Don’t sit under the apple tree with anyone else but me. The World War Two-era song sung famously by the Andrews Sisters sounds a little dated but the wild apple trees on the Vineyard are right in tune this year, their crooked boughs heavy with pink blossoms everywhere you look. And the wild dogwoods that dot the rural roadsides up-Island thread the upper reaches of the trees, providing a delicate, lacy counterbalance to the lush blooms on old fruit trees.

The pink and white dogwood thrives in the Island’s moist, temperate coastal climate, but its blossoms are fleeting, so look quickly. Lilacs are up next, followed by bridal wreath, daisies and moccasin flowers. After a slow, cold spring, May days have finally arrived.