May flowers and other tidbits

We've seen our first wild crocus (pasque flower) and soon there will be wild flowers everywhere. Snow still exists in scattered piles where it was plowed, and perhaps under a few trees in the woods, but recordbreaking (warm this time) temperatures have made it disappear.

While there are years that cold seeds can be planted this early, the soil in my garden is still frozen. Walking on a lawn with absolutely no give is a strange feeling that will only last a day or two. Greenhouses are being opened, soil mixed, and indoor transplants are being prepared to go outside.

A typical year will give us trees budding out around May 19. We'll see what this cold winter and extended cold spring did to that date in a short while. Meantime, I'll keep looking for more wild flowers and enjoy the sudden warmth. We've got the deck chairs out and today I'll remove the storm glass from the screen doors.