More Shade Loving Hostas in May.

 

The varegated ones can stand the sun.

 

 

 

I think this one is actually a Plantain Lily with white flowers.  It was Grammie's.

 

This one gets five feet high.

Azalea May

Azalea.  There are a couple of varieties as well as colors.  I hate all the lurid and strange colors in Azaleas.  If I cannot name the color, I do not want it.  I have a pink, a white and this very strong red.  It struggles in my yard, so it really irks me when John cuts branches for bouquets.  However, they are striking in a container.

Other varieties are much leggier and larger.  Good in Part shade and in acid soils, they can be loosely clipped to shape the plant, or even Bonsai-ed.

Candytuft May-June

 

If it likes you, this is a very tough semi evergreen creeping plant.  Iberis is a bit woody feeling, it rewards you year afrer year with masses of white.  Good for a rock garden. here with Forget Me Nots.

Lilac May

 when i was in Maine, I worked occasionally in the Summer as a Blacksmith at King's Landing, New Brunswick, as a museum curator and on occasion helping out when there was a shortage of help at the Olsen House in Cushing Maine.  the Olsen house was the house in the Painting:  Christina's World, by Andrew Wyeth.  One day, while waiting for a ride home, I dug a couple of sprouts out of the gravel driveway at that house.  the result was these wonderful white Lilacs.  I am afraid that the light was not strong when I took these photos, and all are a bit back lit.

 These photos are Lilac: 'Krasavitsa Moskvy'  or Pride of or Beauty of Moscow.  The pictures do not do it justice.  It is basically a white lilac, but it has a flush of orchid pink. 

We have a purple lilac, but I cannot tell if it is on my side of the boundary or the neighbor's.  I wish I could get a baby from Grammie's lilacs but if not, my next lilac will be Mr. Lincoln...very dark purple.  Shelbourne Museum in Burlington has a large display of lilacs.  They were among the most loved and widespread of plants in 18th and 19th century American yards, and very hardy in the coldest regions.



Bridal Wreath Spirea May-June

 These are some of Grammies plants.  I was lucky to get several and placed them all around the property, but not before I bought one and planted that!

 They will completely cover themselves in white.  Spireas come in pinks as well, and in a rather fuzzy flowered family as well.  I had one that bloomed in several shades of pink and red at once.  It was not nearly as striking as this white mass of bloom.

Voila-Johnny Jump Up May-June

The Johnny Jump Ups are so cheerful and old fashioned.  They prefer the chill of spring,  They reseed, but do not take over.

Veronica Mid May

 Still blooming at the end of May, the lavendar and Blue varieties  are very pretty.  they will creep into the grass.  The blues, below, came from my sister mary Burrill's garden in Freeport.  they were moved accidentally along with a rose bush, and have gone nearly wild in the grass where the rose was first sited.  This was a truly happy accident.  They are now one of my favorite plants.