It’s May already. I feel like there needs to be a re-count on the days in April, it went by much too quickly.

Anyhow the sun is shining this morning and I’m off to celebrate a friend’s 40th birthday later on.

This is the time in the garden when plants have emerged and are at peak greenness, often in tightly held clumps or mounds. This week I want to celebrate that shape before the madness starts and it becomes shaggy and overgrown but beautiful with flowerheads.

Let’s start with the top row, from the left is Geranium Rozanne, then Salvia Nemorosa followed by Erigeron Karvinskianus, grown from seed.

First left on the bottom row is my favourite mound of Oregano, perfectly shaped and almost strokable (but what would the neighbours say!) middle is a very nice clump of Shasta daisy, grown from seed then lifted, divided and transported to the Gulag. Another transportee is the Euphorbia Robbiae, orignally purchased as a sale bargain from Sarah Raven and now reliably self seeds. The spot it’s chosen is between the orange geum and yet to flower verbena bonariensis.

That’s my six, next week there could be flowers.

With thanks as ever to Jim for hosting, it’s his seventh anniversary today. Hop over and wish him well.

Whatever you’re doing this weekend, enjoy that round yellow thing when it peeks from behind the clouds.