Mais où la glace est-elle passée ?

This is the period in France and other parts of Europe that's called Les Saints de Glace, or the Ice Saints. Traditionally, the weather turns cold around May 10 for three or four days, making it a better idea to wait until May 15 to set out delicate, frost-sensitive garden plants like tomatoes. That's the conventional wisdom.

I need to dig up and transplant this little red maple tree, a volunteer... put it on the list.

In 2015, however, we're having a heat wave during the time when we should be shivering around the fireplace. Yesterday afternoon, we put on shorts for the first time and went and sat out back in the sun. I didn't stay out there too long because I didn't want to end up with a coup de soleil. The temperature is supposed to hit 28ºC today — that's 82 or 83ºF, which qualifies as scorching weather here.

In the round posts are some little collard plants that over-wintered under a cold frame. Into the garden plot they will go.

Today is tilling day, or at least tilling morning — probably the last one of the year. I did the first tilling exactly a month ago, and it's a good thing I did. In between, we've had a lot of wet weather. Some grasses and weeds are starting to come up in the newly enlarged garden plot out back. Now's the time to work the soil again and cut their growth short. Walt dumped and scattered around a few bags of horse manure out there yesterday afternoon.

The rhubarb that Walt dug up, divided, and transplanted is doing really well.

It looks like we'll get some more rain toward the end of the week, so Wednesday and Thursday might be good days to set out the first plants. We have, as usual, a lot of tomato seedlings that are about ready to be put in the ground. Not to mention a variety of squash, cabbage, and other plants. Maybe 2015 will be a year of bumper crops.

I wish this plant and the pot were mine, but they belong to a neighbor.

Meantime, I see lots of undesirables — especially brambles (ronces) — coming up in the hedges and in the big juniper clump just off the front deck. It'll soon be time to get out there with clippers and trim all that back. Walt will be mowing the yard on a regular basis. The hazy days of summer won't really be lazy, I'm afraid.