Apparently I have an aversion to following my own advice. I decided to peruse some of my mid-May columns from years past. I was hoping to plagiarize myself. Last year I lamented how things have changed in the world. Honestly, how old am I? I commented on geraniums, impatiens and tomato plants for sale and how I believed the purchasers would be sorry. They never are and I never put those annuals into open ground until almost Memorial Day.

The month of May has to get the Academy Award in the garden year. I try to notice particularly nice displays as I drive around and make weekly written comments. At the moment everything is simply lovely.

Cynthia Shilling has a magnolia soulangeana easily as big as her house. Nestled in with azaleas and forsythia, it screams May.

Rainy Day has some great window boxes with deep pink English daisies and lime green lettuce. Check it out.

I did a lot of gardening this past week for self protection. I seemed unable to resist the temptation of television or radio news following the events of the Boston Marathon bombings. Keep in mind, this column is always a week delayed. Emotionally and spiritually there is no place like outdoors with no technology or media crowding the brain.

Just as I prepared to abandon all hope, the tiniest carrot seedlings emerged. It has been more than three weeks since I planted. Both the lettuce and radishes came up in a little more than a week. Why I can’t remember one simple truth in gardening is beyond me. It takes what it takes. Peas planted a month apart will pretty much give you your first pea on about the same day. So, never fret when a friend brags that his or her seeds have been in the ground ahead of yours.

Live and rarely ever learn. I complained all week about the wind but went ahead anyway and planted out some teensy seedlings. They had been coming along nicely in a warm cozy greenhouse and, true to my nature, I could not wait to put them into the ground. Needless to say they were pretty much beaten to death. We’re talking about romaine lettuce, broccoli rabe, Russian kale and miniscule seedlings. Good thing I over-planted inside so replacement will not be a problem. Luckily, I’ve learned to shake my head at my own self.

Big doings out at Bayes-Norton Farm. I’ve been watching all week and wondering if the garden is being expanded or a if a house is on the way. Those big machines sure make short work of land clearing. I was thinking about our ancestors doing the same task with nothing but beasts of burden and pure brawn. They couldn’t stop by for take-out on the way home either.