I have fond memories of making May Day baskets in elementary school. You know the type – woven strips of multi-colored construction paper anchored precariously with that school paste that tasted better than it stuck. Then we’d fill the baskets with flowers we made from tissue paper and pipe cleaners and hang them from our front doors on May 1, also known as May Day.

I also remember one brave teacher who decided we should dance around a Maypole, weaving back and forth and around each other as we clutched our colorful ribbons. Ribbons whose other ends were attached to the top of what I seem to remember was a tetherball pole. While the May Day baskets were a success, the Maypole dance fell somewhat short. I’m not sure third graders have a vision for a properly executed Maypole dance.

I don’t hear much about May Day anymore but perhaps we should consider resurrecting its playful tradition of hanging flower baskets on a friend’s or neighbor’s doorknob; then running away before being caught.

And it’s not just a tradition in this country. In London, children bring flowers to many different homes and receive pennies in return. The pennies are thrown into a wishing well and later donated to charity.

One German tradition is for a boy secretly to plant a May tree in front of his love’s window.

France has a strange May Day custom. They lead flower-bedecked cows in a parade while the crowd tries to touch the animals for good luck.

Of course, Hawaiians have turned May Day into Lei Day, putting leis around each other’s necks and kissing them. Sounds like a kind of tropical mistletoe.

Speaking of flowers, how is your garden growing? With all this spring rain those perennials will be knee-high before long. Not to mention the height of the weeds. If you have a problem with weeds, try not to use chemicals that can harm people and pets as well as the environment. Instead, check out corn gluten, the natural pre-emergent herbicide made from a corn by-product and is for use in gardens and on lawns. It is not available everywhere but can be found at Blue Seal stores and in the Garden’s Alive catalog. If there are other local places that carry corn gluten, marketed under several different brand names, I’d love to hear about them.

I’ve been eying local nursery stock this week and noticed the cheery flats of forget-me-nots, Latin name, Myosotis. These biennials, with their tiny blue flowers that glow above the foliage, make a sweet addition to the spring garden. Planted in sun or shade and kept well watered, forget-me-nots tend to self-sow vigorously so you’ll never have reason to forget them. A container of these would also be a great basket stuffer for May Day.

So, as you investigate the wide selection of plants for sale, think about surprising someone you love with a basket of spring flowers this year. But be careful where you plant a tree. And you might want to leave the cow at home.

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