‘Till May be out’

The month of May is a lovely time of year here, and not just for the prospect of warm weather, but it is when a lot of our flowers come out.

We currently have a vivid blue carpet of bluebells developing at the top of our garden near the old ruins, and wild anemones and primroses have been out for a couple of weeks, with the primroses displaying their beautiful pale-yellow flowers.

This pale yellow is also favoured by our head chef (AKA John), whose latest attire is his replica 1907 Scotland football shirt.  Back then the national colours were primrose and raspberry. And why not, although the sweet, Fruit Salads, comes to mind before football colours.  But John remembers that his mother’s home village, Ormiston in East Lothian, named its Junior football team, Ormiston Primrose.  Sweet! 

Scotland’s Gardens Scheme is underway in mid-Argyll with garden owners opening their gardens to the public to raise money for charity.  This is a wonderful opportunity to visit gardens that are usually privately owned but which for a few days a year can be visited and scrutinised for a few growing tips and familiarity of flower names.  www.scotlandsgardens.org

And as this is the month of May – and I may have mentioned this before – but during May do heed the old Scots adage of ‘ne’er cast a clout till May be oot’.  The meaning of ‘May be out’ possibly relates to not the taking off your winter clothes at the end of the month, but to the May Tree, also known as the Hawthorn, and to when it shows its blossom.  We have May trees, and I would take a photo of the blossom but……… it ain’t oot just yet.