Everyone is complaining about the wet and chilly weather. I’m not one of them. Any day now it will become unbearably hot, humid and dry. I’ll begin whining about the endless hauling of hoses.

I love a cool spring. It prolongs the life of bulbs and early flowering shrubs. For example, the daffodils at Polly Hill are still holding their own. One year during tulip bloom we had a 90-degree day and the tulips lasted a mere three days. They hate 90-degrees.

The ornamental cherries are in full and glorious bloom. There are too many to comment on all of them, but I’ll mention just two. There is an enormous one at the causeway apartments on Skiff avenue. Next to Morrice the Florist another nice one offsets the formal entry. The two sky pencils are particularly handsome.

Sky pencil is a cultivar of Ilex crenata commonly known as Japanese Holly. It can take partial shade, grows up to 10 feet tall but only has a maximum spread of three feet. It gives a formal look to an area. I use it on the upright posts of a pergola. Besides a yearly does of Pro Holly and some mulch, the only other care required is a bit of a wrap in the early winter to prevent heavy snow from splaying it apart. I use green yarn so it is invisible. I am not really fond of burlap because it makes an attractive shrub pointless for months of the year. Remember, there is no reason not to enjoy the garden year-round.

As long as we are on the subject of trees, I may as well go on about them. I love the subtle colors of new leaf growth. There are browns, coppers, reds, mahoganies, lime green and golds. Once everything completely leafs out, most are just green.

Every fifth or so property has red Japanese maples. The color and pleasing shape always catch the eye.

Martha’s Vineyard Savings Bank in Vineyard Haven has a couple of fully-flowered crabapples. My apple trees are just beginning. Last week I snipped a few branches to open in the house. Every year when my large apple tree blooms, it attracts Baltimore Orioles. I never see them before or after. Sadly, I discovered a caterpillar tent. It’s amazing that pests arrive before you even think of them. Oh well, the good and bad of life itself!

Once again I’m overwhelmed with the wild mustard weed. Supposedly, it came with the Pilgrims. They used it as their first spring green. Now it runs rampant and is flowering, hence forming another entire generation. At this late state of life, I am learning to appreciate and stop loathing some of my weeds. The flower is a lovely white and offsets the Virginia blue bells nicely.

Many of my customers have pools with the required four-foot fencing. Deer have never jumped the fence for the yummy perennials surrounding the pool patio. I always assumed they were nervous about the visual of the pool itself. That theory is debunked as of this past winter. Every emerging day lily, sedum, and hosta are chomped right to the ground. I bought a five-gallon bucket of concentrated Bobbex but fear it will be inadequate.

The vegetable garden is coming along. All the bok choy and kale are going to seed but I don’t care. I cut the flower heads for salads and stir fries. They are delicious.

It came very close to freezing on Monday night. I was out at 5 a.m. hosing the dahlias. Often the tender plants can be saved by watering them before the sun hits them. I’ve lost plants mid-May in the past, especially around the full moon on a cloudless night.

I like wearing buttons on my work clothing. I have a button that reads, “I never thought I’d miss Nixon” that I wore during the Bush years but now he looks good to me.

Another favorite is: “Question authority but not your mother.”

This week I lost a button that read: “I’m only doing it your way so I can blame you later.”

I guess Congress is no longer a co-equal branch of government. Presidential Teflon is truly above the law.