Ladies,
For all of the insects that plague the Southern garden, there are as many early blooms. The humidity is descending as the temperatures rise to the upper 80’s already as of May 1st. But as my favorite cool air is now relegated to the nights of enjoying it through the open window, my days are spent in floral bliss and breathing in the heavenly scent of flowers.
Finally, flowers
For the non-gardener, or the flippant garden-admirer, they may not realize how fleeting flowers can be. One might not realize how many months it takes to finally experience the blossoms and then how quickly they are gone. Our photographs preserve them giving the idea that a garden is one endless stagnant form of blooms, when the truth is, the garden is a cycle of this, then that, each coming and going at different times, blooming fleetingly short, leaving the gardener to miss them as much as they waited for them to even be.
And while some of my favorites are fleeting bloomers, I try with all of might to focus my efforts on implementing the most resilient and long-lasting blooms as possible so that I can drink in a continual feast of their glory. Which is why I love hydrangeas!
My Cottage Garden Roses
I do not think any garden is complete without roses, but especially a cottage style garden. My cottage garden is graced by the Double Knockout Roses that have been by far one of the best garden investments I ever made. Bought at any chain hardware store, these roses start blooming once the temperatures warm and do not stop until the temperatures tell them that winter is here. They are givers that just keep giving and keep my otherwise paired down rental house garden looking quite extravagant. They come in a variety of colors and the reason I do not own more is because I am waiting until we move to keep collecting! Pink roses are essential.
Wildflower Companions
Next to the roses I planted packets of wildflowers not knowing which seeds in the packet would thrive in this hard clay soil. Wouldn’t you know, gold old Coreopsis (Tickseed flower) made it while none other survived. These tall happy yellow flowers thrive in this climate.
The best wildflowers for your cottage garden are not the ones that everyone else is using but the ones native to your area and the ones that thrive in your climate.
Aside from ever-blooming roses, wildflowers for your particular area are the best seeds for a garden full of blooms
Tickseed flowers thrive in this state and thrive on being left alone. They did not even want to be watered. I particularly love how long they bloom for, weeks and even months!
If you look closely, you will see the small lavender planted in front of the roses pot. I dispersed these lavenders throughout the garden in areas of full sun, which they love, and where they will continue to thrive well after we leave. While I ache to see them full grown covered in blooms, I wanted to leave them as a sprinkle of blessing left behind at our Little House on the Acre.
From my Spring garden, Happy May!
You visit the earth and water it;
Psalm 65:9
you greatly enrich it
