May in the Garden at Sequoia House Seattle

May is a busy month in the garden at Sequoia House Seattle. Even with dry shade, there is an amazing array of plants that do well and flourish under the Sequoia House Seattle Heritage Tree.

Native bleeding heart with its pink blooms under the Sequoia House Seattle Heritage Tree. Douglas Iris leaves peek through the foliage.

Native sorrell in bloom alongside bleeding heart

Native woodland plants such as native bleeding heart are in full bloom, showcasing their delicate pink flowers. With hand watering, the bleeding heart can last throughout the summer. Native sorrel, a great ground cover for dry shade, is

putting out its white blooms, even as sword ferns finish unveiling their yearly new fronds. Douglas Iris will soon be putting out their delicate purple blooms, which then become seed pods that burst open in the fall for a colorful display of bright orange berries that readily self-seed under the Giant Sequoia.

Many non-native cottage garden plants also do well under the Giant Sequoia here, and complement the cottage style of the house. Forget-me-nots are finishing up their delicate blue display, and feverfew is preparing to bloom soon. These blooms typically last well into summer, also self-seeding throughout the garden. An old-fashioned camellia - which in other gardens would have completed flowering much earlier in the year - is still blooming as well. In the backyard, where there is more sun, there is a vegetable garden which is well underway with cool weather crops

Feverfew buds under the Sequoia House Seattle Heritage Tree. When open, they will feature tiny daisy like flowers that can last through mid-summer

Please come back for updates, including the progress on our vegetable garden and bird sanctuary, in future blogs!