May Madness

DEBORAH CROMBIE: In my part of the world, there is a perfect month, and that is May. When the green gunk of pecan pollen has washed away, the hummingbirds are back, the mosquitoes are only just beginning to bite, and the temperatures have not begun (knock wood) to climb in the 90s, I am giddy with delight. Spring fever, you might call it, but I'm more likely to attribute that description to the above-mentioned pecan pollen.

The first flush of roses is finished, as are all the spring bulbs except for a few lingering irises, but the perennials are coming into their heyday and I have been on way too many wild shopping expeditions to the local nurseries. If I were challenged to count the number of pots we have, the answer would be mumble-mumble--too many, and I have a compulsion (my husband will tell you) to fill them. Here's just the deck table. The new geranium on the right is--so my gardener friend tells me--a variety called Martha Washington. It is adorable! I should have taken a closer photo!

Here are a few on the patio, with a new-this-spring Purple Princess bougainvillea, an annual plumbago, and our True Passion tree rose which we planted a couple of years ago but it never fails to astound.

The roses in the background are Peach Drift, and behind them, a red David Austin called Fisherman's Friend, and a yellow David Austin climber called Bathsheba.

And if you are wondering about the gaping hole in our fence... We'd had a stained glass window there for years, but the window's frame was deteriorating badly, and as the fence needs replacing, too, it was time for a change. Rick took the frame apart, repaired it and painted it, then reassembled it.

 so that we could hang it here--

And I can admire it when I sit out on the deck with my morning tea. And my lunch. And my evening glass of wine...

(Another less fun project on the spring agenda is to powerwash the house and our very badly in need of it deck!)

The tomatoes and herbs are all in, too, although my garden helpers threw away the labels for the half-dozen heirloom tomatoes, so I guess we'll see what we get.

The grill is uncovered, the hammock is up, and I can, on the most perfect days, pull my little rolling table outside so that I can write on the deck.

One more photo: I snapped this the other night--our Peggy Martin roses on the pergola, with the new lights on the deck. So charming!

May is fleetingly lovely, June might still be pleasant, by July we'll be hunkering inside to escape the heat, so I am determined to make the most of these glorious days while they last.

What does the merry month of May have in store for you, dear Reds and readers?