While the garden’s best is yet to come with May into June its peak, today I could not ask for anything more. Blooms of redbuds, dogwoods, and serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis, below) are in view from every point in the garden along with colorful leaves of Japanese maples that fortunately escaped damage from recent freezes.

A few visual gaps were planted late last year and in the past few weeks they’re filling just as anticipated. While these were tiny holes, I’m overjoyed to have shoehorned in weeping redbuds and a ‘Daybreak’ magnolia. Neither will spread much, so both are perfectly suited, and already they’re making a splendid show.

An order of rock garden plants should arrive soon, but as usual I’ve become impatient and planted most of the gaps between the granite boulders. There is a bare amount of design to the rock garden planting, mostly trying to vary colors and textures, but I figure there will be some changes as plants grow. Many of the plants are new to the garden, so I’ll figure it out as they grow. But, after looking at bare rocks and gravel through the winter, I’m happy to see some green, and flowers (Lewisia, below).

I’m always happy to see the mayapples return, both the natives (Podophyllum peltatum, below) and Asian varieties. When collecting natives I focus on spotted leaves rather than ones that are a single shade of green, but I enjoy them all. Someday, I’ll work up the budget to add some of the spotted Asians.

The yellow Fritillaria lutea (below) are up and flowering, and why I didn’t add these long ago, I don’t know. Other colors will flower a bit later. Until now, I’ve planted only smaller ones (at bottom) that spread nicely and stand just above the ever expanding clump of ‘Evergold’ carex.