Saturday, May 02, 2020

May!

5-1-20 SHORT HILLS: May may be the best month here in NJ, warm but not hot, rain but no snow, sun but no drought, flowers but no weeds, bees but no mosquitoes—June, July, August are too hot, humid, dry, buggy, weedy, and we hide inside in the AC. Time to go to VT where there will still be a little snow in corners and spring is just getting started.

Anyway, we had another 0.8 inches of rain, but today is sunny and warm. We opened the back door, and all the house plants dashed outside and assembled on the terrace under the sweet gum tree. Usually they don’t dare going outside before May 15-20.

We are soon going to VT, and I am always anxious to get there and be there, but ambivalent about leaving here during flower season when dozens of plants are yet to bloom.

The screens are up, the pruning almost finished, leaves opening on the trees. By the end of May, this yard will have gone from sunny to shady when all the ash trees are in business.

New blooms: acuba, clematis, redbud, honeysuckle.


No more insignificant, little flowers on the ground, but azaleas have started to bloom.

Judy's house plants have gone on summer vaca. Before this year, they never put so much as a frondlet  out the door until May 15.

Redbuds add to the pink wave.

Acuba japonica, spotted laurel, has a distinctive, yellow spotted leaf and insignificant flowers.

Clematis.