It’s hard to get anything done around here in May because I am constantly distracted by all of the daffodils and tulips in bloom! It’s been especially true this week, when we’ve had several consecutive brilliantly sunny days! It seems like every couple of hours, something has changed; perhaps a tulip has fully opened or there’s a special glow to a narcissus, and I “need” to get out there with my camera to record the beauty.
Here then, are some of the things that have kept us knee deep in undone laundry and sticky floors this week:
‘Yellow Pomponette’ is a bright yellow peony-flowering tulip with rows upon rows of ruffled petals. Some petals are rimmed with a narrow red picotee edge. Mine range from fourteen to eighteen inches in height, and when fully opened, the flowers are five inches across. They bloomed in mid-season for me.
You know you want to see one more shot of this belle of the ball!

This is Tulip ‘American Dream’, a Giant Darwin Hybrid that bloomed early in my garden. Its coloration ranges from red to orange to yellow to cream, depending on its maturity and the amount of sunlight streaming through it!
Who wouldn’t be tempted out into the tulip patch with scenes like these? ‘American Dream’ has grown to about eighteen inches high and its flowers are three to four inches tall. When fully open on a bright day, the bowl shaped bloom is about five inches wide.


I know I already wrote about the Emperor tulips, but please humor me and gasp at the beauty of ‘Orange Emperor’ as it matures to a mellow apricot shade!
Are you overwhelmed yet by all of this sumptuousness? Here’s a palate cleanser, a flat-lay shot I took recently for a weekly photo challenge I participate in. I call it “Not So Dandy, Lion”.

Ready for more beauty? I am! Here’s Tulip ‘Passionale’, a mid-season Triumph tulip that blooms in shades purple and lilac. I forced a few of these to bloom indoors in February.

The tulips are not my sole distraction! The sweet scent of Narcissus ‘Sir Winston Churchill’ attracts not only me, but a pollinators too!
Narcissus ‘Pueblo’ is blooming on the upper end of the Terrace Garden. You can click on the link to learn more about this one.
At the lower end, Narcissus jonquilla ‘Beautiful Eyes’ is blooming prolifically! There are a couple of very thick clumps, and I think I should dig and separate the bulbs when they finish. On the other hand, there is no shortage of blossoms here, so maybe I don’t need to?

Split-cup Narcissus ‘Sorbet’ is another powerhouse that has naturalized beautifully in my garden. Again, I may need to dig and separate, or do I leave well-enough alone?


Narcissus ‘Stratosphere’ is indeed tall, and bright yellow. No missing these guys! I originally planted them here in hopes that the blue camassias behind them would bloom at the same time, but that has never transpired.
I’m a little disappointed that ‘Yellow Cheerfulness’ has not naturalized as well as some others. Or maybe I’ve just been careless when I’ve dug in this bed to weed or plant annuals.
Here’s a view of the lower half of my Terrace Garden, which I call Dogwood Corner:

Well, phew; congratulations if you’ve made it this far, and thank you for indulging me as I’ve waxed ecstatic about the beauty in my gardens! What loveliness has allured you away from more mundane tasks this week?
All gorgeous, and I know what you mean about dropping the housework and making the most of the May garden! (My ironing basket is oveflowing!) đŸ˜‰ My favourite tulip right now is Texas Gold, but most are going over in the warm sunshine we have been getting. đŸ˜ƒ
Thanks for stopping, Cathy! My early and mid-season tulips are looking bedraggled now after some warm, humid days, and today we are expecting severe storms in the afternoon, so I fear some of the later bloomers may meet their demise. There are some multi-flowering tulips out there that are pretty top-heavy; I may decide to pick them and make a Monday vase! I looked up Texas Gold, and it is pretty! How much red flaming do yours have?
Just a tinge around the edges as they age a bit. Lovely. We had storms too, but they closed up in time and survived. đŸ˜ƒ
Hi Mimberley. Just wanted to add that the Texas Gold tulips have gone a beautiful shade of orange! I’ll post about them soon. đŸ˜ƒ
Sorry, spelt your name wrong Kimberley!
It’s OK, Cathy! When I was a very little girl, my father called me “Mimsie”, so you gave me a nice memory of that today!