May Colors

Most of the flowering trees are done blooming by mid-May in our latitude. Colors become more muted; less pronounced. This year we had weeks of above average rain. So, everything is a lush green, like a rain forest. But around the edges, there are other colors in Bittersweet Woods. Here are some of them.


Catmint


New Holly tree growth


Tri-colored beech


Blue-eyed grass


Smoke tree leaves


Kousa dogwood in bloom


Multiflora rose


Early morning on the beach at Hilton Head Island SC

Spring on steroids

April has been incredible so far. After a harsh winter, spring has exploded into a wonderland of color and new life. I call it spring on steroids. I look out any window and see flowers and blooming trees in every direction. The amazing thing is that many of these flowering plants almost never are out at the same time. Now they are all out in a frenzied blaze of color.

Usually, there is a predictable sequence. First daffodils in late February, then forsythia, then red bud trees, then flowering crabapple trees. Then in late April and May, we start to see dogwood trees and then in early may Azalea blooms. This year, the first week April greeted us with an uninterrupted string of 80 degree days. That gave the new growth a boost. We are seeing azaleas in bloom, along with the last of daffodils and forsythia.

Here are a few shots showing the unlikely combinations of bloomers. It's beautiful; enjoy your version of spring in Bittersweet Woods while you can.