorgeous!

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  23. Stunning photos! Your garden is beautiful. Your tulips are breathtaking. :)

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