Very disappointingly rain and winds on the 15th of June meant that I was unable to take part in Garden Bloom Day this month. Carol at May Dreams Gardens however, who has organised this day, will be happy I have posted late rather than not at all. So below I have posted photographs of flowering plants in my Scottish garden on May 17th. I looked through the posts submitted by other gardeners in the comments of her post on the 15th and it is wonderful to see what is flower in ‘real’ gardens in other parts of the world. Again, Carol I have to congratulate you on such a great idea!

My front garden is where I started taking photos and at the moment the violet blues of the Nepata ‘Walkers Low’ is giving a wonderful contrast to the many tones of pink. Below in the top set of pictures you will also see my penstemon ‘etna’ taken from cutting two years ago, top right and bottom right the cerise pink of the dianthus ‘devon glow’ planted below my rose.

In the second set of photos you can see the beautiful scented head of my only rose Cardinal de Richelieu, a beautifully scented thornless one, and an alpine aster. I wonder if anyone knows the name of my aster that I have had in my gardens forever?

In smokey grey pots at my front door I have Christophii Alliums which are looking great at the moment shown in the main picture in top set of photos below and a clematis rouge cardinal growing through a simple metal spiral obelisk, top right.

This year I fancied a few dots of very strong orange so growing in gravel I have an osteospermum ‘dark florence’. The next photo shows the orange flowers of runner beans, again in a smokey grey pot with a taller metal spiral obelisk. The yellow flowers are top right, tomatoes and bottom right mini cucumber both growing in my greenhouse. However, I am trying growing some tomatoes outside too in pots in my front garden which gets the most sun.

Bees are always seen in my front garden at this time of year especially on my Nepata, catmint, and on the thistle shaped flowers of my cirsium as you can see in the main picture below. The top right picture shows the scale of the flowers to stem on the cirsium and the stipa growing in front of it floating around in the wind with its giant golden oat flowers.

I love the movement of the grasses in my garden especially when flowers grow up and through them. I also like the strong acid greens of the euphorbia flower, shown right bottom which is a wonderful contrast to the deep reds growing in my front garden.

Through my garden gate into my back garden the first thing that my eye is immediately drawn to is my flowering white wisteria growing over my pergola, shown in the main picture and top left. This is the best year of flowers I have ever had and I have been absolutely thrilled with it – yes it is scented too! If you would like to see more pictures of my wisteria click here .

The picture bottom right is a lupin ‘snow white’ which I decided to show with the wisteria as it made me think of an upside down wisteria flower! I have quite a lot of white in my garden at the moment, dotted about in my mostly green foliage back garden celimsia and saxifrage is shown in the second picture below – again favourites with the bees.

Another favourite flower in my garden at this time of year growing through my golden grasses are the blue and violet colours of the meconopsis flower, shown in the main picture below. Again I have some more photos if you would like to see them click here . However they are prone to loosing petals with strong winds and rain so they are best growth in more sheltered positions.

Top right below, shows the flowers of my choiysia just hanging on – it will soon be over but they have given a good show for the last month. So too, bottom right, has my orange geum – I perhaps should cut them down now.

Hanging baskets can add a bit of extra colour and height to a garden and are mostly associated with hot summer days. Most who have known my garden over the years it will be very surprised to see so many bright colours in it at the moment as I have always loved my predominately green garden.

However my garden has evolved many, many times over the years and for a change this year I though I would set aside a small bed and add some bedding in the form of deep cerise pink busy lizzies, impatiens shown bottom right. I have also added some cineraria for silver foliage colour and a few other silver green foliage plants – I just love all the varied shades of greens mixed with the different textures and shapes of the leaves. Above this bed hangs a colourful hanging basket, main photo below, which will pick out the colours in the bed – the bees love this too.

During the early part of the year I have had another hanging basket filled with little violas, shown below top right which has given a good show for months – it is probably past its best and I really should consider what I will replace it with – a clematis perhaps?

The colour pink has always contrasted well with the greens of my foliage plants. The cranes bill geranium, below main photo, is a favourite for both me and the bees again. I love the deep colours too especially in the clematis niobe, shown below bottom left – the colours are deeper when it gets less direct sunshine. But this deep colour is seen in the, surprise, surprise, foliage in my garden too.

The top left picture below, shows the tiny clusters of flowers growing from a purple leaved heuchera. I’ve probably chatted on a bit too long now so the last pictures I will just list. I have thoroughly enjoyed preparing this post – it will be great to look back on at the end of the year too.

Below, main picture, aquilegia. Top right, wild flower, pink campion and bottom right white campion.

Middle, picture above, main photo allium. Top left, herbs, thyme and bottom left chives.

Last, picture above, buds about to open, main photo hosta flower. Top left iris and finally bottom left trollis.

Happy gardening – whatever the weather!