Since snowstorms and periods of cold weather characterize March and April along the Colorado Front Range, May is generally the most colorful month of the year. Even typically early flowers, such as grape hyacinths and tulips, grace this last month of meteorologic spring.
Our Littleton farm is more colorful than it has been in years. Purple mustard and dandelions adorn the "lawns" while lilac, wild plum, Oregon grape and chokecherry shrubs are also in bloom. The apple and crabapple trees are just about to flower and various roses will adorn the property before the month ends.
Since the abundant moisture of March and April fuels this growth, the greenery of our pastures, shrubs and small trees is also lush and will spread across the canopy of the taller trees as the month progresses. Late day thunderstorms, typical of May and June, will nurture this colorful landscape until it all fades in the dry heat of July and early August. Fortunately, the Southwest Monsoon arrives by late summer, rescuing our plants from the intense Colorado sunshine.
