May is Madness

Madness of the best kind!

Yes, you're mad, bonkers...but I'll tell you a secret, all the best people are - said Alice.

Yay for May, the best month of the year.

A wreath of  May flowers adorns the top of this pretty head. . . 

 all the flowers I could pick and weave into it in 

just one day in May. Madness at its best. 

The perfect accessory for dancing with the garden fairies.

Madness, Magic, Miracle, there are not nearly enough ways or words to describe the month of May, and the bounty of blooms that fill it from the beginning to the end.  

Can we talk about fragrance! 

Yes, there is color everywhere you look, 

up, down, all around,

 but close your eyes and just breathe!

The air is saturated with May's perfume.

Lily of The Valley

Fragrant Trees and Shrubs

Spice Bush

Mock Orange

Bridal Wreath

Viburnum

Lilac

Flowering Crabapple

The Woodlands

Bloodroot

Trillium

                                              

Lady's Slipper

                                              

Jack-in-the-Pulpit

The Tulips

The Early Birds

Hellebore

Bleeding Heart

Pink Dogwood

Pagoda Dogwood

The Peonies

The Violets

The Iris

                                            

The First Rose

Every garden has its best month, for mine it is always May.

The month of May is my favorite, even though it passes by in such fast motion that I can hardly contain all the joy. 

Living and gardening in the Midwest I have learned to treasure the seasons, the months, the constant changing of the guard.

And now it's on to June.........

"Never yet was a springtime, 

when the buds forgot to bloom. 

-Margaret Elizabeth Sangster 

Amazing April

The month of discoveries, with surprises around every corner, every single day! 

Especially outside -  in the garden.

My first flower haul from the nursery.  I love it when the primula, the violas, small potted daffodils and hyacinths appear in the stores.  It's such fun to play with all the plants, all the bright colors, plopping them into pretty containers and scattering them around the house inside 

for my Easter celebration.  

Then, out they go to find a new home in my garden.

 If I'm lucky, they will come back to visit me again next spring 

Surprise!

Discovered in the garden, some of these primulas do come back. 

The hyacinths are not nearly so agreeable,

 but it's always worth a try

The daffodils are the first bright spots of April. 

  I can't resist bringing a few of these golden beauties inside. 

A bunch or a single boom, they are enchanting.

The species tulips are a real treat,

 I love how they self-sow and multiply.  

I

I'm going to add more of these in the fall for sure. 

Talk about a surprise, this color extravaganza 

was hiding under the rhubarb forcer.

I know it will turn deep green very quickly. 

Good thing I checked!

I can't wait for this double-bloodroot 

to unfold in the shade garden.

 It's here and gone in a day or two.

. . .  that's Spring for you,  

don't miss a single bloom of it!

From Fantasy to Reality

 A Tropical Escape is a bit of a fantasy

If you see the wonder of a fairy tale, you can take the future, even if you fail - Abba

Springtime in South Florida is a bit like A FAIRY TALE, 

a temporary yet complete immersion in color. 

Green of course, yellow, orange, purple,

and more than a little pink. 

From Palm Trees to Orchids, 

and from Hibiscus to Bouganvilla, 

it's impossible to resist the magic spell 

these plants cast.

The orchids are quite happy 

just hanging out in the trees, so effortless!

If you hunger for color, it will fill you up.

Fragrance is everywhere, floating in the air.

Look up, look down, look all around.

I can't resist the temptation to capture the mood 

with my paints, who could?

Inspiration goes beyond the flowers and appears everywhere you look. 

. . .  the buildings, the interiors, the clothes.

A favorite example, Inside and Out, is this place, 

we call it The Pink Palace.

The perfect spot for a girls' getaway and lunch by the pool.

But the time does come to pick up your feet, spread your wings, and return to reality, and for me, reality is a Midwest Spring. The one that I have waited for, anticipated, the Spring that means mud, chilly days, tiny green buds, birdsong, and so much promise. The Spring that resides deep in my heart. 

That first golden daffodil is waiting for me there.