With the Christmas holidays over we continue to remember the past spring. The month of May in SW Ontario is the “season of ten thousand flowers”.

The overlapping of early spring flowers with new species just starting to bloom results in a truly remarkable display: Helleborus, Disporum, fragrant daffodils, Hepatica, Primulas, peonies, Epimediums, various rock garden species, Trilliums, Podophyllum, Uvularia, Viola species and many others are all flowering and competing for our attention. The patch of Aristolochia steupii and Mertensia virginica had a best ever flowering (Mertensia was slow to establish in my garden).

Many plants in flower = many garden pictures  ;-) so this is just a short overview of the most significant for 2022.
It was a particularly good season for ‘little’ Irises like: Iris pumila, Iris suaveolens and the shy flowering native, Iris lacustris.

In the rock garden, there were a few loses after a cold winter, but other first time bloomers took their place: Campanula biebersteiniana, Pulsatilla flavescens, Thlaspi rotundifolium and Noccaea fendleri. Also, a few Primula x polyantha flowered for the first time. All these were grown from seeds; the only way, in my opinion, to have something new and interesting flowering every year.

Part 2 for May will continue next year. I know all gardeners are already dreaming to the new spring season and this will help to bridge the previous season with the new one, and maybe provide ideas for new plantings.

Best wishes to all for a healthy, happy, peaceful and full of flowers 2023!