Southern Springtime... brought to you by the letter P

In the past week we've gone right from winter into summer.

With temperatures in the 80s this week, I had to break down and turn on the A/C yesterday.

 

 This warm weather has prompted the Kwanzan Cherry trees to burst into bloom.  Their pretty pink petals are putting on quite a show outside our kitchen and bedroom windows.

 I was in the garden early this morning checking to see what else is popping into bloom and couldn't help but notice a little theme going on.  It seemed that much of what I was seeing began with the letter P... like pretty pink petals.

There are also many pots of pretty pansies.

Here in the south we plant our pansies in the fall.  Throughout the winter they don't look great, but they hang in there.  In February I start feeding them a weak water soluble fertilizer and as the temperatures start to warm, they bloom beautifully and profusely.  Once the heat comes to stay, they aren't happy and generally get relegated to the compost pile. 

 Anyhow, moving right along I noticed a pink dogwood was blooming.  Upon further inspection I noticed a coating of yellow dust marring the beauty of the beautiful blossom.

 Come to think of it I saw that same yellow dust all over my patio tables, chairs, the cars, door handles, porch, etc.

which can only mean one thing ...

that other dreaded P word.  That's right...

Pollen!

All I can say about that is

Achoo!!