Azaleas and Hellebores; the camellia in the background still has a few blooms.

April is one of the nicest times of year in this part of central North Carolina. Although the daffodils have come and gone, along with the crocus, camellias, and most of the flowering fruit trees, the dogwoods and azaleas are just getting started and they are ubiquitous enough to turn the city into a glorious garden.

In my own gardens, the roses are leafing out and even have a few buds, so I’ve given them their first feeding. The perennials are waking up and showing new leaves. Lily bulbs have shoots coming up, the daylilies are filling out, and some of the iris have buds.

I’ve spent the last few weeks (when it wasn’t too cold or too rainy) clearing out the annual flower beds and getting the soil ready for planting. I’ve started a few seeds inside under my grow-lights and this week, I’ll start moving some outside during the day to harden off.

Our official last frost date is April 15^th. A look at the long-range forecast suggests that frost is actually pretty unlikely between now and then, but we will have a few cool nights, so I’m not going to put out seeds or the tender bulbs until next week.

The only downside is the pollen! Not only does it mean sneezing and itchy eyes, we have a coating of green slime on everything. A recent shower washed most of it away for a bit but it won’t take long to cover the walks and the cars again. Still, it’s a small price to pay for the shade and the color.