This is a place to focus on what's currently happening in the gardens. I want to share fun seasonal garden stories & events with you. Josh is going to archive the posting as seasons evolve. We hope you will embrace it with a fun-filled spirit.

Wow! April went fast! And April showers truly sprung perennial flowers. I've always thought May was the month for Iowa gardens but April was wonderfully warm and wonderfully wet. The hostas came out of hibernation, now unfurling perfect, fresh spring colors. Daffodils were, of course, first to show-off until we had a couple 78 degree days. They just don't take the heat. Dwarf Iris have bloomed, and grape hyacinths, & bluebells are hanging in there, Basket of Gold is glowing, pulmonaria and bunnera are strutting their stuff. Little bloodroot plants have bloomed leaving behind intriguing shape & structured leaf forms.

Bloodroot - Woodland Plants

But who steals the show in early spring? Tulips! and Magnolia trees, and Redbuds are break-takingly awesome, Crabapple trees pronounce arrays of spring color.

Slide Show: Yellow Magnolia 'Butterflies' - April 05

The town of Pella is a beautiful site at Tulip Time. www.pellatuliptime.com The streets are lined with tulip beds, city park tulip beds are loaded with erupting color, Crabapples umbrellaed with blossom are everywhere, even the grocery store parking lot. Magnolias have faded but are emulated with the color of the Redbud trees. A bench in Scholte Gardens beckons, "Come sit, take time out, absorb the essence of tranquility". And the Dutch Village garden is just a perfect historical reminder of our roots. If ever it is possible to visit Pella in early spring, do it! The week before Tulip Time is always perfect to tour the town. And a visit to Marlys' Gardens could be arranged too.

Tulip Time Slideshow

Each morning the joy of the early spring garden awakens me. I have to open the window to hear the wren singing, then open the doors to let spring in. I drink my morning coffee out in the peacefulness of the garden. Staying indoors on perfect spring days is nearly too much to bear. My mind is not on my work. I just can't wait to get home to the garden.

The plan had been to post timely garden reports of who was blooming or doing their thing out in the garden. BUT! it all went so fast. I just found it impossible to get everything done, I wanted to do, everyday.

Traditionally, May 1 - May Day - has been celebrated in many fun ways. I remember once, when the neighbor boy hung a May Basket on my door, knocked loudly, then hid until I came to the door. Then he called out, "catch me and kiss me" as he ran away. Oh, how exciting!

May Day

DLTK's Crafts for Kids - May Day Activities

DLTK's Crafts for Kids - Spring Activities

• Clean Garden Furniture
• Acclimate garden transplants to outdoor conditions before planting.
• Pinch chrysanthemums when shoots are several inches tall.
• Plant tomatoes and other warm season vegetables outdoors.
• Sow corn and bean seeds in the garden.
• Wait to remove tulip or daffodil foliage until it yellows.
• Thin seedlings of lettuce, carrot, and radish to prevent overcrowding.
• Remove flower stalks on rhubarb as soon as they appear.
• Cut a few peonies to enjoy indoors.

ISU University Extension 2006 Calendar

May Newsletter - 'At the Garden Gate' (pdf file)
Suzette Streigel - Horticulturist
Mahaska County ISU Extension Service
Oskaloosa, IA

See the Master Gardener page for the full story.

We met in Pella at 'Fire It Up' ceramic shop to paint gazing balls for our gardens. I did a kiwi-lime strawberry pot instead of a gazing ball. It was a good time!

For the rest of the story see the Master Gardener page.

I volunteered to help Josh out with their annual open-house at In the Country Garden & Gifts the day before Mother's Day. Josh warned, they never have a decent weather for their open-house. How true it was. Saturday morning Connie & I woke up in Independence, IA to 40 windy-degrees, cold rain, and drizzle that persisted nearly all day long.

In the true gardener-style everyone made the best of things, even the mud. We all know the show must go on. Everyone bundled up in winter coats, stocking hats, & gloves.

It was great to see Josh again & visit with his grandma & Sue, his mom. We also got to meet sister, Jackie & her husband, Jim who sold me a Rattle-Snake plant that's suppose to get 6' tall. He promised me it will not turn into a monster-plant that will take over the world & self-seed across all nations. I hope he knows what he's talking about.

We ate lilacs, tulips, and I'm not sure what else was in season during the "Edible Plants" presentation. Other presentations were, "The Evening Garden" & "Pond Construction 101".

All in all, it was a good day. And believe, it or not, I only brought home 2 hostas but there were lots of other plants loaded into the vehicle. I had to get Ron his pond plants. There were lots of new ones to choose from. And Jim has introduced "designer" vegetables that were just too fun to pass up. I'm into those fun ornamental pepper plants now. I don't dare tell what all Connie bought. Let's just say her new nick-name is 'Big Spender'.

Thanx! Josh, for a fun day.

On our journey home, Connie & I found ourselves in the tiny town of Center Pointe. Suddenly, it dawned on us, our hosta friends, Jimmy Mac & Lois lived very nearby. We didn't pass up the opportunity to finally get to tour their lovely gardens. They were very gracious to let us just drop-in. We got to see one-of-a-kind hostas, and beautiful specimens of hundreds of varieties of hostas, plus lots of other plants & sedums. It was really nice.

Thank you! Jimmy & Lois.

And, hey, we got home before midnight for a change too.

Here's my Mother's Day gift from my daughter Annie. She knows what her mom likes.

Last night when I went to bed I prayed for rain. Early this morning I awoke to rumbling thunder & crashing lightening bolts; then the gentle pitter-pat of life-sustaining rain. Hurray!

It was out to the potting shed for me. It’s past-time for spring cleaning. I could clean house but the potting shed is more fun. And, our gardens are scheduled to be on the Pella Historical Society Garden Tour June 24th

I have several other projects on-hold for today BUT! There’s nothing new about that.

The following quote pretty much sums up my feelings about the month of:

I got an idea to feature a flower-of-the-month on the What's Happening Page. I typed "flower of the month" into a search engine to learn that indeed, there are designated flowers that signify each month. So it wasn't an original thought but still fun.

Lily-of-the-Valley (Convallaria) is the official flower-of-the-month for May. I find the history of plants & how they got their name & fame intriguing. It's just for fun! I learned that historically Lily-of-the-Vallley is associated as an essential part of May Day celebrations in France and regarded as bringing good luck since the renaissance. Truly, I expected the peony to be the flower-of-the-month for May. Nothing says May = Memorial Day better than peonies. Maybe next year I'll write about peonies. They are awesome true perennial plants.

For more on peonies see Bed #23 and Perennials.

Last summer I brought a variegated leaf Lily-of-the-Valley home. I had never seen a variegated Lily-of-the-Valley. I found it of interest. I knew there are Lily-of-the-Valley with white flowers & pink flowers but never dreamed of a thinly stripped leaf. I've always wanted the pink blooming Lily-of-the-Valley. I have lots of white bloomers. The plants make good ground cover. I've decided the vivacious little Lily-of-the-Valley is a good thing in the garden.

Birth Months, Flowers, and Gemstones

History of Lily-of-the-valley

May Flower of the Month, Lily of the Valley

Last Day of May

The Knoxville Federated Garden Club sponsors the Bessie Spaur Butterfly Garden (Knoxville, IA). Part of the garden consists of small 'Adopt-a-Plots'. Arvilia Bailey is the coordinator for the program. We ended up with 2 unadopted plots. Arvilia invited Randy Van Weelden (fellow-club-member) & I to plant & tend plot #14 & #15. Hey, I can get Master Gardener volunteer hours for doing it and it's fun!

We had set our work-date for Tuesday morning but it poured rain (over 2") so Wednesday morning found us at the butterfly garden. Arvilia just happened to be there working on some other plots.

The garden is a sea of daisies right now. It's so pretty. BUT! those daisies are so self-seeding. They are literally everywhere. I had them in a garden once & they literally took over. I think they belong in wildflower patches.

Randy & I cleaned out unwanted plants, stuck in some new plants, & threw in seeds of drought tolerant plants. It was fun! Then Randy spaded up plot #24 for another garden club member who broke her foot. Arvilia had all ready totally cleaned out the bed & I had cleaned & tilled it last fall when it was abandoned. Helping others is a good thing!

Then we were off to my mom's yard to do more work. After we ate lunch, Randy & I transplanted 3 little lilac bushes, planted a wonderful new Japanese Maple tree in front of the house, & then planted 12 little ground-cover roses for her too. It was a good day & a good way to end the month of May.