By mid-May our fruit trees, perennials, and flowering shrubs are well underway in spring growth, with some in flower.   The vegetable garden rows are all developing, with radishes, spinach, chives, and green onions now ready.  

We have a number of ground covers in beds, borders, and rockeries and some are in bloom, like this variegated lamium. 

One of the stars in the garden year round is candytuft (iberis).   Other than deadheading in late spring they retain a natural grace and beauty

Just emerging now are veronica (speedwell).   The spikes grow rapidly and it will spread readily so deadheading is required on a timely basis.   They don’t enjoy the hot summer sun so we put them in part-sun, part-shade locations. 

We have a honeysuckle vine growing up a trellis by our deck which flowers in June, but we also have a shrub that blooms in May.   We run into wild honeysuckle vines to the east and north of us.

Although scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius) can be invasive, we have some recumbent shrubs that cover hot, dry locations, producing pea-like (leguminous) yellow flowers in spring. 

On the shady side of the house we have lily of the valley which produces sweet-smelling white flowers in spring.   It spreads by rhizomes so some yearly maintenance is required. 

And the superstar of the garden in the spring are perennial bleeding hearts (lamprocapnos spectabilis).   We have a few in bloom along the side of the house where they get part-sun, part shade, but adequate moisture all season. We spotted some wild flowering plants on the UBC Endowment Lands last year. 

Every two weeks there is a new cycle in the gardens so watch for the next post soon.