May is that time of year when the garden truly comes to life! Colors become more intense, fragrances fill the air, and some plants reach the absolute peak of their beauty. In this post, I want to share my personal favorites of the month — the plants that shine the brightest in May and give my garden its unique character. These are not just beautiful blooms, but also intriguing personalities in the plant world, each with its own quirks and secrets.
Meet my top five for May!
May Stars of My Garden
1. Evergreen Candytuft (Iberis sempervirens)
A white carpet that looks like spilled porcelain on the flower bed. Candytuft doesn’t just bloom beautifully — it stays decorative all year thanks to its dark green foliage. Perfect for rock gardens, border edges, and stone walls, where it can cascade down like a miniature waterfall.
Fun Fact: The name sempervirens means “evergreen” — the plant doesn’t lose its leaves in winter, which means it keeps its decorative charm all year round.
Best growing tips:
🌱 After flowering, give it a good trim — it encourages dense growth and often triggers a second, lighter blooming in summer.
☀️ Planting on a slight slope or atop a wall prevents the lower stems from rotting during wet autumns and winters.
2. Japanese Azalea (Rhododendron japonicum)
Low, dense, and incredibly colorful — in May, Japanese azalea looks like a miniature flame lit up on the flower bed. It’s great for Japanese-style gardens, heather areas, or shady spots under tree canopies.
Fun Fact: In Japan, azaleas symbolize patience and harmony — they’re often planted around temples and in zen gardens.
Best growing tips:
🍂 Mulch with lightly shredded pine bark — it retains moisture better and gently acidifies the soil, which azaleas love.
🌫️ Diffused light (e.g., a light shade net during heatwaves) helps prevent leaf burn — which can happen even in partial shade when the May sun gets intense. I have mine mostly in sunny spots, and it’s clear that they get too hot in summer.
3. Deciduous Azalea (Rhododendron luteum and others)
When a deciduous azalea blooms, it’s truly spectacular. Large, often fragrant flowers explode in vibrant shades — from yellows and oranges to reds and pinks. A classic among acid-loving plants, ideal for larger gardens.
Fun Fact: Deciduous azaleas lose their leaves in winter, which helps them better withstand cold temperatures compared to their evergreen cousins.
Best growing tips:
🧪 Add a pinch of iron sulfate to water once a month in spring — it promotes vivid flower color and healthy growth, working quickly and safely.
🧴 Spray flower buds with a natural garlic or nettle infusion — it deters aphids and boosts the plant’s resistance to disease.
4. Tulips (Tulipa spp.)
There’s no spring without tulips. Their variety of colors and forms means every garden can have its own version of a springtime painting. In May, the late varieties appear — glossy, multi-petaled, or parrot-shaped.
Fun Fact: In 17th-century Holland, “tulip mania” saw bulbs reaching higher prices than houses in central Amsterdam.
Best growing tips:
🌷 Place a marker next to each tulip group while they bloom — once they fade, it’s easy to forget where they are, making summer planting more difficult.
🧺 Replant tulips every 2–3 years — not just because they thin out. Changing the soil around the bulbs reduces the risk of fusarium and gray mold.
5. Wisteria (Wisteria sinensis / floribunda)
The princess of the May garden. When wisteria blooms, it’s hard to look away — its long, hanging clusters of flowers look like a fairytale curtain. Perfect for pergolas, gazebos, and tall walls. When properly trained, it can bloom twice a year. Mine is now 3 years old. This spring, it will bloom for the first time — it has several plump flower buds!
Fun Fact: In Japan, there are entire gardens dedicated to wisterias — some specimens are over 100 years old and form floral tunnels stretching dozens of meters.
Best growing tips:
✂️ Regular summer pruning of new shoots (after 5–6 leaves) encourages blooming rather than leafy growth.
🧱 Don’t plant too close to gutters, walls, or wooden structures without protection — wisteria can grow into cracks, displace tiles, and damage structures over time.
🌼 I Love May!
May is a joyful time for gardeners — plants explode with color, and each one brings something special. Candytuft, azaleas, tulips, and wisteria — each of these beauties has its own character, needs, and hidden secrets. Watching them year after year shows how much we can learn by listening to our gardens.
What are your garden’s May stars?
Let me know in the comments or tag me on Instagram — I’d love to take a peek at your blooming corner!