Perennial Gardens – May 1st
In April the flower gardens have the early bloomers – crocus, vinca, rockcress, tulips, snowdrops, grape hyacinth, and a few others, but the full blooming time starts just after May 1st in the Kamloops area. It is a busy time. We have spent much of our efforts into landscaping, digging, hauling, and shaping garden beds. We have gradually removed most of our grass and the sods are composting in a new area. These areas have had new walkways, rock features, and have been planted. At the same time, maintenance of all of the flower gardens, vegetable gardens, shrub beds, fruit trees, walkways, and outdoor spaces have been daily tasks.
But, we take the time to appreciate the perennial gardens. A few images are shared here – candytuft (Iberis sempervirens), spreading phlox (Phlox diffusa), dead nettle (Lamium sp.), sea thrift (Armeria maratima), rockcress (Arabis sp. ), alpine aster (Aster alpinus), bleeding hearts (Dicentra), yellow alyssum (Alyssum alyssoides), and violets (Viola sp.). All photos by the author. Click an image for a lightbox view and caption/ID.
- Of the flowers shared here, spreading phlox, rockcress, and violets are native plants and can be spotted while out on hikes. Relatives of Lamium and various asters can also be spotted. Some of these are featured on A Wildflower Journal.
- Two of these are on my favorites list – rockcress and spreading phlox. Pages to be added on these over time.