May
It’s May, the sun is shining, and the machines are out in force. At the moment, a tree is receiving attention. I can’t see any men wearing hard hats hanging around in the treetops, so I don’t think any trees will be cut down today. The tree may just be having a trim, an errant limb or two being removed.
There is a background hum of lawnmowers, too. The sun encourages the grass to grow, which in turn incites proud homeowners to sharpen the blades of their mowers and lay waste to the fresh green growth. Woe betide any small invertebrates lurking among the grass stems. What has survived the lawnmower will fall victim to the strimmer.
It's the early spring Bank Holiday weekend, so Monday, which is the actual holiday, will be given over to lawn mowing and barbecues, especially if the sun continues to shine. The scent of newly cut grass wreaks havoc with those who suffer from hay fever, but is soon overwhelmed by the aroma of chargilled meat, with the emphasis being on ‘char.’
Forget about sitting quietly in the garden, enjoying the early spring warmth, pretty flowers, and the songs of birds trilling in the trees.
Mowers to
right of us,
Mowers to left of us,
Stutter
and roar,
Worse
than before,
Welcome the month of May.
Enjoy the bank holiday, if there is one where you live, and beware the predicted change in weather, and a return to *wintrier days.
*Adjust
according to wherever you live.
"It's May, it's May, the lusty month of May..." - lyric from a song from a long ago musical, "Camelot.".
ReplyDeleteIs that when a young man's fancy turns to love??
DeleteWe have to work hard to keep gardens in top shape.
ReplyDeleteSome need more work than others.
DeleteI hear mowers and leaf blowers here once a month even in winter, the maintenance men (can't call them gardeners) have a schedule and grass gets cut whether it needs it or not.
ReplyDeleteLeaf blowers are really noisy, aren't they?
DeleteNothing like a bright sunny morning!
ReplyDeleteIt lifts the spirits.
DeleteMy hay fever is being particularly vicious at the moment after walking through all these grassy meadows here 🤧
ReplyDeleteIt can be very trying and spoils the pleasure somewhat.
DeleteWe have plastic grass so no mowing here, BBQ will be lit, family will arrive and eat, play and go home, then our peace will be restored. I do love the gardening sounds when I am sat outside, having grown up in the countryside, it's the sounds of spring.
ReplyDeleteBarbecues are fun for the family.
DeleteHi Janice - those noisy machines I really don't like them! But it is May - the seasonal time of more light which is wondrous ... enjoy the weekend - cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteThe longer days are so pleasant. Enjoy your weekend, HIlary.
DeleteI am not sexist, and was very happy to teach my husband and sons good cooking techniques and putting their clothes into the washing machine each week.
ReplyDeleteBut I didn't want to ever mow the lawn myself *blush*.
My husband was away from home quite a lot so mowing the lawn often fell to me. Lucky!
DeleteWe 'invested heavily' in no-mow May. Fortunately so did most of our neighbours even some who once had the most immaculate lawns for blocks but were won over by wildflowers and birdlife feeding on the increased diversity in our burgeoning meadows.
ReplyDeleteThat was a real success - well done.
DeleteWe are getting days of off and on rain here. So yesterday the mowers came by between raindrops and our grass really needed cutting. When they were finished the sun was out long enough to make this smell so sweet. In a few weeks I'll probably be sick and tired of the lawn mower noise by then.
ReplyDeleteMost things pall after a while! 😂🤣
DeleteI don't think there's a bank holiday here on Monday.
ReplyDeleteI've been hearing lots of mowing going on but haven't noticed the scent of grilling yet.
You have those joys yet to come.
DeleteThe upcoming Monday is not a bank holiday here, but 1 May was. Being one of those allergic to grass, I consider myself quite fortunate to be living on a housing estate where all the lawn mowing is efficiently done (by staff) on one and the same day. There may of course be other kinds of noise going on - but never any lawn mowers on the weekends!
ReplyDeleteNever any lawn mowing at the weekend sounds eminently sensible.
DeleteThat hasn't begun here, but your description evokes conflicting feelings. 😎
ReplyDeleteIt's a pity we can't choose.
DeleteWe had a bad thunderstorm last night, lightning and such with a lot of rain, but this morning isa gorgeous May day.
ReplyDeleteA storm really clears the air and makes it so sweet.
DeleteMowers is exactly what I am hearing this morning as well. Tis the season for mowing. What holiday will the bank be celebrating? Much cooler here in Texas today...we will be in the 70's all weekend.
ReplyDeleteThe early and late spring bank holidays don't celebrate anything other than early and late spring. 🤣😂
DeleteYou paint a fun picture in your part of the world :) wising you a very happy May. My overseas family have gone home now and my blog break has ended. Great to be catching up again.
ReplyDeleteWelcome back! I'm sure you've had a lovely time but are now enjoying a well-earned rest.
DeleteThis is so true. I love the warm sunny weather, but there's nary a moment's peace!
ReplyDelete. . . and there's the ice-cream van, too, murdering 'Greensleeves.'
DeleteHappy May
ReplyDelete. . . and to you.
DeleteUpon reading your post, it dawned on me that contrary to tradition we seem to have been spared by lawnmowers and other noisy gardening machinery this weekend. People didn't even sit outside getting noisier which each glass of alcohol consumed. And it definitely wasn't due to lack of warm sunny weather, as the temperature effortlessly reached the high twenties! So, for once, we were able to sit outside and enjoy some peace and quiet. Bliss! xxx
ReplyDeleteHow lovely! i hope you have many more such weekends.
ReplyDeleteIt's been warm here but for the next few days we are supposed to have rain. May should be nice at least for a while.
ReplyDeleteWe need some rain, which means we'll probably have a deluge when it does come.
DeleteLOL I enjoyed your rhyme :)
ReplyDeleteWe have a family get-together on Sunday and then on Monday a quieter day when I hope to watch the VE day event on the BBC.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8072z9pg1yo
All the best Jan
I think we shall watch that, too. 80 years is a lifetime ago.
DeleteLovely rhyme - very fun!
ReplyDeleteThe weather seems to be up and down here, but there is certainly the sound of mowers around. Husband is going to drag ours out soon. The front desperately needs it, but the back garden isn't growing as fast or perhaps it's just the rabbits (wild) and the deer (also wild lol) eating the grass!
I think the grass benefits from being nibbled by wildlife - more natural - and manured at the same time. 😂😁
ReplyDeleteI have banned any lawn mowing here this weekend. We off to visit a couple of other gardens where the grass will have already have been cut, probably by one of those sit on mowers. Have a lovely Bank Holiday Monday whatever the weather.
ReplyDeleteIt's turning out to be a chilly day! I hope you manage to escape the rain.
Delete