The latest and greatest in my garden this first week of May:

10 days in and these ‘Double Beauty’ daffodils show no signs of slowing down. If I had to guess, they have tripled in count since I planted them three years ago.

Daffodil ‘Double Beauty’

The ‘Mt Hood’ daffodils are reliable year after year with this being their latest bloom time ever (and yes I know this for a fact based on my spreadsheet entries over the years. You’re jealous.)

Daffodil ‘Mt Hood’

I am happy to report that my Hyacinth ‘Blue Spike’ planted last fall have bloomed and withstood the leaf nibbling from the rabbits.

Hyacinth ‘Blue Spike’ and Daffodil ‘Mt Hood’

I planted them in small bunches in between the Catmint ‘Nepeta’ along my front walkway and I am digging the punch of color they provide while everything else is slowly emerging.

The Summer Snowflakes are all in full bloom and I can vouch for the fact that they withstand the saturated soil year after year.

Summer Snowflake

While many of the daffodils are starting to fade, I am most pleased with myself and the successful attempt to plant varieties that bloom in succession to each other. These are just emerging now.

While the deer nipped off a good 50% of these buds over the winter, the Viburnum carlesii still packs a floriferous punch with the blooms that survived the feast.

Viburnum carlesii

Phlox ‘Emerald Blue’ (Moss phlox) and Geranium ‘Espresso’ make a handsome couple don’t they?

Geranium ‘Espresso’ and Phlox ‘Emerald Blue’

The first blooms on the Forthergilla ‘Mt Airy’ have arrived and like so many others, they were nipped by the deer. It really is their world and we are just living in it.

Fothergilla ‘Mt Airy’

Trollius ‘Golden Queen’ will be blooming soon and I will be on high alert to ensure they come to fruition, deer and rabbits be damned.

Trollius ‘Golden Queen’

I admittedly get a little too excited when the peonies emerge each spring. I know they are a given and tough sons o bitches, but they represent spring like no other.

Emerging peony

Great color on the emerging leaves of this Viburnum and I’m livid that I can’t remember the name Ninebark ‘Amber Jubilee’. I’ve failed my spreadsheet and I’ve failed you all.

The severely cut back Salix (Dappled Willow) looked like this 46 days ago.

And now looks like this.

Holy recovery Batman. Looks like this will be an every other year necessity from here on out.

On the other hand, very few signs of life with the heavily pruned Redtwig Dogwood.

Will continue to keep you all updated on this as we proceed through spring and into summer. Yes, it is that important.