What perennials bloom in May in your zone 5 garden? I have bleeding heart, columbine, tulips, and goatsbeard. There are a few other perennials that I'd thought would be blooming by now, but no luck!
What Blooms in May for Zone 5?
Nepeta and iris. This photo was taken in May. But you're right, not much blooming then. (We were Z5, now listed as 6). We have the same problem at the end of the summer, little in bloom. I do like the shrubs with colored leaves, they help give the illusion of more bloom.
I have some salvias White Swan and Eveline is just starting.Iris also.
Now realize many of my things are early by a few weeks, but....Aurinia saxatilis (Gold Basket Alyssum) pix 1; Iris buccanii, pix 2; dwarf bearded german Iris and J J's in pix 3; Ajuga tri color, pix 4; Theremopsis montana
1 verbascum phoenicium is just starting to bloom (last years pix), 2. Hesperis matronalis just starting to open (last years pix), 3. Centaurea montana Amethyst in Snow, 4. Centaurea montana (blue), 5. Linum perenne (flax). Those are the goodies I have at the moment and many are getting ready. Like you I have also been relisted at Z6 also, but this year is goofy weather, still many of these would be blooming but more toward the middle to the end of May, but then again I live at 6800+ feet.
Polly...you're having problems finding things for the end of the season, I have plenty of things that are still in bloom late (til frost), if interested will list.
Kathy
Please do, Kathy, as long as Judy doesn't mind.
It seems like as the nice weather gets longer, the plants bloom out before fall. And I don't wish to do many annuals.
Ok... if there's a prob. just stop me, lol. One of the main things to do is keep your plants deadheaded, (cut off old blooms), either it will form new buds or if a seasonal won't (ie peonies, iris, perennial alysssum, spring phlox, Pix2 and pix5, etc.) Realize that you need approx4-6 wks for new blooms, sometimes less.
Rebloomers:Pix 1 above, Verbascum phoenicium; pix 3&4 Centaurea montana; Daisies, Veronica spicata, Salvias, Achilea (yarrows); Osteospurmum, many Campanula, Scabiosa, Snapdragon, Malva, many Dianthus (except spring bloomers), Echinacea, Gaura, Geranium Johnson's Blue and Rozanne, Geum, Heuchera, Penstemon Pike's Peak Purple and Red Rocks, Rudbeckias, Anthemis, Aquilegia, Armeria, Aster, Boltonia, Buddleja, Catanche, Centranthus, Centaurea, Coreopsis, Knautia, Lavatera, Physostegia, and Ratibida. And there are probably more, but these are flowers I have experience with. Yes, I used botanical names, lol. I didn't list the fall bloomers as they are obvious late bloomers.
Many from the list above will bloom the whole season. My daisies, I like to cut within inches of the ground that way I get 2 blooms for the one cut, I snip just above a node.
Pix1: Osteospurmum
Pix2: Knautia, sorry a bit out of focus
Pix3: Scabiosa
Pix4: top to right, sunflowers,Daisy, Penstemon Rocky Mt Blue (only spring), Lavendula, Veronica. Malva
Pix5: Snapdragons (Rocket Series at 36" and Lavender (also blooms the whole season).
Does that help?
Thank you Kathy! I will keep that list. And lovely pictures!
Gosk polly your on the ball I just posted, lol, did you know I was working on it?
Must be.
I hope you get some ideas, if ya have any question, just ask, like I say there are scads.
Thanks again, Kathy!
Wow, what great ideas, everyone! I still have a lot to learn about gardening, and of course soil and light make such a difference. EG, my columbine that gets consistent sun is blooming; the ones that get more shade are not yet. The same tulips that have lost their blooms in one (sunnier) section are still happily blooming in the shadier section. PollyK, my absolute favorite late season bloomers are Zinnia Purple Prince and gladiolas. They both even hold up well under light frosts! The zinnia is great; I buy multiple packages at Home Depot, sprinkle it, and wellah - gorgeous flowers! I do normally dig up the glads, but I forgot one in 2010, and it came up just fine in 2012.
Thank you all again! I'm going to incorporate your ideas!
Thanks, Judy, you remembered me to get zinnias, LOL.
I love the month of May for the Tiarellas. I love the pink and white bottle brush shaped blooms. My colombine are also flowering as well as my earlier iris are starting. Typically, I have dogwood and lilacs, but this weird weather has already done them in. I also love the flowering cherry trees as well as the early flowering clematis.
I have one to add: Penstemon Elfin Pink. Thought I'd killed off this poor plant last year, but she bloomed in late May.