I more or less abandoned this blog last year, deciding instead to concentrate on my food and photo blogs. But I still take tons of garden pictures, and love to watch the progression of color and texture through the year. Maybe I’ll work this site back into the rotation. It’s been a really great month for crocuses.

The giant feather grass came into bloom this week, a huge golden fountain in the center of the front yard. And the sun came out this morning! I love seeing sunlight glinting through the delicate grass flowers. I raced outside in my bathrobe to catch this while the sun was hitting it at that perfect golden angle.

The poppies have been blooming their little heads off all week, but it’s been raining almost every single day, so the flowers stay tightly curled in on themselves. It takes real sunlight to make them open. I had been wanting a poppy photo to try to incorporate into an assignment for my photo class, but I had to wait for a lunchtime sunbreak to run out and snap this. I didn’t end up using it for class, but I love how the image turned out, with the petals still modestly trying to cover the heart of the poppy.

Kashmir Purple geranium: I’m so glad I still have this plant. I bought two babies from Heronswood Nursery over a decade ago, and the original plants have been thoroughly swamped by alstroemeria and bluebell. A sprig that I transplanted into a new border has really thrived, however, so I still have a glorious patch of vivid purple every spring. The bloom season isn’t long, but it’s gorgeous.

May continues to be chilly and damp for the most part. Most of the plants in the garden don’t mind, fortunately.

Along with all the red and purple iris in the garden right now, I also have a number of dark brownish-purple columbines self-seeded into the front border. The original plant, which I think was called William Guinness, is long gone, but his descendents are multiplying rapidly. It’s a very elegant small flower, and a great match for the bronze fennel and purple-leafed geraniums.

The alliums are just beginning to bloom. When I see purple globes starting to float over the borders, I always wish I had planted more.

This week the tall bearded iris began to bloom. Gallant Moment, one of my favorites, is right by the front walk so I can bury my nose in its rich grape scent every morning as I go by. I love these colors.

Tulips are just about over, but here’s a quick retrospective of one of my favorite shots this season – a parrot tulip about to unfurl. I love the dark edges of the petals before they unclasp from the bud.

I bought this yellow ranunculus from a local grocery store, and it’s been the biggest and most spectacular one ever.