Multicoloured May

May 4, 2025May 4, 2025 ~ My virtually free-from kitchen ~ Leave a comment

Early_May_Apple_Blossom_2025 — Happy May! Images: Kathryn Hawkins

Happy May everyone! What a glorious start to the new month here in the UK with the continuation of fine weather and subsequent earlier blooming of many of my favourite garden flowers. I couldn’t resist sharing a few images of the garden as it springs into life in a riot of colours. Apple blossom is one of the prettiest of the fruit blossoms, and it looks like the old Lord Derby apple tree is going to put in another good show this year.

It’s the time in the gardening calendar when everything seems to take off at once, and everywhere has something colourful to show. The later flowering rhododendrons and the wonderfully bold and brash Azaleas, jammed packed with petals as usual, are putting on a great display at the moment.

Scottish_garden_May_pale_pink_Rhododendron — May soft pink Rhododendron. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

Scottish_garden_golden_Azalea_May_2025 — Golden glory. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

Scottish_agarden_red_and_deep_pink_Azaleas_early_May_2025 — Bloomin’ marvellous Azaleas. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

May is all about bluebells and they have been popping up all over the garden since Easter, alongside other cooler coloured flowers like the forget-me-nots, mountain cornflower and the first of the lavenders.

Scottish_garden_bluebells_and_forget-me-nots — May blues. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

Early_May_tufted_lavender_and_Centaurea_Montana — Tufted lavender and mountain cornflower. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

There are still a few reminders of the first spring flowers dotted around like this magnificent white daffodil and the very fragrant Narcissi. The Welsh poppies have put in an early appearance. Usually just one or two would be in flower by now, but this year, they are flowering all round the garden already.

Early_May_white_daffodil_and_Narcissi — White daffodil and Narcissi. Images: Kathryn Hawkins.

Early_May_2025_Yellow_Welsh_poppies — May poppies. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

To round off my post, I have captured the two varieties of Aquilegia that opened up as I started putting this post together. Such delicate and intricate layers of petals, like frilly dresses, the flowers last for a fair length of time and make me feel that Summer isn’t too far away.

Early_May_2025_pink_Aqualigea — Pretty in pink: the first of the Aqualigeas. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

I hope you have enjoyed my flowery photos. I’ll be back in the kitchen for my next post. Until then, happy gardening and enjoy the late Spring colours 🙂

The merry month of May

May 28, 2023May 28, 2023 ~ My virtually free-from kitchen ~ Leave a comment

Scottish_garden_Bluebells_May_2023 — Bluebells in sun and shade under a Laburnum tree. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

Hello again. Welcome to my favourite blog post of the year:) Yes, it’s May, and it’s the most colourful time of the year in my garden. I have a few images to share which capture what’s been happening in the garden over the month. The weather has been mostly dry and a bit overcast, but these past few days have seen things turn warm, sunny and bright.

Mountain_cornflower_and_Bluebell_Scotish_garden_border — Centaurea and bluebell raised bed. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

May is all about Bluebells, Azaleas and Rhododendrons in the garden. The Bluebells haven’t lasted as long as usual due to the lack of rain. The bulbs in the shade are still looking vibrant, and now the Centaurea are coming out, there is even more blue around. All the Azaleas and Rhododendrons are out in full flower now, and are thriving. The colours are strong and vibrant and seem to glow in the sunshine.

Scottish_May_Azaleas_and_Rhododendrons_2023

Red_and_deep_pink_Scottish_garden_Azaleas_and_rhododendrons

Golden_Yellow_Azalea_Scotland_May_2023 — The many colours of Azalea and Rhododendron. Image: May 2023

Earlier in the month, the Tulips were in flower, but like the Bluebells, they weren’t around for very long. These are two of my favourites.

Early_May_2023_Scottish_garden_tulips — May favourite tulips. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

The Aquilegia and Lupins have flowered a couple of weeks earlier this year. They really do enjoy the sunshine and are in all the sunny beds and borders of the garden, with the exception of this one which is growing out of the old wall at the top of the garden. Not sure where it came from, and it hasn’t seeded in any other part of the garden, but it is very striking and a fabulous colour.

Scottish_garden_violet_Aquilegia — Wall-growing Violet Aquilegia. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

First_garden_lupins_May_2023 — First of the Lupins. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

There are plenty of Welsh poppies all around the garden again this year. The birds will be especially pleased when the seed heads are ripening.

Scottish_garden_Welsh_poppies_May_2023 — Golden Welsh poppies. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

As well as the joy all these colourful flowers bring, it has been a happy time with the arrival of a new visitor to the garden. I had seen a few glimpses of an adult red squirrel over the lockdown months, but how delightful it was to see this baby the other morning enjoying the spills from the bird feeder and taking a drink from the container of water we leave out for the birds. He/she has been back a few times, but is so quick, it is hard to capture, hence my not very good pictures.

Perthshire_garden_baby_red_squirrel_May_2023 — New garden visitor. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

That’s me for another month. I’ll be back in the kitchen next month. Until then, take care and enjoy the sunshine.

Magnificent May

May 26, 2022May 26, 2022 ~ My virtually free-from kitchen ~ 2 Comments

Mid-May_in_a_Scottish_garden — Blossom and bluebells in mid May. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

Hello again. What a colourful month it has been in the garden. May is my favourite month of the year for the sheer variety of plants and flowers springing to life. I hope you enjoy the images I have been capturing over the past 3 weeks of my garden as it bursts into bloom.

Lord_Derby_apple_tree_in_May_2022_in_bloom — May 2022 Apple blossom season. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

The apple blossom this year was remarkable. I took these images about 10 days ago. The petals have now dropped and the fruit is beginning to set. Fingers crossed for a bumper harvest.

Scottish_garden_bluebells_May_2022 — May 2022 bluebells. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

There has been another carpet of bluebells all over the garden. Those in the lighter borders are beginning to go over now, but the ones in the shadier parts are still vibrant and fresh.

Scottish_garden_red_Rhododendron_May_2022

The best in the garden this month has to be the many colours and varieties of Rhododendrons and Azaleas in flower. They love the acidic soil here and always do very well.

May_Himalayan_cornflowers_and_Welsh_yellow_poppies — May garden borders. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

These two flowers, the Himalayan cornflower and the yellow Welsh poppies will continue to flower throughout the next 3 months or so in the garden. Great value, low maintenance and lovely bright colours. Below, under a blue sky earlier this week, the golden yellow Laburnum flowers look stunning.

Scottish_Laburnum_tree_in_bloom_in_May_2022 — Laburnum in full glory. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

I’m back to where I started with my images. The image below was taken a couple of days ago. You can see that the apple blossom has finished. There are still a few bluebells about, but now the lupins are on their way and it won’t be long before the peonies open.

Scottish_garden_end_of_May_2022 — The garden this week. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

To finish my post this week, not only is the garden full of flowers at the moment, it is visited by many birds collecting food for their babies. This fellow, rather scruffy in attire, has been my companion in the garden this week. I am amazed at how many sultanas he can fit in his beak!

Until next time, take care and enjoy the sights and scents of the season.