Tags
Aesculus hippocastanum, Anthriscus sylvestris, California poppy, cow parsley, Eschscholzia californica, harts tongue fern, horse chestnut trees, house leeks, papaver patty’s plum, sempervivums, six on saturday
May is possibly the most exciting time in the garden. So much is happening. You can almost hear the growing. The ferns are unfurling and that is where I shall start.
1.
Harts tongue Asplenium scolopendrium
This is a plant which came to me from Rambling Cathy a couple of years ago and how established it looks now. The freshness of the green is strong and those tongues look at their most interesting as they uncurl.
2.
Horse chestnut trees Aesculus hippocastanum
There were 5 of these in 2015 and I took the decision to have two of them removed to enable these room to grow. They are looking at their most majestic now. Growing below them, in the dry shade is my number 3
I know it is a weed, I know it may make a bid for total control but I love it. I shall cut it back hard and remove some of it next week.
Cow Parsley, Anthriscus sylvestris
4. From green and white to hot orange, these are self sown orange Californian poppies.
Eschscholzia Californica
Today is overcast and they haven’t fully opened but their vibrancy is working hard to brighten the sky.
5. More poppies
Another poppy trying to brighten the skies. 
The centre seems so bright and yet the outer petals live up to its name Papaver Patty’s Plum. I love the fat hairy buds on perennial poppies.
6. House leeks
Newly potted sempervivums. I love these plants, so many variations, all beautiful.
My six favourites today to share with you and our host The Propagator .
Do share your six with us or if you haven’t got time at least take a few minutes to scroll through some other bloggers joining this popular meme.
Enjoy the weekend. D.
digwithdorris.com 
A wonderful 6.
I love Cow Parsley too – so delicate.
My poppies are nowhere near flowering, strange how it goes.
It’s a funny old world, in our gardens
Yes indeed!
Agreed that May is a spectacular garden month! Your poppies are cheerful and lovely.
Thank you !
That is a lovely Poppy. I have a Horse Chestnut just down the toad from me and it is the best it has looked for years. Good to see that you are liking the House Leeks!
Maybe it is a good year for HC. I know they look a sorry sight later in the year with horrid marks on their leaves which make them curl and brown. I try to really enjoy them now before the damage starts. The poppies are a pop of colour and joyful and yes I love the house leeks.
So pleased you are enjoying the fern, Dorris – are the others still doing OK? I love how in time hart’s tongue babies pop up in all sorts of places, showing how happy they are to be here. The close-ups of the Californian poppies are lovely – do they really have that pink collar? I have so little success with them here so perhaps should stop sowing them every year!
I seem to have lost two of them last year probably too hot and dry. Those that have survived are going well thank you. The poppies really do have a pink collar. No filters used in the picture. Perhaps your weeding is more diligent than mine?!
I have rarely got the C poppies to flowering stage, let alone a self seeding stage…perhaps I should just direct sow some? ps my weeding is most definitely not diligent!
Visited Great Dixter this week where they have lots of cow parsley so you are not alone!
That is the most inspirational garden. Always a great day visiting there.
I have two enormous Horse Chestnuts too, they are wonderful at this time of the year. I love your poppy shots.
How lucky are we with our horse chestnut trees. Conkers and fallen leaves are lovely until you have to rake them and dispose of them.
This is the horse chestnut (or one of them) that o many others talk about. I have never seen one, and the red horse chestnut is very rare. Our native buckeye is nothing like them, and is not very good in landscape situations. However, our native poppy is good enough for your garden.
Love your poppy! At Chelsea they had a beautiful version in a soft buttery cream colour. The red is very striking we have four in the garden where I work.
Oh, all those colors make Californians cringe. California poppy is at its best in the most common bright orange out in the wild. Even though the colors are nice in the garden, it is not easy for all of us to accept as California poppy. Sadly, it is not as common in the wild as it used to be. When I was a kid, it still covered meadows in some areas.
Our native wild flowers are much less prevalent too. Pesticides and concrete
For our wildflowers, the most common problem is competition from aggressively invasive exotic plant species.
As here.