The Merry Merry Month of May

 THE month of May, the merry month of May,
So frolic, so gay, and so green, so green, so green!
O, and then did I unto my true love say,
Sweet Peg, thou shalt be my Summer's Queen.

Now the nightingale, the pretty nightingale,
The sweetest singer in all the forest quire,
Entreats thee, sweet Peggy, to hear thy true love's tale:
Lo, yonder she sitteth, her breast against a brier.

But O, I spy the cuckoo, the cuckoo, the cuckoo;
See where she sitteth; come away, my joy:
Come away, I prithee, I do not like the cuckoo
Should sing where my Peggy and I kiss and toy.

O, the month of May, the merry month of May,
So frolic, so gay, and so green, so green, so green;
And then did I unto my true love say,
Sweet Peg, thou shalt be my Summer's Queen 

Oh how I love the month of May being a May Day girl and having two children with birthdays  this month .  And not to forget Mother's Day when there's no question as to what Momma would like and so more plants for the garden arrive .

May is also the month that summer comes full force with sunnier and drier days.

The blue blooms of Ajuga 'chocolate chip ' in the boulder garden.  I purchased dwarf rudbeckia  and gold profusion zinnia to add some yellow .  Soon the dianthus will bloom and add a rosy color.  The great thing about ajuga is how it spreads .  It can be easily divided and planted in other areas where a beautiful groundcover is desired.

The roadside garden plantings returned from last season and has started to fill in nicely.  I purchased 6 each of  red and yellow tomato twist supports to add a little whimsy .  I  also  planted 'redrocks' penstemons, lantana,  golden rod and some passalong canna lilies.

I know that dear love azaleas so I experimented with two 'nova zembla ' rhododendrons and they haven't touched them.  They bloomed beautifully .  Of course I sprayed them with deer repellent for extra insurance.

I have been struggling to dig in the hard rocky clay soil in my garden and decided to try the old fashioned pick axe as we used to call it.  It's officially know as a mattock.  After breaking several hoes and shovels I find this the best way to dig hardpan soil.  Now I can add my custom blend of topsoil to the native soil when I plant perennials , annuals and vegetables.

I am entertaining bids on a privacy deer deterrent wood fence around my backyard so I haven't planted many vegetables yet.  I have two tomatoes surrounded by spring onions and garlic chives and so far the deer and rabbits have avoided them.  According to the latest research the most effective deer and rabbit spray has dried blood and rotten eggs in it so I'm switching to Repels All by Bonide.  This tends to keep people away for a few hours as well .

In the woodland garden I am continuing to add my favorite Autumn fern and I found another one with burgundy stems and a chartruese frond called 'lady eared .'  At last count I have over 35 ferns .  I'm also collecting Hellebores as they are evergreen, beautiful, and the deer don't touch them or the ferns.

Have been looking for a rosy pink campanula and finally found one.  She's a beauty and her name is 'ringsabell mulberry rose. '  I've added her to the woodland garden.

Another find is Peacock Spikemoss which I added to my front rock garden .

Even though it was pricey at $12 for a tiny container I had to have the Chinese wild ginger for a shady nook in the woodland garden.  It spreads nicely and I love its colorful foliage.

As you can imagine May is a very busy month in the garden.  Millions of pine and box elder seedling have to be eradicated with a hoe , new plantings kept watered and shredded leaves and pine needles added as mulch .  

Tomorrow begins a new month , school will soon be out and it's time to hit the beaches of the beautiful Outer Banks along the Atlantic in Kitty Hawk where I look forward to spending time with my wonderful daughters and family.