June is busting out all over

... which would be fine if it weren't April.  I suppose really our mock orange has been blooming in the second half of May in recent years, but I still think it blooms in June, dammit, and it is a month early in any case.

On the other hand, plenty of trees are still just thinking about leafing out, those that depend more on daylight length than temperature I guess.

This is my red buckeye, Aesculus pavia, which usually blooms somewhat later too.  It's settled in well and growing nicely, about 5 feet tall now and should double in size eventually.

With the heat wave over the weekend we're seeing the end of the daffodils.  I will have to find something else to cut for the refreshment tables at the high school show this coming weekend (I thought since it's "The Secret Garden" we should have flowers).  Perhaps mock orange.

The big news is we're getting rain today, and probably tomorrow and over the weekend as well.  We need it desperately.  I've been making rude faces at the sunny, clear and warm weather reports.  I want gloom and damp, thank you.  However, so far we've had about a splash and a half, so I will believe the new weather pattern when I see it.  If we don't get an inch I will have to drive over to Derwood and water anyway.  My seedlings are parched.

I forgot to record seed-starting, so: last Thursday, I think it was, I started a huge number of nasturtiums, some of which have sprouted, along with mouse melons (yay), West India gherkin, amaranth to be a flea beetle trap plant, and a few calendulae.  Very soon it will be time to harden off the tomatoes, which is good because I need the space they're sitting in.