As a follow-up to my several posts from March about winter aconite in bloom and spreading, they have now formed their seedheads (pictured) by which they will self-seed.
Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day May 2009: the end of the daffodils and tulips; and the beginning of the lilacs, irises, peonies and roses (REVISED)
Jacques Cartier in the Rose Garden
Peach and White Daffodil on Lilac Hill
Iris Pallida Dalmatica in the Triangle Garden
Peach Tulip in the Rose Garden
Necrosardim Siculum in the Cutting Garden
Camassia in the Egg Garden
Little Leaf Lilac in the Egg Garden
Orange Favorite Tulip in the Front Border
Narcissus Peasant’s Eye on Goldberry Hill
Another Yellow Daffodil on Goldberry Hill
Pink Tree Peony on Goldberry Hill
Pink Azalea in the Front Border
Summer Snowflake in the Bird Garden
Purple Lilac on Lilac Hill
Pink Bleeding Heart in the Walled Garden
Brunnera in the Front Border
Pulmonaria in the Front Border.
A family emergency kept me away from home for a few days during Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day, but in the spirit of better late than never, here are some pictures of what’s blooming in mid-May in my New Jersey garden (zone 6b). Check out all of the bloom day posts from around the world over at May Dreams Garden.
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EDITOR’S NOTE: In my husband’s haste, he uploaded some pictures for bloom day of flowers that were no longer in bloom on the fifteenth (some daffodils, daphne, pasque flower, fritillaria negre, crown fritillaria), so those pictures have been removed.
Career Decision: Landscape Architect or Major League Baseball Pitcher
From today’s baseball blog at The New York Times:
“You’ve got to love what Matt Palmer is doing out in Anaheim. He tossed a complete game to beat the Red Sox on Wednesday, improving his record to 4-0. The guy nearly quit baseball to put his horticulture degree to use as a landscaper. Now he’s the Angels’ version of Aaron Small, circa 2005.”
The short story is that Matt Palmer struggled for years in the minor leagues and almost gave up the dream of pitching in the Major League. The post-baseball career plan was to become a landscape architect. Through perseverence, the encouragement of his wife, and some lucky breaks, he got his chance this season. I guess the landscape architect plans will have to wait.
How to Plant Tulips Throughout Your Garden: along pathways, in mixed borders, under trees, and in raised beds
As a follow-up to my my prior posts, “What I’ve Learned About Growing Tulips in New Jersey,” and “The Cutting Garden: the Joy of Spring Tulips,” here are more photographs of this year’s tulips. Where can and should you plant tulips? As you can see, you can (and I do) plant tulips almost everywhere in all sorts of colors and color combinations: along pathways, in mixed borders, under trees, and in raised beds.
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Here are some dark purple tulips that I planted along the front steps.
Here is a mix of multi-colored tulips in the mixed Front Border.
Despite the removal of the old oak tree and stump, some of the orange tulip bulbs I had planted around it actually survived.
Here is a picture of some of the later blooming tulips in the Cutting Garden.
Here is a mix of yellow and purple tulips under the crabapple tree.
Here is a mix of white tulips along the back steps.
This is a close-up of some of those white tulips along the back steps.
Some medium purple tulips in the Bird Garden.Is the Crabapple the Best Tree for the Suburban Garden? Pictures of White and Pink Crabapple Blossoms
I love all of my spring flowering trees, but I have a special love for my two crabapple trees, one white and one pink. They have beautiful flowers, an attractive shape, and fruit that provides winter interest and food for the birds. What more could you ask for?
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The white crabapple tree replaced a dying Japanese Maple and is a year-round focal point in the Egg Garden. For a picture of this tree in winter with the crabapple fruits, click here.
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The pink crabapple is located outside of the Children’s Garden. For some reason, the pink tree has grown twice as fast as the white one. Also, the birds love to nest in this particular tree.
The First Clematis of the Season: Fragrant Spring on the Fort in the Walled Garden
My first clematis of the season, Fragrant Spring, is starting to bloom. It is growing up a trellis on the side of the children’s fort in the backyard. I purchased it from my favorite clematis nursery, Chalk Hill Clematis, which unfortunately has now closed. If anyone has any recommended clematis nurseries, let me know.
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Related post: How to Build a Children’s Playhouse (the Fort)
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Pink Bleeding Heart (Dicentra spectabilis) Flowers in the Front Border
Google Analytics: Heirloom Gardener’s April Traffic
One of the most interesting things I find about writing this blog is the readers it attracts. Without readers, there would be no point to this blog, so thank you very much for following, subscribing, searching, clicking, reading, commenting and linking.
Each month, traffic has grown significantly year-over-year, but not necessarily month-to-month as there is a definite seasonality to the readership (stronger in spring/summer). Using Google Analytics, here are some of the April Traffic statistics:
Top Traffic Sources
1. http://www.google.com/
2. http://www.images.google.com/
3. http://www.yahoo.com/
4. http://www.blogger.com/
5. http://www.aol.com/
6. http://www.gardeninggonewild.com/ (thank you)
7. http://www.sustainable-gardening.com/ (thank you)
8. http://www.images.google.ca/
9. http://www.maydreamsgardens.blogspot.com/ (thank you)
10. http://www.ask.com/
Top Search Keywords
1. raised vegetable beds
2. how to build a sandbox
3. gardening on a hill
4. annabelle hydrangea
5. keeping rabbits out of garden
6. spirea pruning
7. pee gee hydrangea
8. pruning spirea
9. caryopteris pruning
10. spirea bush
Top Content
1. How and When to Prune Caryopteris, Spirea, Butterfly Bush, Pee Gee Hydrangea, Annabelle Hydrangea, Smokebush, Elderberry
2. How to Build Raised Vegetable Beds (on a Slope/Hill)
3. Old Farmer’s Almanac: Spring Planting Schedule (April) and Heirloom Seed Sources
4. A Chicken Wire Raised Bed Cover: How to Protect Vegetables from Groundhogs, Rabbits and Squirrels
5. Advice Wanted: How to Keep Rabbits Out of the Garden
6. Planting Early Spring Cool Season Crops and Vegetable Gardening 101
7. Raised Vegetable Beds: Organically Preparing the Soil for Planting
8. How to Prune Pee Gee Hydrangeas and Wisteria: Before Spring Growth Resumes
9. Two Perfect Flowering Plants for Arbors: Betty Corning Clematis and Dortmund Rose
10. The Best of Heirloom Gardener (updated as of March 2009)
Heirloom Gardener 
