Oh yes, a grace and favour day... well, apart from civil servants, normal people don't get a day off.

Actually, when I ran my own business I was grateful we didn't get that day - I used to tear my hair out have to pay people for holidays at all, lol. May Day? Spring Bank Holiday? Easter? And then there was Christmas! Bah Humbug!

I have a question regarding that. Why is it that in one place it's celebrated in May, another in June, and yet another in September?

As for the frost, if there was a frost that late into May, we'd be going crazy! I have seen snow in April, but it was the first few days (one was a record snowfall in west Texas).

dg_dave: Sometimes it's not even safe to plant on May 24th. Commercial greenhouses here often make a double killing sales-wise in the spring. Everybody puts their stuff out on the long weekend. It freezes and then they have to repurchase the next weekend LOL.

I personally never put out "bedding plants" or bean seeds until the first full moon following the May 24th weekend. This year that isn't until mid June ~

As for the rest, I have a small greenhouse that I'm "allowed" to heat (with a space heater) from April 15 to Oct 15, so that's where the tomatoes, peppers, canteloupe, mini watermelons etc go (they're all started in little pots and are all OVER my kitchen right now).

Carrot, beet and spinach seeds get planted in the fall (they can stand the cold). Potatoes go in as soon as the ground can be dug/is no longer wet (usually by the end of April, but judging by the amount of snow still in my backyard, I rather doubt it this year).

I have seen snow every month but July - actually, I've seen snow in July, too, but that was in the mountains and so doesn't count. (Jakeroo and I live in the same part of the world). I had to travel into an undisturbed corner of my back yard this morning, and the snow was mid - thigh.

Even with waiting this late to plant, we often have to cover vulnerable plants at the end of the season, as it`s not unheard of to get frost in late August. Not many people here follow the 100 mile diet, unless they are extremely fond of root vegetables...

As for the variable dates of the Queen`s Birthday, I suspect it has to do with when it`s convenient to have a holiday more than anything else.