'Thou pretty herb of Venus' tree, Thy true name it is Yarrow; Now who my bosom friend must be, Pray tell thou me to-morrow.' (Halliwell's Popular Rhymes, etc.)
And the beautiful Hawthorn or May tree is in full bloom with masses of snowy white flowers. It is also known as the Whitethorn, as opposed to the Blackthorn.
In the "Forest Minstrel," William Howitt sang this ditty:
"The beautiful Hawthorn, that has now put on
Its summer luxury of snowy wreaths,
Bending its branches in exuberant bloom,
While to the light enamour'd gale it breathes,
Rife as its loveliness, its rare perfume. Glory of England's landscape!
Favourite tree of bard or lover! It flings far and free
Its grateful incense."
And then of course there's the old favourite about not casting your clout 'til May is out.
Which is probably sound advice about not changing your winter clothes for your summer ones until June, but might have something to do with the Hawthorn in bloom. Come to think of it, Lois hangs on to the last of her winter coat until June. But for the more reckless amongst you humans, it has been noted that you fling off your vests and long johns and reach for the open-toed sandals and socks at the first hint of warm weather. Lucky I have an all season jacket and don't have to bother with such matters!
Gordon