I'll Take Two Mays

April did not come this year the way I look at it. Instead there are two months of May on the calendar around here. Only two days under 70 degrees this month. Eight days over 80. Perfect, it's my favorite month up here. Tree foliage looks like it's ahead of last year by two weeks. Starting to get shade. Even the frigging lawn is looking better after mowing for the first time yesterday. I missed a small but heavy isolated thunderstorm that hovered an area 10 miles north of me last evening. It dumped about 4-5 inches. No other rain in the state.

And the song birds are out. I remember them much later last year, but several were singing this morning amongst the nasty smell of chicken manure fertilizer. Must be a heavy dose, or the wind is headed in the right direction because I don't recall it being that strong last year.

Maybe you've heard about the high pollen levels (weather channel based in Atlanta) in the Atlanta area. Doesn't bother me but my truck is a little greener. Stuff falling everywhere. Squirrels gone or I don't see them. I think I finally beat them on the bird feeder.

Nor sure what kind of bush this is, but it's starting to flower. Must be azalea? No it's a Rhododendron dummy!  Where did we buy that one? There are actually two adjacent to one rock garden. The others against the rock wall don't have blooms, or maybe they're not the same. It's about that time of the year for wild pink and orange ones to bloom. Dogwoods are flowering all over.

These guys aren't coming up like they're supposed to (70 planted here). It's one of two different Anemones planted  by bulbs back in December. This area is spotty just like the other near the driveway... but no flowers there. Bloom time says April, May.

Dianthus plugging along, reaching about 18 inches in height now. Some scarce signs of reseeding which I'm hoping for. I'd like to see it filled in by the end of the year. Time will tell.