May - In Full Bloom — A Little Dirt Can't Hurt

May feels like it will be a little more relaxed than April, even though there is still plenty to do.

We are starting to get those early summer temperatures here and there, and my garden is already feeling it. Some plants are handling it well, others not so much.

I am watching the flowers fill in, and it is amazing to see how they seem to protect each other from the elements once they grow together. What looked sparse just a few weeks ago is now starting to feel full and layered.

My pots, especially, are taking off. They are beginning to overflow with blooms and fill out into what I had in mind when I planted them. All the April rain really helped everything get established.

There are bees everywhere, along with a lot of the smaller butterflies. I have not seen many of the larger ones or dragonflies yet, but maybe they will show up with all of this rain.

Mealybugs are starting to show up again. I have already seen a few over the past couple of weeks, so I released ladybugs and lacewings, and I am hoping they take care of it before it gets out of hand.

Wild Things To Do

This month, we are planting those last-minute plants to give them enough time to get established before the summer heat.

Although I enjoy chaos gardening and do not keep very close track of what I do, I still try to:

take pictures for documentation of what is blooming
write down in a journal or Google Doc what is doing well and what is not
move or give away plants that are crowding out others

What to do this time of year:

move plants if needed
plant native perennials and anything that supports pollinators
it is still not too late to get mature plants of squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, and warm weather herbs in the ground
plant seeds like radish, green beans, marigolds, zinnias, and sunflowers
plant eggplant, tomatillo, yard long beans, Armenian cucumber, garlic and onion chives, okra, roselle, luffa, watermelon, and cantaloupe
set up any plant supports
keep outside lights off at night for bird migration
put down compost and natural mulch

Rooted Pick of the Month

This month, my favorite is Hibiscus syriacus 'Blue Chiffon', also known as Rose of Sharon or althea.

It is just starting to bloom now, and it is beautiful.

It is not a native, but it is very well adapted to our area and almost indestructible. I have moved mine twice now in early spring, and it always bounces back. It is virtually indestructible.

It is part of the hibiscus family and handles both drought and freezes.

My favorites are the double varieties, and the Blue Chiffon is my favorite of all. The blooms are soft and full, and it just keeps going once it gets started.

I am currently training mine to grow into a small tree, but you can also let it grow naturally, which will become a large shrub.

The only downside is that mealybugs seem to love it, so it is something to keep an eye on.

Garden Gossip

Two things.

The hummingbirds are still hanging around. They disappear for a few days, and just when I think they are gone, they come back.

Guess what though? My friend down the street has been sending me pictures of her hummingbirds… and guess which days they are there?

The barn swallows have also found a spot and are starting to lay eggs. I cannot wait to see the babies. I managed to get them to nest in a spot where I can observe them, but they are not making a huge mess everywhere like last year.

Fun fact: barn swallows are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, so you are not supposed to remove their nests while they are actively nesting.